F1 | Alonso has nerve: “Aston was chosen because Honda will be there”

Fernando Alonso has never lacked nerve. And the Asturian is certainly not the type to hold back when it comes to expressing his opinion, even in a harsh, crude manner. Honda knows something about this and in 2017 the Spaniard branded its power unit mounted on the McLaren with a historic “…GP2 engine!”.

Yesterday Aston Martin surprisingly made it official that Alonso will remain with the Silverstone team with a multi-year contract that will last until at least 2026, when the team will become official with the supply of Honda engines and Aramco e-fuel.

The violent conflicts have evidently been forgotten and Fernando can count on the fact that the management of the proud Japanese company has changed completely, so the new leaders have not placed vetoes on resuming collaboration with Alonso.

Indeed, the Asturian, explaining his life choice, explained that the agreement that links Aston Martin to Honda is one of the elements that weighed on the renewal of the contract.

“Part of the decision to stay at Aston Martin came from the fact that it will have Honda engines from 2026. It is an aspect that was very, very important for me – explained Alonso yesterday -. Honda is certainly a winning manufacturer in Formula 1 and in general in the world of motorsports and is a company that I have always respected.”

“Of course the collaboration didn't work with McLaren, in the years in which they returned to F1, but immediately afterwards they solved all the problems and are now dominating the GPs. I think they will have a very strong starting point for 2026: in Sakura they have the skills to build something truly beautiful. Working with the Japanese again will be a real pleasure.”

Fernando highlighted a combination: the union of Honda (PU manufacturer) and Aramco (sponsor and supplier of e-fuel) could be deadly with the new F1 regulations.

“Obviously I would like to experiment with the sustainable fuels that we will have in 2026 – added the 42-year-old driver -. We have an excellent partner in Aramco, so I see a situation that could be advantageous for us. I believe in the Aston Martin project and in the Honda power unit that is dominating F1 with a very powerful engine for Red Bull and Racing Bulls. Secondly, having the new fuels will allow us to aim high.”