Fernando Alonso has finally disclosed the real reason behind his decision to remain in Formula 1 at least until 2027. The two-time world champion admitted he cannot simply sit on the sofa watching races on TV, as he always feels he could do better.
The 45-year-old Spaniard has signed a new contract with Aston Martin after spending most of the current season weighing up his future. The process turned out to be quick: just a five-minute conversation with team owner Lawrence Stroll.
“I took the decision quite recently, and sitting with Lawrence was very straightforward,” Alonso explained. “We didn't have much to discuss. We both wanted to continue at that point. It was a five-minute talk and then we announced it.”
Despite his outspoken criticism of the new 2026 engine regulations, Alonso insisted his competitive fire still burns. “I have no guarantees that '27 will be more fun, but it is a commitment that you have to make with yourself,” he said. “At the end of the day, I feel fast, I feel motivated, I feel that I am enjoying what I am doing.”
Alonso explained that watching races from home triggers his desire to return. “And if I am sitting at home watching TV, watching races, I will feel that I can do better than them. That's what I felt in a way when I was away from F1, I was watching races and I was thinking, 'wow, that start was not right,' I don't know. I was always feeling the fire inside of being there and trying to do better. And I still feel it now and I said, until I have that inside, I think it's not time to stop.”
Alongside Max Verstappen, Alonso has been one of the loudest voices opposing the 2026 regulations. He famously dubbed the new era of F1 the “battery world championship”. However, he hopes that a two-step process to reduce the current electrical power contribution to get to a 60-40 engine split by 2028 will improve his enjoyment of F1.
“The decision was more about the rules, how enjoyable it is to drive these cars and these rules. We come to an incredible circuit now, it's going to be sad, the middle sector, because we cannot use the battery there,” he said ahead of F1’s return to Malaysia this weekend. “If not, you don't have energy for the three consecutive straights, from [Turn] 15 to the last corner, last corner to Turn 1 to Turn 3. You have to use the full 100% battery on those three straights. So the rest is just charging the battery. So that's the problems we are facing now in terms of bringing the cars to the limit on the grip.”
Alonso decided to give another opportunity, especially on the power unit side. “We started with the wrong foot and it is a question mark what is going to happen next year. But I think they deserve another opportunity and I feel blessed,” he concluded.
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