Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso of Spain prepares for the practice ahead of the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
43-year-old Fernando Alonso has said that 2026 might be his best chance of winning his third Formula One World title. The Spaniard, racing for Aston Martin had a fruitful start in 2023 with a few podium finishes but feels that new regulations in 2026 and Adrian Newey joining the team will give him the best chance to win yet another title.
“I still dream,” Alonso said to BBC Sport. “Why not? I know 2026 is probably my only chance because 2025 is extremely difficult, but I am still dreaming. “F1 is for dreamers, probably, because anything can happen. Let’s see.”
Alonso’s dream of winning a third title, when he hasn’t won a race in the last 11 years, is down to British race car designer Newey joining Aston Martin. Newey, behind the success of Red Bull racing, designed the cars that propelled Sebastien Vettel and Max Verstappen to their World Championship titles. 2026 will also herald new F1 rules coming in, and Newey is considered to be an engineer that harnesses the new rules with the best tweaks and design changes for his team.
It is likely that Alonso’s final year in F1 could well be when Newey designs his final masterpiece. “Expectations will be high because it is a new car, change of regulations, a car made by Adrian,” Alonso said. “Probably – or at least to start – it will be my last season in F1. Because my contract finishes at the end of 2026. It is the time of delivering and the time of truth. High expectations.
“We have this mutual respect. We exchanged some messages and spoke from time to time and it seems like we always connected. We never worked together but we were always on the same frequency when we talked in the past.”
