Fernando Alonso speaks to AS: the Aston Martin driver talks Newey, the AMR26, his F1 future...

At the launch of the Formula One team’s new car, the AMR26, Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso sat down for an exclusive interview with AS in Saudi Arabia on Monday.

Alonso broke down where the car stands in its development, compared with rival models that have already logged serious mileage. The 44-year-old also discussed the significance of the “Newey factor” - the AMR26 is the first Aston Martin car designed by the Briton - and clarified when he hopes to make a decision on his future.

How excited are you about this car? Because it’s new, because Newey designed it, the rules are changing, Honda is coming in…

A lot of excitement, especially with Newey joining and being able to work with him for the first time. With a brand‑new set of regulations, everything’s still to be discovered, and the driver will have a say in the car’s weak points and where we need to focus. That switches on an internal chip, because I know I’ll be important not only this year, but over the next four or five years of the team’s project. You have to be switched on.

Where does the AMR26 stand right now? Is the delay before Barcelona serious or insignificant?

We’re behind, for sure. We’re at point zero. I don’t think we’ve even started yet. In Barcelona we were able to run, but for me it was more like a filming day, a shakedown - what other teams had already done privately in Silverstone with 200 kilometers that we weren’t able to do. So Barcelona was those 200 kilometers for us. Some parts of the car weren’t validated to run at maximum speed, so we had to cap ourselves at 280 km/h on the straights. That’s just one example of how stretched our preparation was. It’s hard to draw any conclusions; Bahrain will be our very first real test, the first real contact. Barcelona was just starting the car up and making sure everything worked.

So you still don’t have a sense yet of whether the car looks promising or not so promising.

No, not yet. Bahrain will be the first real read. I’m aware of some of the challenges we face - and these aren’t my words, Newey has said it himself. We were a few months behind where he thinks other teams were; and the same with Honda, who have had more difficulties than expected on the engine side. We think there are some areas we have to solve in terms of the project’s competitiveness, and we don’t have much time - there’s one month until Australia. Some things won’t be solved before Australia, and we’ll have to live with them through the first three or four races.

Any other team would be criticized for showing up late or barely running the car. But Aston Martin is generating huge anticipation - we’ve heard George Russell and other big names in the paddock comment on it. Why?

It’s the Newey factor, it’s always been that way. We’ve experienced it ourselves for years: whenever he presented a car in testing - good, bad, or average - you always kept one eye on that car, on what they could do or what you might have to copy. Now our rivals will feel that. Although this year, with the new regulations and the importance of the power unit and energy management - not that the car is less important than the engine, but we need a strong power unit to optimize cornering - I’m a bit less worried. I know that Adrian, sooner or later, or maybe even already, will deliver, and the car won’t be a problem. We need to make sure the whole package isn’t one.

Will racecraft change because of battery management? Would your fight with “Checo” Pérez in Brazil 2023 have been very different?

I don’t know. I still need to see. I already had some doubts after doing laps in the simulator, and those doubts remain. I think overtaking is going to be harder this year because everyone has DRS on the straights - the car behind gets the same DRS as the one in front. And all you have is a bit more energy, but you don’t have the freedom to deploy it whenever and wherever you want. It’s still dictated by the FIA, and that limits battles and the driver’s freedom. It’s over‑regulated.

Will experience be an advantage for the driver?

Since everything is over‑regulated, there would be bigger differences if there were more freedom. But experience always helps. If this were tennis or track and field, I’d rather be 25 than 40. But in motorsport, if you’re in good physical shape, I’d rather be 40 than 25. I’ve raced on every circuit, I’ve seen many different sets of regulations, and with energy changes like the ones coming, I’d rather be in my position than be a rookie this year.

If your career were a soccer match, how much time is left to score a goal? Are we in stoppage time? Extra time?

There’s plenty of game time left. We’re just starting the second half - 45 minutes to go.

People will talk a lot about new cars until Australia, but after that it’ll all be about the driver market because every seat is open for 2027. When will you decide whether you want to continue into 2027 or if you’ve had enough?

I don’t know. I think this year you have to wait a bit longer because the progression and development of the cars is going to be incredible. Instead of improving one or two tenths with an upgrade package, you might improve eight tenths or a full second. So I think we’ll see huge performance swings from the teams throughout the season. Making a decision in April or May could be right or wrong by September, depending on how the evolutions go. The longer you can wait, the better. That would be my intention - to wait until September to decide. But we’ll see. I don’t think it will just depend on performance. I need to see how I feel, how motivated I am, how much the travel, the events, the marketing and everything outside the track weighs on me. I think the team is going to improve a lot from the start of the year; we’re going to grow as it progresses. That will be motivating in terms of the possibility of continuing, seeing the car improve and results getting better. But to make a 100% certain decision, you have to wait as long as possible… if the team can wait. Because one thing is what you want, but if the team wants to know in the spring whether you’re staying so they don’t miss out on other drivers on the market, there will be pressure from the team to make a decision as early as possible.

Related stories

F1

Cadillac unveils its 2026 F1 livery during the Super Bowl

F1

AMR26 turns heads ahead of Monday's debut

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.