Fernando Alonso will stay at Aston Martin. What does this mean?

Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso shut down all rumors about joining rival teams Red Bull Racing and Mercedes after he signed a multi-year contract with Aston Martin until 2026.

The 42-year-old Spaniard is the oldest driver on the grid, and he’s not ready to retire anytime soon.

Aston Martin signed Fernando Alonso in 2023. That was perhaps one of the best decisions made by Lawrence Stroll, as Alonso started his 2023 F1 season with consecutive podiums. Teaming up with the Spanish driver is the best thing that happened to Lance Stroll, as he also has an experienced driver to race “with” and not “against.”

But there are implications for drivers like Carlos Sainz, Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon, Yuki Tsunoda, and Sergio Perez as Alonso renews his contract with Aston Martin.

We know that Lance Stroll has a permanent seat at Aston Martin. But what does this mean for the other drivers and teams on the grid?

Here is an analysis of the impact Alonso’s contract renewal will have on Formula 1 drivers:

There have been many disruptions at Red Bull since Sergio Perez’s future with the team was at stake almost every season. Fernando Alonso’s decision to stay with Aston Martin was logical, but at the same time, we feel that both parties have lost the opportunity to explore an interesting team-up.

But Red Bull wouldn’t have initiated talks with Alonso, as he has stepped back from chasing his third championship title. A driver who isn’t competitive enough to match Max Verstappen’s raw spirit to win will never be a prospect the Bulls would look at.

Therefore, it is safe to assume that Fernando Alonso wouldn't be a problem for Sergio Perez's Red Bull seat. But it is hard to let go of “what could have been.”

Fernando Alonso has been associated with teams like Ferrari, McLaren, and Alpine since he moved to Aston Martin. Although the team and four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel fared well for two seasons, Seb wasn’t able to secure podiums. Nevertheless, Aston Martin helped him get back the spark that he had lost while driving for Ferrari.

Since Alonso replaced Seb, everyone has witnessed a sense of “stability” in the “old man’s” driving. He was in formidable form in Suzuka last week. The Spaniard showcased what it takes to bridge the gap with Red Bull, apart from the years of experience he brings to the table in every race.

Coincidentally, Aston Martin also helped Alonso get back to form after a bad season with Alpine in 2022.

What would you do if you were Alonso and had to choose between stability and exploration at the end of your career?

Fernando Alonso also started Aston Martin’s winning streak in 2023 and brought the team to the top, making them capable enough to contend with the likes of not just Red Bull but Mercedes, Ferrari, and currently McLaren.

That’s a win-win right there!

Mercedes has been struggling to reclaim its lost glory and title since Abu Dhabi in 2021. Since then, the team’s performance has plummeted. Seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton struggled for three years with a car that he called “undrivable.”

It was about time that the driver moved on with a team that could give him a car he could drive. Let alone racing to podiums.

With the first driver’s seat vacant, Mercedes had two drivers to choose from. 42-year-old driver with tons of experience or an 18-year-old protégé with lots of potential.

Although Alonso’s decision made deciding much easier for the team, many feel Mercedes signing the Spanish driver would’ve been a better option.

Team principal Toto Wolff’s unwavering confidence in Kimi Antonelli is quite surprising, as this could prove to be a huge risk for the team if they are looking at winning back their F1 Championship “throne.”

Let’s start with Carlos Sainz. The young Spaniard has proved himself (though he didn’t have to) that he can compete with some of the strongest drivers on the grid.

Multiple podiums, and a proven record of all-around frontrunner for several years with the teams he has been associated with—Carlos Sainz was supposed to be at the top for anyone with a vacant seat.

Red Bull is Sainz’s hope for 2025. That's the case if Sainz decides to drop Perez and selects neither Yuki nor Ricciardo for the second spot next year due to their recent underperformance. Horner seems open to looking for someone “outside the pool” too.

Given that Wolff has more or less settled on Antonelli as Lewis’s replacement, a direct swap between the prancing horses and the silver arrows is off the table.

Speaking of Yuki Tsunoda, the Japanese driver has shown remarkable improvement through the seasons, both on and off the track. However, it wasn’t enough for Aston Martin to bring him in as a replacement for Alonso.

With Alonso here to stay, Tsunoda will not get a chance to live the “Great Aston Martin Dream." Although Yuki’s performance in Suzuka was one of his best, according to Helmut Marko, it is safe to say that if the Japanese driver can consistently perform, Aston Martin might consider driving for them. But after Alonso retires.

The Alpine duo, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly would still have to stay in the team as Aston Martin’s other seat, warmed by Lance Stroll, isn’t a part of the driver’s market. This stagnation could be one of the plausible reasons for the team’s rough patch since 2023.