Fernando Alonso has said his decision on whether to keep racing into 2027 with Aston Martin is still not made because “this is not the Formula 1 we grew up with.”
Alonso’s contract expires at the end of the current season and the 45-year-old has not committed to staying on.
Alonso has been one of the most out-spoken drivers about F1’s new engine regulations -- which he has called the “battery world championship” because of the shift towards the electrical elements in the new hybrid engines.
Making matters worse for him was that Aston Martin has started the new rules cycle in horrible shape, with engine partner Honda massively off the pace, although Alonso managed to finish ninth at the Dutch Grand Prix, where the Japanese manufacturer introduced its first major upgrade of the season.
Alonso suggested there is a lot more stopping him from committing to a 25th season on the grid.
“For my decision it is not really about the [Aston Martin] car,” Alonso said when probed on his future. “I will be professional and working at my 100%, fighting for P15 or fighting for a podium. But for me it is more about the regulations.
“Unfortunately, this is what it is. This is not the Formula 1 we grew up with. This is not the Formula 1 that we all want, drivers, spectators. So we must change a few things, it will not happen immediately. It will happen for the future. But I hope I can contribute somehow for the next set of regulations and we can go back to the real Formula 1.”
Monza’s Italian Grand Prix looks set to be another brutal run-out for F1’s much-maligned new cars, with the layout of the circuit likely to expose the limitations of the battery elements of the new engine.
Asked if it would be up there with Suzuka and Silverstone, Alonso said: “Worse.”
On whether it would be the worst of the year, he shrugged and said: “Maybe [not as bad as] Vegas.”
Alonso is the biggest name remaining on the driver market currently, but his options appear to be to stay with Aston Martin or retire -- Alpine’s extension for Franco Colapinto, confirmed last week, closed off his most likely route out of Aston Martin should he want to take it.
Aston Martin has still promised to introduce at least one more car upgrade, while Honda’s new package will be properly tested this weekend in Monza.
Although happy to have returned his colleagues to the points-paying positions, Alonso said a lot more needs to come before the end of the season to convince him to have another season of racing.
“No,” he said when asked if P9 was enough for him to consider continuing. “We cannot be happy just with P9 and I think no one is happy in the team.
“It was a nice boost for everyone knowing that at least the direction that we are taking is the right one. Because we changed a lot of things in the car since Budapest. And obviously we know, we feel that in the corners we are getting in a much better place.
“So that gives hope for everyone in Silverstone that if we keep on going on this philosophy and this strategy and this pace of development, eventually we will be one of the fastest in the corners. So we tick one of the boxes. Then on the engine side, I think Zandvoort was not a big improvement to be honest.
“The drivability was a problem and the extra power was difficult to feel in Zandvoort. Maybe Monza is going to be a more true test for the engine. But it is still a long way to go.”
