Alonso is right to sound the alarm about F1 - but history seems to be repeating itself

When Fernando Alonso took his seat on the sofa for the FIA press conference in Madrid on Thursday, the questions were already easy to predict.

Everybody knew the two-time Formula 1 champion would be asked how special it was to race in Spain again, what he thought of the Madring and, inevitably, when we could expect clarity about his future.

The answer to that final question was: “Not soon.” The follow-up about what exactly was causing the delay was brushed off by the Spaniard with a laugh: “Because I think it’s nice, no?”

Not much later, the 45-year-old reiterated that it mainly depends on enjoyment: the regulations are even more important than Aston Martin’s competitive picture, although it must be said that the latter factor logically affects his enjoyment as well.

When Autosport asked Alonso for his current view of the 2027 regulations – including the small adjustment to the fuel flow – his answer proved somewhat cryptic, especially the final part of it.

“I think it’s a step in the right direction,” he responded. “If it’s enough…these cars will always reward to charge the batteries in the highest-speed corners and at the end of the straights, because that’s the optimal lap time.

“Because of these power units, at one point in the lap you need to charge the batteries, and you will charge the batteries in the most problematic places for fun. It will be in the high-speed corners and at the end of the straights. That is against any driver input or pushing the limits of the car.

“But, in a way, I still have some hope that next year’s rules will still have to be tweaked again, that this is not the final version.”

Alonso's current contract expires at the end of F1 2026

Photo by: Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images

Those final words were cryptic, because what exactly did Alonso mean: adjustments before the start of next year, or further changes during 2027 if the racing still proved to not be good enough?

When I asked Alonso that question as we left the press conference room, he made it clear that he meant the former option – further changes before the start of 2027 – and added while putting a hand on my shoulder: “Life is full of surprises, mate!”

It is the kind of line that could go straight onto a wall tile, a little piece of homespun wisdom.

History seems to be repeating itself, with Honda potentially achieving success once Alonso is no longer driving a Honda-powered car

Even with help for Honda, history seems to be repeating itself

Later that media day, comments made by FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem at the New Economy Forum came to light. Among other things, he said that he did not want Alonso to retire from F1 like this, that he wanted to do everything possible to help Aston Martin and Honda, and that “legal actions” had already been taken in May.

The latter sounded rather dramatic, but on further enquiry it simply turned out to refer to the additional spending opportunities under the ADUO rules – Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities – for a manufacturer that is more than 10% behind.

Ben Sulayem made it sound like more than it actually was.

The same can perhaps be said about ‘doing everything to help Honda’. On further enquiry, this appears to refer to additional changes to ADUO, but that too is entirely logical and is not solely aimed at Alonso. Everyone in the paddock can see that the ADUO system is currently not working as it was originally intended.

Honda has made a poor start to life as an Aston Martin engine works' partner

The manufacturer with the best power unit gets a token for further development, while Red Bull-Ford needs to work on the electrical side of its PU but, because it has the strongest combustion engine, does not get the opportunity to do so. So yes, ADUO needs to change and if those discussions are taking place anyway, perhaps they could also provide an opportunity to offer Honda more help.

There are, however, two important caveats. Firstly, even if Honda is given a helping hand, the power unit from Sakura will not suddenly become significantly better. Chief engineer Shintaro Orihara acknowledged as much during a recent interview with Autosport: the target is to be a “top competitor” again in 2028, but the road to getting there will be difficult and will take time.

Extra help is no magic bullet.

In that respect, history seems to be repeating itself, with Honda potentially achieving success once Alonso is no longer driving a Honda-powered car. Because, yes, with the facilities at Silverstone, Adrian Newey and the works deal with Honda, all the ingredients for longer-term success still appear to be there. It is simply taking more time than expected, and in a way that is emblematic of Alonso’s F1 career: unfortunately, too often in the wrong place at the wrong time, meaning his two world titles do not reflect his true talent.

Lesson learned, but Alonso’s ideal vision will take years

But the competitive picture is only one thing, because didn’t Alonso say that enjoyment behind the wheel is even more important than that?

In that respect, Alonso has a knack for one-liners. Earlier this year, he called Silverstone’s high-speed corners “charging stations”, and in Madrid he went one step further when the new banked corner - La Monumental - came up.

“It cannot be that Michael [Alonso's PR] is faster than Max Verstappen if he has more battery, because Turn 12 is such an incredible corner that Max Verstappen has to be making the difference compared to Michael, and at the moment we can't,” he said.

“But Formula 1 or motorsport in general should be that in Turn 12, if Michael is braver than me, he goes faster. If I have more attributes, I will go faster than him, that's how it should be qualifying. Now it's just [depending on] how much battery I have.”

Verstappen and Alonso have been two of the biggest critics of the 2026 regulations

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

Perhaps we should actually try to find out whether Michael Clayton really would be faster than Max Verstappen, given that it would probably be more interesting to watch than the actual ‘race’ in Madrid…but that is entirely beside the point.

Alonso has recently held further talks with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and also with Ben Sulayem, but here too the real solution will probably come too late. The ratio between the combustion engine and electric power will be adjusted to 58-42 next year, before moving to a 60-40 split in 2028.

Yes, that improves the situation, but no, it is still not what F1 should be in Alonso’s eyes. He experienced what F1 really should be ahead of the Spanish GP, when he drove several cars in Barcelona, including the McLaren MP4/4 and his own McLaren from 2007.

"Fernando has to decide that for himself. Of course I’d like to see him continue, but ultimately it comes down to ‘can you be competitive with the team and are you enjoying it?’" Max Verstappen

“It was the best day of the year for me so far! I drove cars with no batteries, no nothing. I just put fuel, tyres, lots of noise, lots of videos, earplugs, so yeah, amazing,” said the veteran of a record 439 grand prix starts.

That is F1 as Alonso would most like to see it, but unfortunately also a Formula 1 that appears unattainable for the next few years. Even if there are further tweaks for 2027 to ease the pain, it will still come nowhere near Alonso’s ideal vision.

The good news from this season is that everyone – F1, the FIA, all parties involved – has learned a lesson, as Domenicali also indicated in April during an extensive interview with this website.

For the next cycle, the manufacturers will have less influence and the combustion engine will once again play a more prominent role. Lesson learned, but under normal circumstances it will take until 2030 or 2031 before that lesson can be put into practice.

Domenicali admitted that cars manufacturers had too big of an influence on the 2026 regulations

Photo by: Motorsport Network

In that respect, the same applies on both fronts – the competitive picture and the regulations: better times are coming, but it will still take years before those things truly become reality. And so, regardless of what Alonso decides, he will probably not be able to reap the full benefits.

That said, many of his fellow drivers hope he will add another year, as Verstappen also said last Saturday: “Ultimately, Fernando has to decide that for himself. Of course I’d like to see him continue, but ultimately it comes down to ‘can you be competitive with the team and are you enjoying it?’ Because if it’s only a source of frustration, then at some point I don’t think it’s sustainable.

“I’d like to see him continue and I think everyone feels the same way, but it’s up to him and that’s also the nice thing – that as a world champion, he can decide for himself when he wants to stop.”

In reality, almost everyone in the paddock thinks Alonso will add another year and that not publicly committing yet is partly a game to increase the pressure, ideally to improve the championship as a whole.

Because many of those things take time, Alonso cannot leave F1 with the series in the shape he would like it to be. But after such a rich career, the Spaniard at least deserves the chance to bow out with a year that is a little less painful than 2026.

It has been 20 years since Alonso's last F1 title

Photo by: Sutton Images