The Asturian, who will turn 46 in 2027, decides to continue in the British project despite the difficulties. His faith in Adrian Newey and his passion for competing weigh more than the lack of results.
Fernando Alonso will continue in Formula 1; the two-time world champion has decided to renew with Aston Martin for at least one more season, ending months of speculation about his future. The Asturian, who will turn 46 in 2027, will become the oldest driver on the current grid, though still far from Louis Chiron, the oldest driver to compete in a race in the category's history.
Alonso's decision has not been easy: the Spaniard took his time to evaluate a situation that presented more shadows than light; Aston Martin occupies tenth position in the constructors' championship and has needed a type B update introduced in Hungary to get closer to the midfield after having been more than five seconds off the pace at some moments of the season. The Honda engine supplier with which Alonso had a complicated relationship during his time at McLaren is still behind in performance, and reliability has left much to be desired.
Despite this panorama, Alonso has decided to stay; his conversations with Lawrence Stroll, the team owner, and Adrian Newey, the technical genius who joined the project, have been decisive. The Spaniard trusts Newey's ability to reverse the situation, though he knows much of that success does not depend on him. What is in his hands is to stay in the best physical and mental shape possible, give the team his maximum support, and squeeze every tenth out of the car so the engineers know exactly what it is capable of.
His comeback to ninth place at the Dutch Grand Prix showed that Alonso still has the spark, determination, and speed of yesteryear. Now all that is missing is for Aston Martin to give him a car that matches his talent. The Spaniard believes they can achieve it, and his faith in Newey is total; furthermore, there is a personal factor that has weighed in on his decision: his son Leonard, born at the beginning of this year, will have the opportunity to see his father do what he loves most.
For Aston Martin, retaining Alonso in the race seat is a triumph. The Spaniard was destined to remain in the project in some role, but the team knows what he can do behind the wheel. His continuity shows confidence in the project and will motivate the entire structure; alongside him will continue Lance Stroll, who has suffered especially from a lack of reliability this year, with eleven retirements, but who has the backing of his father and the experience of more than 200 Grands Prix.
With Alonso's renewal, the 2027 grid is almost complete. Only four seats remain to be defined: two are at Haas, where Ollie Bearman is the favorite to continue, and Rafael Cámara, Formula 2 leader and member of the Ferrari academy, starts with an advantage to occupy the seat of Esteban Ocon, who will leave. The other two belong to Racing Bulls, where Arvid Lindblad has a place assured, and Liam Lawson is the main candidate to accompany him, although the arrival of Nikola Tsolov adds uncertainty.
The driver market is in its final stretch, with few seats available and many candidates vying for them.
