Max Verstappen remains a threat to Fernando Alonso. With the arrival of new regulations for 2026, the F1 grid could be turned upside down next season, with major changes. One of the teams aiming high is Aston Martin, and the four-time world champion is eager to see how they will fare after their alliance with Honda, the arrival of Newey, and the investment made to become a top team.
Aston Martin prepares for the assault on 2026
Since his arrival in 2021, a Canadian millionaire has set out to change the reign of F1. Lawrence Stroll acquired the team his son was driving for—not the other way around, as many believe—and from the outset he set out to change everything to compete with the best. By 2023, they had signed one of the three world champions on the grid, Fernando Alonso, and also hired Dan Fallows from Red Bull, who designed an AMR23 that made it onto the podium and was thought to be capable of fighting for races… It seemed very easy, but everything has fallen apart day by day.
The Canadian tycoon has changed everything again: new factory, new engineers, new technology, all the best, and one goal: to storm the F1 throne from 2026 onwards. The arrival of Enrico Cardile from Ferrari will put an end to the rebuilding process, and all that remains is for all the pieces at the Silversone factory to fall into place for everything to work. And everything has to work with a new external element for 2026, Honda and its power unit.
The future of Verstappen
There has been much speculation about the future of Max Verstappen, as Red Bull is not expected to be in a position to fight for the World Championship from 2026 onwards, although in F1 you never know. The Dutchman’s contract expires in 2028, although he could become a free agent in 2027, or he could negotiate a departure in 2026, which would be beneficial for the Austrians. Everything indicates that he will stay at Red Bull next season, which would be the most logical move, as in 2027 he could choose his destination with all the cards on the table, a safe bet to continue adding to his list of achievements.
One of those destinations is Aston Martin. He has already been linked with the British team, which also has a Honda engine (with which he has won everything) and Adrian Newey, with whom he shared a garage at Red Bull.
“When I see him in the garage, of course it reminds me of how he was with us. Honestly, it doesn’t make sense to think about it anymore. Adrian is no longer with the team, although we still have a lot of respect for him, or at least I do. He’s a great person, on top of all the success he’s had with our team.“
”Seeing him in green now is a bit different, of course, but I’m happy for him. I hope he’s happy. At the end of the day, that’s the most important thing.”
The driver is eager to see how the AMR26 will perform next season, as it could be decisive for his future. “I’m sure he’ll contribute to their success (Aston Martin). I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do next year, when I think he’ll finally be fully involved.”
The future of Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso has already made it clear in several interviews that he is aware of what lies ahead. With just over a month to go before his 44th birthday, he has secured his seat for 2026, but he is questioning his future beyond 2027. If he manages to become world champion for the third time, he will surely remain with the team, but if the car is competitive and he fails to win the title, Verstappen could be a real threat.
It will be the asphalt and the ambition of the Oviedo native that will determine his future. There is no doubt that his end is drawing nearer, but Alonso has shown that, for him, age is no problem.