Racing
© Jonathan Borba
Fernando Alonso says he still does not feel ready to retire, but Aston Martin’s disastrous start to 2026 has left that stance inseparable from whether the team can quickly solve a car-package crisis built around reliability, vibrations and a lack of outright performance.
Speaking at the Gran Premio Histórico de Mónaco, Alonso made clear that walking away is not yet on his mind despite the length of his career. “It’s difficult to say. I love what I do, I love racing; I raced my first race when I was three years old... and now I’m 44, so I’ve spent 41 years of my life behind the wheel,” said Alonso. “I think the moment I stop racing will be a very hard decision and it will be difficult for me to accept it. Time will tell. I will feel it. For now, I don’t feel that moment has arrived. I feel competitive, I feel motivated. I am happy when I drive. I hope it is not the last season.”
That determination is being tested by a season that has started far worse than Aston Martin expected. Through the first three races, the team has been unable to fight near the front and has instead been battling near the back, with a package that has taken the checkered flag only once so far. One account of the team’s position described the AMR26 as simply unable to perform, with the problems extending well beyond a single weak area.
The immediate issue is the Honda power unit. Aston Martin’s early races have been hit by recurring engine-related trouble including vibrations, misfires and operating limitations, costing both performance and the chance to develop the car consistently. But the team’s own assessment has also accepted that the problem is not only Honda’s. The broader picture points to what Alonso’s side has described as a triple problem, with chassis and aerodynamic weaknesses at Silverstone adding to the engine deficit.
Pedro de la Rosa, Aston Martin team ambassador, said Alonso’s motivation has not dropped despite the scale of the struggle. “I see him super motivated. He really wants it, and I think his personal life has never affected his performance on track. Fernando lives for motorsport,” De la Rosa said. He also said Alonso intends to decide what to do for 2027 during the summer break, once the season is clearer “in every sense.”
That puts the burden back on Aston Martin to make the second half of the year look different from the first. De la Rosa said the team wants Alonso to continue for at least one more season, but admitted the key is giving him a reason to do so. “Hopefully, hopefully. It is everyone’s wish. But in the end it will depend on him and his life and what he wants to do. I always say the same thing. We have to forget what he wants. What we have to do is give him the best car possible so his decision is easier.”
For now, the team’s work is focused on making the car finish races at all. De la Rosa said Aston Martin and Honda are working well together despite their position and that the immediate target is to “mitigate the vibrations as much as possible” and improve reliability so both drivers can reach the end without problems. He added that the aim is to close the issue “in the next race,” while insisting there has been no change in the team’s approach.
The urgency is sharpened by the competitive picture around them. Mercedes has opened an early advantage in the new cycle, with Ferrari and McLaren the only teams able to stay somewhere close. Even in the midfield, Haas, Alpine and Racing Bulls have shown enough to become obstacles. Aston Martin therefore needs more than normal progress. It needs a larger step than its rivals, and Alonso’s 2027 decision now looks increasingly tied to whether that step arrives before the season reaches the point where he has to choose.