Alonso confirms Aston Martin stay: 'I have a contract, I'm not moving'

Contract certainty

Fernando Alonso used the official press conference ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix to shut down any talk of a departure from Aston Martin. The two-time world champion, whose current deal expires at the end of the 2026 season, was linked in recent weeks with a move away from the Silverstone-based team.

I do have a contract. I'm not moving.

Alonso did not specify whether he will continue as a race driver or take on a different role within the team, such as ambassador or advisor. He said he feels "fresh, motivated, and fast" but needs to know what he will be doing next year and in the years ahead. The next two races, he added, will be crucial for evaluating the direction of the car and his own future.

Faith in Newey and the upgrade

Aston Martin arrived at the Hungaroring with a significant upgrade package, the first major development step after a strategy of avoiding regular updates early in the season. Alonso made clear that his confidence in the project rests heavily on Adrian Newey, the team's technical director and shareholder.

It will take time, but I have zero doubts that Adrian will give us the best car on the grid, sooner or later.

He acknowledged that the team started the season on the back foot and is still dealing with that process, but insisted that Honda will solve the power unit problems. Alonso said he wants to see the first step with this update and understand the car's behaviour over a couple of races before making longer-term judgments.

Criticism of modern F1

Beyond the technical struggles, Alonso voiced a deeper frustration with the current state of Formula 1. He said the new regulations have stripped away the sensation that once defined the sport for him.

I no longer have the adrenaline we used to feel driving an F1 car. That is something I will have to put on the table.

He pointed to the races at Spa and Silverstone as examples, describing them as "not fun to watch or to drive." Alonso stressed that his comments were not meant as criticism for its own sake but as a call to improve the sport collectively.

Sainz and Colapinto on football

Alonso was joined at the press conference by Carlos Sainz and Franco Colapinto, and the conversation briefly turned to Spain's recent World Cup victory. Sainz said he always believed Spain would win and called the team deserved champions.

I am proud to be Spanish, proud of the celebrations and seeing the success they achieved.

Colapinto, seated between the two Spanish drivers, acknowledged Spain's superiority but lamented the extreme passions that football can provoke, saying it is not pleasant to see two countries portrayed as bitter enemies. Both Sainz and Colapinto are without contracts for 2027, adding an undercurrent of uncertainty to their own futures.

Aston Martin's difficult season

Alonso described the first half of 2026 as "disappointing" rather than his worst experience in F1. The team had high hopes pinned on the new regulations, the arrival of Newey, and the Honda partnership, but the AMR26 has suffered from engine failures, poor handling, and an underperforming chassis.

We had a lot of hope in this regulation, in Adrian Newey's arrival, in Honda and the whole project. The expectations were very high and we did not meet them.

Despite the setbacks, Alonso said the entire team has embraced the challenge and that Budapest could mark the first step toward the performance level they originally targeted. He turns 45 on 29 July and returns to the circuit where, in 2003, he became the youngest driver ever to win a Formula 1 race.