F1 journalist Lawrence Barretto sees Fernando Alonso’s contract extension with Aston Martin as confirmation that the Spaniard is convinced that the British racing team’s master plan can succeed and that he can fight for a championship again twenty years after his last title. Barretto admires the 42-year-old’s mentality, who appears fitter and sharper than ever.
The two-time world champion, who made his debut more than two decades ago at the 2001 Australian Grand Prix, said ‘I’m here to stay’ earlier in April after signing a deal to race until at least the end of 2026 for Aston Martin. By then he will be 45, making him the oldest driver since Graham Hill. ‘Age is just a number for the Spaniard, who claims he is leaner and fitter than ever before. His reactions seem as sharp, if not sharper, than on his very first day, and he clearly still has the speed and talent,” Barretto wrote on Formula 1’s official website.
Alonso has determined that it is far from time to take off his helmet, so he has once again put retirement on the back burner. The driver from Oviedo indicated that it was important for him to continue with the project and to ‘finish the job’. “That’s an important phrase: finish the job,” Barretto writes. ‘By signing another F1 contract, it confirms Alonso’s belief that he can not only achieve a 33rd win, but even more impressively, that he can challenge for a world title almost twenty years after his last.’ Alonso won the titles in 2005 and 2006. If Honda and Aston Martin are a successful combination from 2026, Alonso will move closer to his third title. “How on earth does he do that?” Barretto wonders.
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‘Aston Martin ready to have the ideal setup in F1’
By re-signing for Aston Martin, he will be working with Honda again, after having a difficult relationship with the Japanese manufacturer when he became irritated by their unreliability and lack of performance during his time at McLaren in 2017 and 2018. However, a lot has changed since then. Honda now has the leading power unit in F1, having played a key role in Max Verstappen winning the last three world championships with Red Bull. The Japanese manufacturer’s management has also changed, and the success they are enjoying has created a cheerful and enthusiastic mood within the company.
“Aston Martin is about to have the ideal setup in F1,” Barretto continues. ‘The ultra-modern factory worth tens of millions is almost ready, with the new wind tunnel being added this season. They will have a factory partner in Honda from 2026, in a campaign that will see them responsible for the entire car for the first time, making the gearbox, suspension and hydraulics in-house rather than buying them from Mercedes. It will take some time for that to come together, but Alonso sees the potential, especially given how well the team has tackled and continues to tackle the project.”
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