Fernando Alonso has not yet decided whether he will continue in Formula 1 after the end of the 2026 season, and Aston Martin treats a possible departure as a difficult scenario to imagine. The team’s track operations chief, Mike Krack, said it would be ‘unthinkable and dramatic’ to lose the experienced Spanish driver.
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Alonso is evaluating his future, while Aston Martin continues to face major difficulties after this year’s major regulation changes and the transition to a new partnership with Honda as engine supplier. The Spanish driver also made it clear that he does not intend to make a rushed decision, preferring to see if the team can improve in the coming stages.
Krack said he understands the stance of the two-time F1 champion and reinforced that Aston Martin wants to keep him: “We have always been clear that the team wants to continue with him, but we need to respect what Fernando thinks and the time he wants to take. We are confident that we can reach a good solution for everyone. Now we wait. He needs to make his decision and then we move forward,” the manager told the press.
Besides the team’s difficulties, Alonso also criticized the current category regulations, describing F1 as a ‘world championship of batteries’. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said last weekend in Madrid that he intends to talk to the Spaniard to try to convince him to continue.
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Krack highlighted that the situation does not depend on just one specific change and defended Alonso’s stay: “The category needs someone like him. We are all interested in seeing Fernando continue. Whatever can be done to accommodate him, will be done, and I hope we can reach a good solution and continue,” he added.
Asked about a possible replacement, Krack refused to reveal names or confirm an alternative plan: “I will not give names and I will also not talk about any plan B. It would be a shame not to have him anymore, and since that would be very dramatic, I don’t even want to talk or think about it,” he concluded.
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