Fernando Alonso is not staying in Formula 1 simply because of pride. His decision to continue with Aston Martin into 2027 has a much more specific motivation: the project that convinced him to commit to the team has still not truly reached the form he was promised, and walking away now after such a difficult season does not fit his character.
The Spaniard has extended his Formula 1 career into 2027, when he will be 46, not because of money or longevity records. For Alonso, next season represents the point at which the Aston Martin project could finally become capable of winning or, at the very least, delivering the major results he has been waiting for.
Why Fernando Alonso is staying with Aston Martin at 46
Alonso does not want his Formula 1 career to end immediately after a season marked by major problems. Aston Martin’s 2026 campaign began under difficult circumstances and never developed into the competitive project the two-time World Champion had hoped to drive.
The staged retirement video used to announce his continuation was therefore not simply a joke, but a piece of marketing built around that narrative. Alonso chose to continue his time behind the wheel of the British team’s car because, as he explained, he “really believes in what we are building and I know that we can be successful: we have strong leadership, incredible people, partners and facilities”.
In simple terms, leaving now would mean walking away just as the ingredients that attracted him to Aston Martin are expected to mature. Adrian Newey’s influence on the project is growing, while Honda is continuing to develop its power unit after a difficult first season under the new regulations.
Honda itself has already acknowledged progress while preparing further changes, with the manufacturer continuing work at Sakura to improve its Formula 1 power unit. That development path is an important part of the reason Alonso believes the Aston Martin project can look very different in 2027.
Newey and Honda are central to Alonso’s 2027 decision
The 2026 season has been extremely complicated for Aston Martin. One of the biggest issues was severe vibration, accompanied by reliability and power-unit problems that caused major difficulties for both drivers.
In China, Fernando Alonso was forced to take his hands off the steering wheel while the car was travelling at around 300 km/h because, as he explained, “I couldn’t feel my hands anymore”. The vibration problem became one of the defining technical concerns of Aston Martin’s early season.
Lance Stroll, who has also recently extended his stay with the team, used an equally vivid description of the sensation inside the cockpit: “It’s like being in the electric chair.”
The problems were not limited to driver discomfort. Structural components were also affected by the loads and vibrations transmitted through the car, raising concerns over whether the package could reliably complete full race distances. At one stage, the situation was portrayed as so serious that Aston Martin was said to be considering retiring the cars after only a limited number of laps.
Miami brought another difficult reference point. During Sprint Qualifying, Alonso produced a deeply uncompetitive lap time that illustrated how far Aston Martin remained from the level expected of such an ambitious project.
Alonso says the real surprise could come in 2027
That is why Alonso is now speaking without ambiguity about what he expects next.
“I have resigned myself to anonymity, but I’m preparing the surprise,” he said.
That surprise is 2027. It will be the second season of Formula 1’s current technical regulations, with Honda expected to have a more mature power unit and Aston Martin’s car developed around a stronger understanding of Adrian Newey’s concepts and the lessons learned from the difficult 2026 campaign.
For Alonso, that makes next season a decisive test of everything Aston Martin has been building. Either the project finally begins delivering the level of performance expected from its investment, infrastructure, technical leadership and Honda partnership, or the long wait will have failed to produce the breakthrough he hoped for.
“I see young drivers making mistakes and I feel faster”
Alonso has also explained that his decision to keep racing is personal as well as technical. Speaking to the BBC, he revealed another reason why he is still unwilling to draw a line under his Formula 1 career.
“In practice I see drivers making a lot of mistakes, and that reassures me. I know I’m faster than them,” Alonso said.
At 45, the Spaniard still believes he has something meaningful to contribute on track and to give Aston Martin. His experience is particularly valuable during the development of a car that still requires extensive refinement, making him an important reference point for Adrian Newey and the wider technical organisation.
Newey himself has made clear that Alonso’s contribution remains valuable as Aston Martin works towards its future. The Spaniard’s experience, sensitivity and ability to provide detailed feedback make him more than simply a race driver in a project that is still developing.
That also explains the significance of Alonso’s declaration that he “really believes in the project we are building”. It is both a statement of intent and a summary of why he is prepared to endure another season after a difficult 2026 campaign.
Alonso has spent much of the year away from the positions he wants to fight for because he believes the competitive car he has been waiting for could finally be approaching. Whether that belief is rewarded will become one of Aston Martin’s defining Formula 1 stories in 2027.
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