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Two-time Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso will extend his tenure with Aston Martin by at least a further two seasons, which means he will be with the team when it links up with Honda for the new F1 regulations cycle starting in 2026.
Alonso had made the surprise move to Aston Martin from Alpine for 2023, on what was announced as a multi-year deal.
It was widely understood to have an out at the end of this year, and there was significant doubt as to whether Alonso would continue with the team, with potential interest from alternative suitors and also the possibility of a second retirement.
But the 42-year-old, whose time at Aston Martin is yet to yield a win but has taken him from 98 F1 podiums to 106, has instead re-committed his future to the squad.
It means that Alonso will still be in F1 in 2026, which will represent his age 44-45 season.
The announcement was made with a short quote from Alonso, reported by Aston Martin as simply "I'm here to stay" on an otherwise mostly-blank page - in a clear reference to the announcement basketball legend Michael Jordan made when he had returned to the NBA after time away playing baseball.
Alonso will speak in considerably more detail later today.
"Securing Fernando’s long-term future with Aston Martin Aramco is fantastic news," said Aston Martin team boss Mike Krack in an addendum to the announcement.
"We have been in constant dialogue over the last few months and Fernando has been true to his word: when he decided he wanted to continue racing, he talked to us first. Fernando has shown he believes in us, and we believe in him.
"This multi-year agreement with Fernando takes us into 2026 when we begin our works power unit partnership with Honda. We look forward to creating more incredible memories and achieving further success together."
The Honda factor is a particularly interesting part of the renewal as Alonso's relationship with the Japanese manufacturer was widely understood as having been damaged by his unfruitful second stint at McLaren when it was Honda’s works partner and Alonso vehemently criticised the Honda engine.
The likes of Carlos Sainz and Yuki Tsunoda had been mooted as potential alternatives to Alonso going into 2025 or 2026.
Now, however, it seems that Aston Martin's line-up is set in stone given the other seat is held down by Lance Stroll, son of Aston part-owner and chairman Lawrence, who is on a rolling contract of an undisclosed duration and has never been under significant pressure for his seat.
