- Fernando Alonso confirms 2026 will not be his final season in F1.
- Aston Martin struggles with Honda engine vibrations and reliability issues.
- Adrian Newey shifts focus to technical matters as Wheatley leads team.
Fernando Alonso recently shared an update on his retirement, revealing whether his passion for racing still persists following a bad 2026 start and if this season could be his last.
One major problem Aston Martin are facing this season is the unreliability and vibration issues with the Honda engine, which is causing severe discomfort to drivers and is keeping them away from securing points.
This is because the last three races ended with both drivers either in DNF or drivers were way too far behind in laps in comparison to others on the grid.
The team also witnessed a major leadership shakeup as Adrian Newey stepped down from being the full-time boss to focusing only on technical matters. He was replaced by the Audi team boss, Jonathan Wheatley. Currently, neither Alonso nor Stroll have secured a single point due to the car facing several challenges.
Will Fernando Alonso retire after the 2026 season?
During the Historic Grand Prix of Monaco, Alonso revealed that his passion for racing is still very much alive and that he has held love for this profession ever since he was 3. “I love what I do. I love racing. I did my first race when I was three years [old], and I am 44, so 41 years of my life I have been behind a steering wheel,” he said.
He admits that the day he had to call it quits on racing, it would be a very difficult decision for him and wouldn’t be easy to accept. However, he set the record straight that this season won’t be his final one, as he still feels very motivated to drive. “The time will tell. I will feel it. At the moment, I don’t feel it is that time yet. I feel competitive, I feel motivated, I feel happy when I drive. So, yeah, hopefully not the last season,” he added.
Alonso made his F1 debut as the reserve driver for Minardi in 2000 before officially joining the team in 2001. Across his career, he has been a part of several teams like Ferrari, McLaren, and Alpine. However, he had a double stint at Renault, and with them he also became a two-time world champion.
Update on Alonso’s life off-track
During the final race weekend at Suzuka before the April break, Alonso didn’t show up for media duties because the birth of his newborn delayed his arrival. He welcomed baby Leonard with Melissa Jimenez, whom he started dating in 2023.
Despite skipping the media day on Thursday, he was back on track for the practice session, qualifying, and final race. As he started a new chapter with Jimenez, F1 presented a special gift to their kid, which was a special paddock pass with the baby’s photo and credentials.
