Fernando Alonso has extended his contract with Aston Martin until at least 2026, at which point Honda has big hopes for the Silverstone-based team.
Alonso was considered as a significant participant in the latest Formula 1’silly season’, as Aston Martin were keen on signing him to a new deal, but the two-time World Champion was also connected with moves to rivals Red Bull and Mercedes.
Honda hope to bring Fernando Alonso back to the F1 pinnacle.
Alonso, on the other hand, has stated that he will remain in his current position, signing a new multi-year contract with Aston Martin that will take him into an exciting new era for the company as they partner with Honda.
Honda has demonstrated their ability to power a team to Formula 1 domination in collaboration with Red Bull, so with revised power units on the way in 2026, Honda has indicated their aim to come out of the gate seeking instant title victory with new ally Aston Martin.
So, while Honda admits that this is easier said than done, it is understandable that Alonso decided that Aston Martin might be his greatest chance of winning a third World Championship.
“To become world champion from 2026 onwards,” Honda Racing Corporation president Koji Watanabe stated to Motorsport.com, describing Honda’s goal with Aston Martin.
“We know it will be difficult and not easy, but we need some good targets to put in our best effort with Aston Martin.”
“That’s why, together with [team owner Lawrence] Stroll and Toshihiro Mibe [Honda CEO and president], we decided to focus solely on the World Championship that year. In truth, it is not that simple.”
Stroll has spent substantially in the Aston Martin team with the objective of making them champions, but despite a significant leap in 2023, which resulted in a solid collection of Alonso podiums, F1 2024 is proving more difficult, with P5 the greatest result obtained thus far.
Watanabe concedes that something is “missing” that will allow Aston Martin and Honda to achieve the rapid title success that they both desire, and that a “honest conversation” is required to make that breakthrough.
“Probably we’re missing something [right now], but we have to tell each other what is missing,” Watanabe added.
“What is missing on the Honda side, as well as on the Aston Martin side. That is an open discussion about becoming a world-class team together.”
The Aston Martin-Honda reunion represents an opportunity for Alonso to erase the ghosts of his past, since he previously drove for McLaren during their unsuccessful Honda reunion.
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