It is an intriguing arrangement for a driver who has always looked across the fence at the best possible opportunities elsewhere, with some team switches that didn’t always work out in his favour.
But as he approaches 43, his Aston deal may well be his last, and taking his agreement into the 2026 regulations era gives him one final roll of the dice to grab that elusive third world championship – or at least a return to winning ways.
The signs are increasing that Andrea Kimi Antonelli is destined to be Mercedes’ man for the future, so whoever the Silver Arrows sign for 2025 in case the 17-year-old Italian needs more cooking time is appearing to join as a stopgap solution.
Watch: Alonso Commits to Aston Martin with Multi-Year Extension
Those words are anathema to Alonso, whose main drive is to feel important and appreciated, having sought a long-term deal so he can help build towards a 2026 title tilt.
“In my head Aston was the logical thing for me to do,” he said. “I felt the most wanted in Aston Martin, all the other conversations were just light.
“I never came into any conclusions and maybe more time was needed or these kinds of things, while at Aston there was a clear desire to do work together, which was the same that I had.”
Red Bull, then, is working on a hugely ambitious programme to build its own power units for the 2026 regulations, which at this stage seems a more risky bet than siding with the manufacturer they will replace in Honda.
Meanwhile, Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll is trying to assemble a squad ready to topple Red Bull, including some of its former engineers. Add brand-new headquarters, a new wind tunnel on the way and the might of fuel supplier Aramco to provide sustainable fuels for 2026, and perhaps Aston was always going to be Alonso’s best bet to go out on a high.
“I was very clear to Aston in the first conversations that the appealing part of this project is just everything that we are…
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