Fernando Alonso appeared at the press conference prior to the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and is confident that the Jeddah circuit will be favorable for the AMR25, which, so far, is one of the worst cars on the grid. On the other hand, he supports Adrian Newey‘s decision to focus solely on the AMR26 for next season and remains committed to Aston Martin’s future project. He believes he will continue in 2026, but does not know if he will be able to return to being world champion. “I will drive as long as I am motivated and as long as the team needs me.”
Fernando Alonso’s optimism
One of the positive things about the AMR25 is its top speed and its adaptation to fast corners, something he will be able to experience at the Yeddah circuit this weekend at the Saudi Arabian F1 Grand Prix. Fernando Alonso believes the car will perform better than in previous races.
“I think so. The first few weekends have been tough. We’ve had challenges with the cars, but the high speed at Jeddah should suit us better.”
However, “we are still discovering the car and some of its weaknesses. The low-speed corners were the weak point, but we are concerned about the rebound and other aspects.” Nevertheless, he insists that “the speed in Jeddah should be better this weekend,” but “the competitors are solving their problems, it’s a race for development.”
As for the car’s developments and settings, he is pleased that he will have several practice sessions similar to race conditions. “We will be able to use free practice 1, 2 and 3 to maximize the car.”
Motivation for 2026 and support for Adrian Newey
Fernando Alonso is very motivated for next season. He welcomes Aston Martin’s investment in the new wind tunnel and the arrival of Adrian Newey, whom he supports in his decision not to develop the AMR25. “There is a lot of motivation for next year, Adrian, the wind tunnel.” “Adrian has enough experience and knowledge to know what is best. I think he is working only on 2026, and if that is what he has decided, I fully support him.”
Currently, “we are facing greater difficulties, but we are a better prepared team than two years ago. The results on the track are not the same as they were before, but I am very relaxed and very motivated, and we are in a period of adaptation. When we have a car to fight for championships, we will have to be ready.”
The future of Fernando Alonso
Regarding the rumors that place Max Verstappen at Aston Martin, he sees it as something positive and not something negative. “I’m not worried about the steering wheel, I have a contract for next year. Rumors are good for the team. The world champion is linked to other teams, and there is talk of Aston Martin, Ferrari, and Mercedes. It shows the project Aston Martin has.”
Fernando Alonso is 100% confident in Aston Martin’s success and hopes it will come in 2026, but if it comes later, he is not sure he will still be the team’s driver. However, he will continue to support the team and work with them to help them reach the top of the grid.
“I will drive as long as I am motivated and as long as the team needs me. But I will remain with the team beyond being behind the wheel.” ‘When I left Alpine, I didn’t think I could fight for a championship. I just thought Aston Martin could be competitive, but I can’t drive forever. We are not a team of the present, and I don’t know if I will be able to drive for Aston Martin in the future.’ ”After 2026, I don’t know, I’ll see how I feel. Right now, I’m motivated.”