While Mohammed Ben Sulayem would like to keep him in Formula 1 in 2027, Fernando Alonso is mainly demanding rapid changes in the discipline.
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Fernando Alonso has not yet decided whether he will continue his career in Formula 1 in 2027. But while Mohammed Ben Sulayem is looking to promote a return of Aston Martin and Honda to the forefront to convince the Spaniard to stay, the two-time world champion took the opportunity to issue a much broader warning about the future of the discipline.
Alonso believes that Formula 1 cannot simply wait for the next major regulatory revolution planned for 2031 to correct the flaws he perceives in the current cars. In his view, the role of the driver has become too weak since the introduction of the 2026 regulations, notably due to the considerable importance given to the management of electrical energy.
Ben Sulayem wants to convince Alonso to stay
Alonso’s future is the subject of many questions. At 45, the Aston Martin driver is considering the possibility of competing in 2027, which would be his 24th season in Formula 1. His decision could notably depend on his team’s ability to provide him with a sufficiently competitive car.
The 2026 season has so far proven particularly difficult. Alonso has only three points after a complicated start to the year for the Aston Martin-Honda partnership, although a significant upgrade introduced in Hungary, followed by an improvement to the Honda engine in the Netherlands, have allowed some progress.
Information that emerged during the Madrid weekend states that FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem is seeking to help Honda as much as possible to enable the Japanese manufacturer to regain a higher level of performance. He also reportedly found Alonso’s sporting situation “unacceptable” ahead of his home Grand Prix.
“Formula 1 cannot continue like this”
Alonso says he has not directly discussed this issue with Ben Sulayem. However, he regularly exchanges with Stefano Domenicali and does not hide his concerns about the direction Formula 1 is taking.
“I don’t know. I already have a lot to analyze to try to make a decision about next year. I haven’t spoken with Mohammed, but I regularly talk with Stefano Domenicali, practically every week, because Formula 1 cannot continue like this.”
The Spaniard especially believes that waiting until 2031 to make major changes would be a mistake.
“We cannot wait until 2031 to have a real sport again. So I think it is my responsibility to help them with my experience to improve these kinds of things as much as possible.”
Alonso is among the most critical drivers of the technical regulations introduced in 2026. He particularly criticizes the new power units for giving excessive importance to electrical energy, which now represents about half of the total available power.
Alonso denounces corners that have become “charging stations”
The two-time world champion had already regretted that some fast corners have become real “charging stations,” with drivers sometimes having to prioritize energy recovery rather than seeking maximum speed.
To illustrate his point in Madrid, Alonso deliberately takes an extreme example by comparing Max Verstappen to Michael Clayton, Aston Martin’s press officer. According to him, an amateur driver should obviously never be able to take such a demanding corner as quickly as a four-time world champion simply because he has more electrical energy.
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“In turn 12, the fastest one should be so because of their driving. I don’t want to name anyone, but Michael cannot be faster than Max Verstappen simply because he has more battery.”
For Alonso, La Monumental is precisely the type of corner where the driver’s talent and courage should make a considerable difference.
“Turn 12 is so incredible that Max Verstappen should be able to make the difference there compared to Michael. But currently, that’s not really possible.”
“The role of the driver is almost nonexistent”
This is precisely what saddens Alonso about the current generation of cars. Madrid offers several spectacular and particularly fast sections, but the Spaniard considers that their natural difficulty is partly neutralized by the way drivers have to manage energy.
“It’s sad, in a way, to come with this generation of cars to a very beautiful circuit like this, with challenges like La Monumental, and to see that the driver’s influence is almost nonexistent.”
Alonso continues his comparison to explain what he truly expects from Formula 1.
“Michael could take turn 12 because you take it flat out without deploying kinetic energy. When that energy then arrives, you accelerate on the exit. But in Formula 1, and more broadly in motorsport, if Michael is braver than me in turn 12, then he should be faster.”
Conversely, if Alonso has more talent or manages to better exploit his car, he should naturally take the advantage.
“If I have more qualities, then I should be faster than him. That’s how qualifying should work. Today, everything simply depends on the battery charge level: depending on the energy you have, you go faster or slower.”
His future in 2027 still undecided
Alonso does not give any definitive hint regarding his presence on the grid in 2027. His decision remains under consideration, and Aston Martin and Honda’s progress over the next races could weigh heavily in the balance.
But his response to the supposed approaches of Ben Sulayem shows that his reflection goes far beyond just his team’s performance. After more than two decades at the highest level, Alonso wants to find a Formula 1 where differences between drivers play a greater role in the final result.
And while he agrees to put his immense experience at the service of the discipline’s leaders, his message is unambiguous: waiting until 2031 to act would be far too late.
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