Alonso goes full circle: Now full of praise for Honda following Aston deal
F1 News
Fernando Alonso and Honda have had an eventful history. The partnership with McLaren between 2015 and 2017 was unsuccessful, and the two-time world champion was frequently critical of the Japanese manufacturer's engines at the time. Yet he cited the future collaboration between Honda and Aston Martin as an important reason to extend his contract for at least two years.
After parting ways with McLaren, Red Bull Racing showed confidence in Honda. What followed was a highly successful partnership that resulted in several championships, including Max Verstappen's first world title. The Dutchman, therefore, praised the Japanese engine manufacturer, which, for its part, had nice words to say about Verstappen.
Honda are an important reason for Alonso to stay
The future collaboration between Aston Martin and Honda, who will part ways with Red Bull in 2026, appears to have been a key driver for Alonso to extend his contract. "The appealing part of this project is just everything that we are building. It was the new campus last year, it's going to be the wind tunnel this year. It will be the new regulations in 2026 and Honda coming as a partner. That was a must for me," he told various media, including GPblog.
He continued: "To really enter new regulations with a new project, with a new wind tunnel and also with Honda as a partner, it was something for me that was very, very important. Part of the decision to stay at Aston is because they are with Honda for 2026, and also Aramco, the biggest and the best partner in the world. We have incredibly talented people in the team now on the technical side, and they will benefit from the new wind tunnel and the new facilities in Silverstone. So there were a lot of factors that made 2026 very appealing with Aston."
Alonso again full of praise for Honda
The two-time world champion says he has no reason to believe that the new partnership with Honda will be like the one with McLaren between 2015 and 2017. "I have a great love for Japan and for the things that they do there. The level of discipline and the level of commitment that they have is just another level, generally in Japan. But it translates to Honda," he explained.
The current success of Honda and Red Bull certainly plays a role in how Alonso now views the Japanese manufacturer. "In 2026, we are going into the unknown for sure in terms of regulations. But if I have to choose one, my feeling, I would choose our project, our engine and our power unit. One, because they are dominating the sport now. They have a very, very strong engine with Red Bull and AlphaTauri. And second, because with the new fuels and the new regulations, they will have all the tools available to succeed. This is how I feel," said the 42-year-old Spaniard.