Fernando Alonso will love what people are now saying about Aston Martin’s Honda engines for 2026

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Fernando Alonso is waiting eagerly for the 2026 Formula 1 season to see if he has a chance to fight for another championship.

When the two-time champion joined Aston Martin in 2023, it looked like he had made the right career move. After two inconsistent years, the Silverstone outfit had built a competitive car in the AMR23, which saw Alonso score eight podiums and finish P4 in the standings.

Since then, the team have regressed in performance, with points now becoming irregular. Pedro De La Rosa says Alonso has not peaked at Aston Martin yet, as they turn their attention to 2026 and the new technical regulations.

Aston Martin will run with Honda engines next season, parting ways with Mercedes. The Japanese manufacturer will leave Red Bull in 2025, having won the last four titles with Max Verstappen.

With Lawrence Stroll investing heavily behind the scenes, which has included the signing of legendary designer Adrian Newey, there are high expectations in Silverstone for the team to become a title contender. The latest noise surrounding their project should excite Alonso.

Honda’s 2026 engines are not ‘doing badly’ under the new regulations – Fernando Alonso will love this update

The 2026 regulations will see significant changes to aerodynamics and chassis, as well as a 50/50 split power unit between internal combustion and electrical power. At present, no one knows where anyone is in terms of performance, but rumours suggest that Mercedes might have the fastest power unit.

Honda have produced competitive engines with Red Bull in the current era, but next year brings a new challenge for the manufacturers which may not guarantee success. However, according to journalist Antonio Lobato, the Japanese giants are progressing well with their 2026 spec.

“Next year it’s going to be a different story and no one can predict what’s going to happen,” he said via SoyMotor.

“The only advantage Williams might have, as I said before, is that it’s going to have a Mercedes engine and it looks like that the Mercedes engine is going to perform very well.

“It won’t be the only one that’s going to perform very well, we don’t know. There’s also talk that Ferrari could perform very well.

“Someone even told me that Honda isn’t doing badly. Yes, that’s what they told me the last time I was at the circuit, but there are too many factors besides that, right?”

Alonso will love to hear this update as he hopes to return to the podium and fight for race wins with Aston Martin. Honda could well give him the tools to be successful again in green.

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Can Fernando Alonso fight for the championship in 2026?

While Lance Stroll has scored two more points than him in 2025, Alonso has achieved more points finishes and got Aston Martin’s best finish thus far with P5 in Budapest. He remains their lead driver and their best bet for a title challenge.

Alonso has been stunned by Newey’s impact at Aston Martin since he arrived from Red Bull. Despite focusing primarily on 2026, he has already affected the team’s operation this year, and it has got the Spaniard excited for next season.

Whether he will be able to win races with Aston Martin’s car next season is the big question. Given Newey’s incredible track record at the likes of Williams, McLaren and Red Bull, Alonso should have what he needs to be competitive in 2026.

But this could have a deciding factor on his future. Alonso says he will retire in 2026 if Aston Martin produce a quick car; he wants to leave F1 on a high note, and Honda could be on track to provide that.