Despite rumours tying Fernando Alonso to Red Bull and Mercedes, the Spaniard admitted that he never had serious discussions with other Formula One teams before signing his Aston Martin contract extension until at least the end of 2026.
Alonso noted that he completed his due diligence before signing, but that Aston Martin was always his top goal, as he was connected with either Lewis Hamilton’s vacated Mercedes seat or replacing Sergio Perez and teaming Max Verstappen at the all-conquering Red Bull in 2025.
The Spaniard utilized the first three races of the season to decide whether he wanted to continue in Formula One, completing the process by the 2024 Australian Grand Prix and immediately securing an agreement with Aston Martin.
“I did speak with other people, yes, and I think it’s normal when you enter negotiations to balance what’s in the market and listen to everyone else, it’s just a normal procedure,” Alonso told media sites like Total-Motorsport.com.
“It’s fair to listen to all offers and see how the market reacts. But in my mind, Aston was the logical team for me, and in the end, it was the best; I felt most desired at Aston Martin.”
“All the other conversations were just light and never aiming to any conclusions and maybe more time was needed while in Aston it was a clear desire to work together, that’s why it came very easy.”
However, Alonso refused to say which other teams he had visited before signing with Aston Martin for a contract that extends at least until the conclusion of the 2026 season.
That implies that in the first year of F1’s new era of regulations, Aston Martin will switch from Mercedes to Honda power – the firm that has essentially propelled Red Bull to five championships in the past decade.
“I won’t be specific on which teams I spoke because I think it’s not important now,” he said. “Today is a day for Aston Martin.” It’s standard interactions; when a team is looking for a driver, they contact everyone to find out their status and contract situation.
“Even if they’re not super interested they always want to know everything and for me it was the same but without any clear targets and first priority was Aston.”
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