Fernando Alonso could become the central figure in the next movement of the Formula 1 driver market. According to rumors published by GPblog and journalist Joe Saward, the Spaniard’s decision about his future during the current season break could directly influence Aston Martin, Alpine, and Williams.
Read more F1: Mekies indicates the end of Red Bull’s intense update program
Alonso intends to use this break in the championship to evaluate the next steps of his career. The possibility of a move to Alpine would depend on the progress of Aston Martin with the new Honda power unit, which will be used together with the car in the B specification after the break, starting with the Dutch GP.
The Spaniard would be considering a team change if he does not see enough progress in the performance of the new package. According to Joe Saward, this is a possibility being observed behind the scenes. The new engine has already been tested on a filming day after the Hungarian GP, before its scheduled debut at Zandvoort.
Also according to GPblog, a possible departure of Alonso would make Aston Martin turn its attention to Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard has a contract nearing its end with Williams and is also expected to decide his future during the break. Sainz has already shown dissatisfaction with Williams’ current situation and recently indicated that he might make his decision thinking in the medium term: “It depends on how quickly we can get out of this situation. I had a deadline in mind to wait for this team to win again, but that will clearly take longer,” he said. He then added: “I need to change my mindset now, look at where I will be in three or four years, and make a decision based on that.”
Read more F1: Brundle sees Ferrari as a technical benchmark after innovations in 2026
This scenario also includes Franco Colapinto. According to rumors, the Argentine driver would be interested in returning to Williams, the team for which he previously competed in some rounds. In this context, Alonso would take Colapinto’s spot at Alpine, Colapinto would return to Williams, and Sainz would move to Aston Martin, if he believes that the Grove team will not evolve enough.
Alonso himself admitted that his future is being influenced by the direction of the category: “As I said in Spa, I didn’t enjoy driving in Silverstone and Spa. I don’t like watching, it’s not fun to drive, and we repeat the same thing in every GP. It’s not a criticism, it’s just to improve the category,” he continued. The two-time world champion also indicated that the loss of excitement behind the wheel weighs on his reflection: “I need to discuss this. It’s simply a matter of knowing if Formula 1 still gives me the adrenaline I need to live,” he concluded.
Read more F1: Hadjar believes she is close to achieving her first podium with Red Bull
