Fernando Alonso has signed a contract with… Aston Martin!

Fernando Alonso has signed a new deal that’ll keep him on the F1 grid with Aston Martin, ending any chance of the double world champ joining Red Bull to fulfil ‘El Plan’. Boo.

Ever since Lewis Hamilton blew open next year’s driver market with his shock move to Ferrari, and Max Verstappen suggested he could leave Red Bull amid tensions at the team, speculation that Alonso could find his way back into a top team and challenge for that elusive third title have been persistent and mighty.

Alas, it ain’t happening. Aston and Alonso have agreed a ‘multi-year’ deal that’ll keep him in green overalls past the arrival of the new engine regs in 2026… when Aston will be joining forces with Honda. Awks.

“There has been much said and written about my future in Formula One in the past few months, but today I'm delighted to announce that I'm here to stay with Aston Martin Aramco in a multi-year agreement,” said Alonso.

“I said at the start of the year that I would decide if I wanted to continue racing first and then sit down with the team. From the moment I joined the team in 2023 I felt extremely at home. In just over 15 months we have already achieved so much together, with some memorable podiums and battles.

“I am very grateful for the trust Lawrence, Martin and Mike have put in me and with Lance I am excited to see what else we can achieve together. This is only the beginning for this project and I am proud to be part of it. I am at my physical best and still hungry. I will give my all as we continue our journey to becoming a world championship winning team.”

It means that Alonso - who recently suggested that he might not continue in F1 at all now that the F1 calendar has expanded to a gruelling 24-race schedule - will still be racing in F1 beyond his 45th birthday. In the history of the sport only four drivers have won a grand prix having passed that milestone, most recently in 1957 when Juan Manuel Fangio took the last of his 24 victories.

Alonso will also still be racing during the 20th anniversary of his last world championship with Renault, which he claimed in 2006. Wow.

“Securing Fernando's long-term future with Aston Martin Aramco is fantastic news,” said Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack. “We have built a strong working relationship over the last 18 months and we share the same determination to see this project succeed. We have been in constant dialogue over the last few months and Fernando has been true to his word: when he decided he wanted to continue racing, he talked to us first. Fernando has shown he believes in us, and we believe in him.

“Fernando is hungry for success, driving better than ever, is fitter than ever, and is completely dedicated to making Aston Martin Aramco a competitive force. This multi-year agreement with Fernando takes us into 2026 when we begin our works power unit partnership with Honda. We look forward to creating more incredible memories and achieving further success together.”

After eight podiums last year and Aston investing heavily back at the factory, has Fernando made a wise choice?