Fernando Alonso ‘very likely’ to retire from F1 at the end of 2026 over Aston Martin woes

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Fernando Alonso might be preparing for the next stage of his racing career after seeing Aston Martin’s disastrous start to the 2026 campaign.

Aston Martin will hope that the two weeks of testing in Bahrain ahead of the Australian Grand Prix are the nadir of their season.

Adrian Newey’s team completed by far the fewest laps of any manufacturer in the paddock at the Bahrain International Circuit, with even newcomers Cadillac and Audi showing them up.

Prove me wrong: The end of the 2026 F1 season is the perfect time for Fernando Alonso to retire 👋

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On top of this, Honda appear to be a long way behind their power unit rivals, giving Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll little chance of challenging for the points and podiums they would have dreamed of 12 months ago.

Now, it looks like the 44-year-old might be starting to think about his next career move after watching Aston Martin sacrifice the 2025 campaign for a car that looks unlikely to make it out of Q1 in Melbourne, let alone help him achieve his much-coveted 33rd Grand Prix victory.

READ MORE: Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso’s life outside F1 from net worth to Cars 2

Fernando Alonso ‘very likely’ to dedicate himself to goals outside Formula 1 after 2026

A report from the Spanish outlet MARCA has shared more details about Alonso’s future.

They believe that it’s ‘very likely he’ll definitely leave Formula 1 to dedicate himself to other goals’ if Aston Martin can’t rise to at least the top of the midfield by the halfway point in the season.

It’s impossible to know at this stage whether the AMR26 that Newey has designed is as fast as it looks, given their power unit trouble.

Honda’s reliability is a massive issue, as well as being the team with the lowest top speeds during testing, suggesting that even when the engine does work, it doesn’t work very well.

Aston Martin are currently facing a 38kph deficit to Ferrari’s engine! Do you think they’ll even QUALIFY for the Australian Grand Prix?!

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The report suggests that Alonso could look at racing in IndyCar, the Dakar rally, WEC or IMSA as potential options, and is using Carlos Sainz’s father as inspiration for racing well beyond his current age.

It’s believed that Alonso will only consider extending his contract if Aston Martin can be on ‘equal terms’ with the likes of Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull this season, which would take a monumental overhaul over the coming months.

Alonso will always be the number one driver at Aston Martin alongside Stroll while he still wants to drive for the team.

His ‘untouchable’ status could change if Lawrence Stroll gets wind of the fact that Alonso might be looking to move on, as he will quickly need to find a replacement.

However, attracting a driver of Alonso’s calibre to Aston Martin should he leave looks next to impossible right now, considering how poorly the car and power unit are performing.

READ MORE: All to know about Aston Martin F1 Team from team principal to lineage

Honda continue to blight Fernando Alonso’s career as Aston Martin issues follow McLaren woes

It’s well-known that this isn’t the first time that Alonso has had an issue with a Honda power unit.

Back when he raced for McLaren before initially walking away from Formula 1 for the first time, one of F1’s most historic teams was dragged towards the back of the field by an underperforming Honda engine.

Alonso famously compared the Honda power unit to a ‘GP2 engine’, and their relationship soured, only for the two parties to make amends ahead of the upcoming campaign.

The Spanish driver rarely minces his words, and it won’t be long before he starts to speak more critically of Honda’s work publicly if he’s constantly stuck fighting at the back of the grid.

Aston Martin are planning updates ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, but they’re not expected to fix many of the team’s current issues.

Alonso was furious with Aston Martin during testing, and while he’s still backing Adrian Newey to build a championship-worthy car, it’s hard to see that coming to fruition in time for the 44-year-old to benefit from it.