Fernando Alonso has chosen to extend his Aston Martin stay through until at least 2026, at which point Honda has grand plans for where they want to go with the Silverstone-based squad.
Alonso had been regarded as a key player in the latest Formula 1 ‘silly season’, as while Aston Martin were intent on signing him to a new contract, the two-time World Champion was also being linked with moves to rivals Red Bull and Mercedes.
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Alonso though has confirmed that he will be staying put, signing a new multi-year Aston Martin deal which will see him into an exciting new era for the team, as they join forces with Honda.
In partnership with Red Bull, Honda has proven themselves capable of powering a team to Formula 1 dominance, so with redesigned power units coming in 2026, Honda have stated their intentions to come firing out of the blocks chasing instant title success with new ally Aston Martin.
So, while Honda admit this is easier said than done, it nonetheless is understandable why Alonso determined that Aston Martin may well offer his best shot at winning a third World title.
“To become world champion from 2026 onwards,” Honda Racing Corporation president Koji Watanabe declared to Motorsport.com as Honda’s target with Aston Martin.
“We know that it will be very difficult and it is not so easy, but we need some good targets to put in our best effort together with Aston Martin.
“So, that’s why together with [team owner Lawrence] Stroll and Toshihiro Mibe [Honda CEO and president], we set the target to just aim for the World Championship in that year. In reality, it is not so easy.”
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Stroll has invested heavily into the Aston Martin team with the goal of making them champions, but after a huge leap in 2023 which brought a healthy collection of Alonso podiums, F1 2024 so far is proving tougher going, with P5 the best result achieved so far.
Watanabe admits there is something “missing” currently to allow Aston Martin and Honda to achieve that swift title success which they both desire, so an “honest conversation” is needed to achieve that breakthrough.
“Probably we’re missing something [right now], but we have to tell each other what is missing,” said Watanabe.
“From an Aston Martin point of view what is missing on the Honda side and also what is missing on the Aston Martin side. That is an honest conversation to become a top-class team together.”
The Aston Martin-Honda reunion represents the chance for Alonso to banish the ghosts of his past, having previously driven for McLaren at the time of their failed Honda reunion.
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