Fernando Alonso has opened up about his discussions with Formula 1 regarding his future, speaking ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku. The 45-year-old Spaniard stressed that his primary focus is on improving the regulations that he feels have diminished the quality of racing, rather than solely on his competitive position with Aston Martin.
Alonso’s contract with Aston Martin expires at the end of the current season, and he has yet to decide whether he will continue racing in F1. FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem recently stated that it would be "not acceptable" for Alonso to leave F1 while in an uncompetitive position, and revealed he is working on a rules concession plan to persuade the two-time world champion to stay.
Responding to these comments, Alonso made it clear that his decision is not solely based on team performance. "We are less competitive than the grid, yes, but I don't think that's the critical point for me to make a decision," he told reporters in Baku. "Next year, there is a change already with the 60-40 ratio and that will improve things. But maybe there are more things that we need to think about to keep improving things. That's the way I see it."
F1 has already agreed to regulatory changes that will increase internal combustion output to a 60-40 split by 2028, after initially moving to 58-42 next year. While Alonso welcomes this step, he highlighted a fundamental issue with the current racing philosophy. "As I said in Madrid, that's part of my responsibility as well. I drove long enough here. And I think we all come from junior formulas, from karting, Formula 3, Formula 2, that we drive within this driver's instinct to go fast; attacking the corners and taking some risks," he explained. "And then you get to Formula 1 and you need to rewind a little bit what you learned in the last 20 years of your career. And then you need to drive a different method. That is only happening in Formula 1. There is no other series in motorsport where you need to drive slow to go fast."
Furthermore, Alonso stated that some of F1’s greatest circuits are being "killed" by the current rules, making iconic tracks like Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps, and Suzuka less enjoyable to drive. "We had Silverstone, an incredible circuit. It's not fun anymore. We had Spa, that was semi-embarrassing to go through. Eau Rouge, Suzuka, the 130R. There were some circuits that were killed this year," he added. "So, I think with the lessons from this year there is still maybe some scope to learn from those. And have a better sport next year. And that's my conversation that is ongoing with Stefano [Domenicali, F1 CEO], Mohammed or the teams in general."
Meanwhile, Honda and Aston Martin have responded to Ben Sulayem’s plan to boost Alonso’s incentive to remain in F1. Honda’s trackside general manager, Shintaro Orihara, expressed his satisfaction with the concessions already granted by the FIA through its ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities) system. "Actually, I'm not sure that this is the point of his comment, but at this moment, we..." Orihara said, indicating that Honda and Aston Martin continue to support constructive regulatory improvements.
Alonso’s remarks underscore the tension between F1’s desire to retain a veteran driver and the need to create regulations that are not only competitive but also preserve the pure character of racing. With his contract expiring, Alonso’s decision will heavily depend on the extent to which regulatory changes can restore the racing sensation he longs for.
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