How did Honda and Newey influence Alonso's decision to stay in Formula One?

Two-time F1 champion Fernando Alonso insists that he his decision to extend his contract with Aston Martin has been influenced by the fact that Honda elected to join the Silverstone-based outfit while he also pins hopes on Adrian Newey's arrival.

The Spaniard made his debut at the pinnacle of motorsport with Minardi in 2001 which was followed by a year that he spent with Renault as a test driver.

The Oviedo-born driver returned to the sport as a full-time race driver in 2003, clinching his first F1 victory in that season. With Renault coming up with an innovative car for the 2005 F1 season, Alonso secured his first F1 title, beating McLaren's Kimi Räikkönen. The next season saw the Spaniard receive fierce competition from Ferrari's Michael Schumacher, but he was able to add a second F1 title to his achievements.

Although he joined McLaren in the following season, he returned to Renault for the 2008 and 2009 F1 season before heading to Ferrari. Despite securing several sensational victories with the fabled Maranello-based outfit and getting close to further F1 titles in 2010 and 2012, he elected to part ways with the team to join forces with McLaren again in 2015.

Following a difficult period at the Woking-based outfit that saw McLaren struggle with its new engine partner, Honda, Alonso decided to leave Formula One at the end of the 2018 season before returning to the pinnacle of motorsport with Alpine for the 2021 season. The two-time F1 world champion left the Enstone-based team after just a single season to join Aston Martin.

Asked whether he can see himself racing at the age of 50, Alonso insisted that while he would not look that far ahead, he can still imagine a few more years at the pinnacle of motorsport while he also revealed that the fact that Adrian Newey and Honda have joined Aston Martin also motivated him to extend his contract with the Silverstone-based outfit.

"Not at 50, but I don't know. That's why we kept open the possibility as well. I wanted to race this year for sure and next year for sure because of the change of regulations — and I wanted to experience the 2026 rules and Honda coming to the team. Then the surprise that Adrian was joining the team a few months after that.

"There were things that were appealing last year when we sat together and negotiated the contract. But after 2026, I don't know. I will go season by season. I will see how I feel, how motivated I am. Now I am very motivated, but I cannot guarantee that for three or four years and compromise the team.

"So we said let’s do it until the end of 2026 and then from then on I think I have an incredible relationship with Laurence and with Lance. We can sit and talk honestly between all of us and check what is best for the team. I will always be in a position to help the team with whatever they need. If it's behind the wheel, I will extend the contract if they think that way and I feel motivated. If it's in another position, or I don't feel fast enough, I will be the first one to raise my hand.

As speculation intensifies over Max Verstappen's Formula 1 future, Alonso has also addressed the possibility of teaming up with the reigning four-time world champion.

"I don’t think so, as I have a contract for next year. But I see the rumours as very good for the team. As you said before, the world champion is sometimes linked with some other teams and a possible departure from Red Bull. And the teams that are being mentioned are Mercedes, Aston Martin, and Ferrari – as your colleague said.

"So this shows the project that we are in and the future that this team has. As I said last year when I extended the contract, I will drive for as long as I feel fast and competitive and the team needs me behind the wheel. But my contract is much longer than my racing career, so I will stay with this team for many, many years in a different role.

"If that means we can win a World Championship even when I’m not behind the wheel, I will still feel very proud of the project."

Following Max Verstappen's brilliant drive at the Japanese Grand Prix that saw the Dutchman take his 64th victory, Alonso said that it reminded him of his time at Ferrari when he also needed to keep a title fight alive in an average car.

"No, I think nothing new to what I said in Japan — and you caught it now. I think it reminds me a little bit of my time in Ferrari in 2010 and 2012, fighting for the championship until the last race with the third or fourth-fastest team, sometimes not even in Q3, winning races and things like that.

"Those are exceptional circumstances, not the normality. I think I received credit in those seasons for my performance. He receives credit now because no one doubts that he's on top of the game. But it is hard. You cannot afford any mistake.

"You cannot get it wrong in qualifying, you cannot get caught in traffic, you cannot get an impeding — you cannot get anything. If not, everything is out of the box. So yeah, it's extreme, but it's a challenge," concluded Alonso.