Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League
Despite being linked to both Red Bull and Mercedes, Fernando Alonso has committed to stay with Aston Martin for the 2025 Formula 1 season and beyond.
Is this a logical or surprising decision?
Will it be considered a career misjudgment if 2023 proves to be the peak of Aston Martin? Or is Alonso correct in believing it offers the best long-term prospects?
Here are our experts’ initial reactions to the news.
Mark Hughes
Alonso is the first to move in a highly unpredictable driver market, influenced by the deal between Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari and the turmoil at Red Bull.
It’s clear that Red Bull was not in a position to move, as Alonso’s real value to them would be as a short-term replacement for Max Verstappen if they couldn’t keep him. It wouldn’t make sense for him to replace Sergio Perez alongside Verstappen, as that could potentially disrupt the team.
The other option for Alonso was Mercedes, and there likely were discussions there as well. But is Mercedes really a more attractive choice than where he currently is?
It makes sense for him to stay with Aston Martin, as he hopes to see a return on the time he has invested in this highly ambitious project.
So Carlos Sainz can either wait for any movement at Red Bull or accept a firm offer from Audi before it’s too late.
Why would Sainz wait for a chance to take Kimi Antonelli’s place at Mercedes? This decision likely strengthened Antonelli’s position.
Ben Anderson
Although Alonso’s reasoning for staying at Aston Martin is logical, it is a conservative choice that denies us the opportunity to see him compete against Max Verstappen in the same team.
Before Alonso and Aston Martin definitively closed this chapter, there were speculations about Alonso aiming for Sergio Perez’s spot at Red Bull in 2025.
It would make perfect sense – a clear chance to win the third world title in 2025 if Alonso could surpass Verstappen.
Aston Martin has many positives, but will they be title contenders in 2026? Although Honda is a strong partner and they have a great structure, there are still uncertainties.
Alonso’s decision to give up the pursuit suggests that Red Bull has closed its doors to him. This is not the first time this has happened, and Christian Horner is known to be cautious about Alonso’s reputation as a disruptor, whether that is fair or not.
It’s a shame for F1 that Alonso won’t be joining Red Bull. This means that Verstappen probably won’t have challenges in 2025, unless Ferrari makes significant progress during the winter of 2024.
Verstappen is probably quite happy about this! But it would have been exciting to see a Red Bull “super team” take on the Leclerc/Hamilton duo from Ferrari in 2025. C’est la vie.
Edd Straw
Alonso’s new deal is great news for fans, Formula 1, Aston Martin, and Alonso himself, considering he did not receive an offer from Red Bull.
He is still performing at a high level, as evidenced by his good performance in Suzuka last weekend. He has the qualities needed to lead a team that is striving to close the gap to Red Bull in the coming years. Despite being considered “old” in F1 at 42 years old, he has the determination and desire of a driver half his age.
No one has questioned Alonso’s place in F1 since his return with Alpine in 2021. Even though there may be a slight drop in performance due to age, his experience more than makes up for it.
It is a positive development for all involved that Alonso’s extraordinary F1 career continues for a few more years.
Josh Suttill
This is a smart move by Alonso to fully commit to Aston Martin for the new era of F1.
Verstappen is not leaving Red Bull, and it would be too risky for Alonso to join their team as a teammate.
As for Mercedes, why be a temporary replacement for Antonelli when he can lead a strong partnership between Aston Martin and Honda until 2026?
2026 is when Lawrence Stroll’s extensive investments are expected to pay off.
Therefore, it is better to commit to Aston Martin early, before the team starts exploring other options. And if Lance Stroll is his teammate, Alonso doesn’t have to worry about another driver taking advantage of Aston Martin’s progress.
I believe this driver market move will end Alonso’s decade-long victory drought in F1.
Samarth Kanal
Alonso made it clear in Australia last month that he is in control of his own destiny. He was determined to avoid making hasty career decisions.
Now that the two-time champion has chosen Aston Martin as his long-term home, he has made a decision that will benefit the team in several ways.
Not only does it keep the most experienced driver on the grid, who recently achieved an impressive sixth place in Japan, but Aston Martin will feel confident that their path to becoming a title-contending team is on track.
The decision by Alonso to sign a multi-year contract indicates that he believes Aston Martin offers the best chance of success in the near future. He sees promising developments in the Silverstone-based team, including new buildings that will house a wind tunnel and a simulator, a qualified technical team, and upgrades that are making the AMR24 a more competitive car.
The arrival of Honda and the transformation of Aston Martin into a factory team are undoubtedly factors in his decision, although it is still unclear how long Alonso intends to stay.
“This kind of progress, ambition, it’s something different. I want to be part of it,” he said on Thursday night.
