Fernando Alonso shares why he’s more ‘fortunate’ than his F1 rivals when negotiating contracts

Follow us on Google Discover

Fernando Alonso has negotiated his fair share of contracts since his F1 debut in 2001 with Minardi, before spells with Renault, McLaren, Ferrari, Alpine and Aston Martin.

The 44-year-old boasts the longest career in F1 history to date, with the 2026 season set to mark his 23rd campaign. Alonso has only sat out the 2002, 2019 and 2020 seasons since he debuted for Minardi more than 24 years ago. He has also started a record 425 Grands Prix.

Alonso dwarfs long-time rival Lewis Hamilton for the most Grand Prix starts in F1 history so far, with the Briton boasting 380 since he debuted as the Spaniard’s teammate for McLaren in 2007. Sergio Perez has the next-most starts among the 2026 F1 grid with 285 since 2011.

The 2026 F1 season could yet mark the final year of Alonso’s career, though, as his contract with Aston Martin is set to expire. Also, Alonso has admitted that he could retire from F1 in 2026 should the Silverstone team produce a competitive car under the 2026 F1 regulations.

Change my mind: Fernando Alonso is going to finish his F1 career without winning another race

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

Fernando Alonso is ‘fortunate’ as Aston Martin look at more than just ‘data’ when discussing contracts

Alonso joined Aston Martin in 2023, before he later agreed to sign a fresh contract through 2026 in April 2024. The Oviedo native found negotiating his contracts with Aston Martin to be easier than his rival F1 drivers may possibly find, given what he has experienced before.

READ MORE: The best moments of Fernando Alonso’s career in Formula 1

Two-time F1 champion Alonso also thinks he is more “fortunate” than his rival drivers when it comes to negotiating contracts now, as Aston Martin under owner Lawrence Stroll look at more than just “data”. Instead, Aston Martin look at everything that a driver can offer them.

Alonso said, via quotes by Nextgen-Auto: “Perhaps it is more difficult today to negotiate your contracts. Everything is a question of numbers, data and other elements of this kind.

“Within our team, I think we are fortunate because we manage to find a balance between these two aspects. We have excellent technical managers, but we also have a very strong sales team.

“We have our sponsors, and we have Lawrence on top of that, who is still one of the old characters and the passion for racing is still in his blood. It’s not just a question of data. So, yes, it’s a nice team to be around right now.”

Fernando Alonso’s stance on a new contract hinges on Aston Martin’s 2026 F1 regulations car

Aston Martin first lured Alonso away from Alpine in 2023 to replace Sebastian Vettel as they sought a champion-calibre driver to partner with Lance Stroll. The move paid off for Alonso, as he scored six of his eight podiums during the 2023 season over the opening eight rounds.

READ MORE: The five worst moments of Fernando Alonso’s Formula 1 career

How many titles do you think Fernando Alonso should have won in his F1 career?

Comment below!

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

But Alonso has yet to return to the rostrum since taking his eighth podium of the 2023 term with P3 in that year’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix. He also took P3 finishes in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Australia and Miami, as well as P2 results in Monaco and Canada during the 2023 campaign.

The 2025 season even saw Alonso slip to 10th place in the F1 drivers’ championship with 56 points – his worst return since 2018 when he scored 50 with McLaren. Alonso will now hope that Aston Martin investing heavily in F1’s 2026 regulations from a very early stage pays off.

Aston Martin went all-in on the 2026 F1 regulations as soon as they were allowed to begin designing their package for the new era in January 2025, including hiring Adrian Newey to guide their design from March 2025. Newey will be Aston Martin’s team principal in 2026.

Should Newey’s design genius pay off and Aston Martin have a competitive car, then Alonso may not seek to sign a new contract before his deal expires in December. Alonso has stated that he would prefer to go out on a high, but he could stay and help Aston Martin to grow.