Alonso is running out of time to claim F1 title — and he knows it

F1

Even with Adrian Newey on board from 2025, could Fernando Alonso run out of time in F1 before Aston Martin hit the front?

Fernando Alonso

Is it too little too late for Alonso's F1 title hopes?

Grand Prix Photo

Author

Cambridge Kisby

With the acquisition of Adrian Newey — long heralded as motor sport’s premier car designer — Aston Martin‘s F1 puzzle may not now be far from completion, according to its owner Lawrence Stroll. Starting from March 2025, the 65-year-old will join a rockstar line-up of engineers at a brand new Silverstone-based facility, with the sole goal of bringing world title success to one of motor sport’s most historic racing brands.

But while Aston Martin continues to market itself as “the team of the future”, it’s hard to ignore the fact that one of its most important pieces could be approaching the end of his F1 shelf-life.

Fernando Alonso, now 43 years old, has proven to still be one of best drivers on the current grid — a statement backed up by six podium finishes through the first eight races of last season. His racing exploits prior to his move to Silverstone, which include 32 grand prix victories, 22 pole positions and two drivers’ world titles, have also marked him clearly as one of the finest talents to ever appear in F1.

As a result, many have been naturally excited by the prospect of Alonso teaming up with F1’s greatest designer, after years of intense rivalry between the pair. The Spaniard even played a part in luring Newey to Aston via a text over the summer break and through a chance meeting at the 2024 Historic Monaco Grand Prix. But is it too little too late?

Fernando Alonso with Adrian Newey

Alonso could see out his career backed by serious engineering might

Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

Newey will arrive too late to have much influence on the development of the next year’s car, so is expected to focus his attention on 2026 when new regulations demand an all-new design. The 2025 car will be an evolution of the current AMR24, so there’s little expectation that Alonso will be a contender for race wins next season.

That means another 24 races pottering around the midfield, fighting the likes of Williams, Alpine, Haas, Sauber and RB for lowly point-paying positions — hardly a stimulating experience for a driver so accustomed to fighting at the front.

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There’s also the potential that while Newey represents a huge milestone in Aston Martin’s ambitions to compete for world titles, his presence at the factory and in the pitlane could take time to transition into on-track results. After joining Red Bull in 2006, it took Newey four years before he finally delivered a title-winning car to Sebastian Vettel in 2010. Alonso may not be able to wait that long.

The Spaniard is only contracted to race in Formula 1 until the end of 2026 — when he’ll be just five years short of 50 — after signing a two-year extension with Aston Martin in April. So with his burning desire to race potentially dulling and younger driver options knocking on Lawrence Stroll’s door, Alonso could have just a single chance to capture his elusive third world title before retiring for good.

While many, including Newey, believe Alonso is physically capable of the feat — should he remain mentally strong — the Spaniard is well wary of the limited time he has left in motor sport’s top echelon.

“We cannot predict the future, but I think we have quite good things coming,” said Alonso ahead of the 2024 Azerbaijan GP. “In the next few months, especially [over] the winter time, I would say will be a game changer for us.

“We are using Mercedes’ wind tunnel right now and obviously we’re limited on time and limited when in the week they allowed us to go there, so to have our own over the winter and to use it wisely during the week I think that will be a huge step forward.  We’ve doubled the personnel, we have this new facility and now we have Adrian, so step-by-step, we can get that first race win and hopefully then fight for championships in the future. I’m aware that this takes time. I don’t have that time in a way, but I’m relaxed and I’m enjoying the journey.”

“I will be driving in 2026. After ’26, I will [still] be driving. Either in F1 or in another series. But I will be in an Aston Martin somehow.”

Fernando Alonso at the 2018 Le Mans 24 Hours

Could a return to Le Mans with Aston Martin be on the cards for Alonso?

Florent Gooden/DPPI

Whether Alonso is able to capture the 2026 F1 world title or not — either due to his own inability or due to the team simply not being not quite ready yet — Aston Martin may be tempted to replace him anyway.

Many multi-year deals signed throughout the 2023 and 2024 seasons are set to expire in 2026, leaving Aston Martin and Lawrence Stroll with a multitude of different options.

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As noted by Matt Bishop for Motor Sport, Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris are likely all at the very top of Stroll’s shopping list — in keeping with his “aim high” attitude. Should Verstappen come available before then, Alonso could even be paid a hefty sum to move aside for the younger Dutchman who is a better long-term bet.

So where would that leave Alonso?

A return to Le Mans with Aston Martin is certainly one of the more realistic options. The Silverstone outfit is set to enter two Valkyrie AMR-LMH hypercars into the 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours as part of its FIA World Endurance Championship entry. It will also race in the US-based 2025 IMSA SportsCar Championship.

Aston Martin has not won at La Sarthe outright since 1959 and has already completed its first track test in UK, with Darren Turner (the team’s development driver), Mario Farnbacher and Harry Tinknell behind the wheel.

An official driver line-up is yet to be announced and it’s unlikely Alonso will be a part of it given the demands of the current F1 calendar. But the Spaniard has encouraged the idea that he will return to endurance racing for a shot at a third Le Mans victory in the future.”

“The Valkyrie programme is taking shape so yeah why not?” said Alonso when asked if he would be interested in a change of racing scenery. “Who knows, maybe [in] ’27, ’28 or 29′?”

Aston Martin Hypercar

Could Alonso break more records behind the wheel of a Aston Martin Valkyrie? 

ASTON MARTIN

With Honda now on-board as Aston Martin’s exclusive F1 engine supplier from 2026 onwards, there’s also the possibility for Alonso to return to the Indy 500 in a bid to complete one of motor sport’s most monumental achievements: the triple crown.

With a win at Monaco in 2006 with Renault, and two Le Mans wins with Toyota in 2018 and 2019, Alonso only requires an Indy 500 win to become the second ever race driver to record victories in all three events.

The Spaniard made his debut at the Brickyard in 2017, where he qualified a Honda-powered McLaren in fifth and led for 27 laps before an engine failure forced him into retirement with just 20 laps remaining. He returned two years later, again with McLaren, but shockingly failed to qualify after being bumped by the unfancied Kyle Kaiser.

His third and latest attempt to win the greatest spectacle in racing came in 2020. But Alonso once again suffered a mechanical issue and finished a lowly 21st.

While most would love to see Alonso win again in F1 — especially after so many near-misses and with Newey now at his side — perhaps following in the lone footsteps of Graham Hill is the Spaniard’s true racing destiny.

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