This statement reflects Alonso’s belief in the team’s potential. It will please Lawrence Stroll, Mike Krack, and the technical team, and will give the team renewed confidence after a disappointing end to the previous season.
Jack Benyon
Perhaps in the future, Aston Martin will become a title contender. Or maybe they will continue to fluctuate between the back of the grid and the front after Red Bull.
At the end of the day, I’m not worried about that.
Alonso may be the best driver on the grid, but without a competitive teammate like Stroll, it’s difficult to assess his true performance limit.
On their best days, this team can fight for podiums, but nothing more. Even if Alonso claims that a race was one of the best of his career, if it ends in sixth place, it’s hard to get excited.
There are many uncertainties.
I would rather see Alonso exploring new opportunities or returning to other categories and events outside of F1 that he has already experienced before.
A return to the Indianapolis 500, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the Dakar Rally, while he is still capable of competing for victory, is much more interesting to me than constantly wondering how he compares to his peers in F1 as he finishes fifth or similar positions most of the time.
And what about other events? The Baja 1000 or a race on a dirt oval? NASCAR? Bathurst? The 24 Hours of the Citroen C1 in Anglesey, Wales?
Who cares! Just get him a car.
Matt Beer
Given his proven skills, champion credentials, relentless competitiveness, availability, and enthusiasm to continue racing in F1, Alonso seemed to be in a strong position in the F1 driver market in 2025, which was made volatile by his former rival Hamilton.
So, it’s intriguing that he has excluded himself from the equation so early in the season, especially considering that Mercedes, a team with multiple titles, still has a vacant seat, and Red Bull has a second driver with uncertainties around him. However, Aston Martin’s long-term prospects may be impressive enough to justify Alonso’s decision.
Wasn’t Alonso in a strong enough position to wait a little longer?
His choice to commit suggests that either Red Bull and Mercedes have definitively closed their doors to him, or he lacks confidence in Mercedes’ recovery, is certain that Verstappen will not leave Red Bull anytime soon, and sees no benefits in being Verstappen’s teammate at Red Bull.
Scott Mitchell-Malm
Although I am inevitably impressed by Alonso’s skill, longevity, and unwavering commitment, I have never found his age particularly interesting since his return. It’s not that it’s not impressive, but it has never caught my attention as something fascinating.
However, when considering this renewal, I find myself thinking about it for the first time. Alonso will be in his forties when the 2026 regulations come into effect. And he sincerely does not rule out racing beyond that. As pointed out to Alonso during our press conference after the announcement, this is truly remarkable in the modern era.
I still see it more as “I can’t believe he’s STILL doing this and performing at this level” rather than “wow, Alonso is doing this in his forties”, but perhaps the absurdity of challenging his age is a more significant factor now.
Imagine if Aston Martin and Honda provide Alonso with a car capable of winning races. There is a real possibility that he could achieve something that hasn’t been done since the 1950s – winning a race at 44 years old or older.
Oldest F1 winners:
Luigi Fagioli – 53 years old (1951)
Nino Farina – 46 years old (1953)
Juan Manuel Fangio – 46 years old (1957)
Piero Taruffi – 45 years old (1952)
Jack Brabham – 43 years old (1970)
Alonso may not like being constantly questioned about his age, but I bet he would love to achieve something that no driver has done since the early years of the world championship.
© 2024
The world of sports is about to witness an epic event. Next Saturday, the Brazilian football team will face Germany in a match that promises to be exciting. The players are preparing intensely for this clash and are determined to achieve victory.
The rivalry between Brazil and Germany in football is known worldwide. Since Brazil’s historic 7-1 defeat in the 2014 World Cup, the two teams have faced each other with great intensity. The Brazilians are thirsty for revenge and are confident in their ability to overcome the Germans this time.
Neymar, one of the stars of the Brazilian team, is in excellent form and is expected to play a key role in the game. His ability to dribble past opponents and score goals is unparalleled. Fans are eager to see him in action and hope that he will be the hero of the match.
On the German side, the players are also determined to emerge victorious. They have a solid and well-trained team that has shown great performance in recent games. The German coach is confident in his strategy and believes that his players have what it takes to beat Brazil.
The match will take place at the Maracanã stadium in Rio de Janeiro, and it is expected to be packed with passionate fans. The atmosphere will be one of pure emotion and tension, with fans supporting their teams fervently. It will be a must-see spectacle for football lovers.
Don’t miss this historic match between Brazil and Germany. Stay tuned to our website for all updates and news about the game. The rivalry between these two teams promises an epic showdown that will go down in football history. Get ready for an intense and exciting battle.
