Alonso and the renewal
Fernando Alonso had said that he would make a decision about his future in Formula 1 after the summer break, but the two-time world champion has not yet clarified what he will do in 2027.
During the Madrid weekend, rumors increased about the possible retirement of the 45-year-old Spaniard at the end of the championship, so much so that some sources mentioned the possibility of his return to the WEC, still with Aston Martin.
But a phrase from Alonso seemed strange, relating to the 2027 F1 regulations: “I still hold hope that next year’s rules can be further modified, that this is not the final version.”
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The mystery about Ben Sulayem’s words
Words that now seem to take on a fuller meaning if associated with those spoken by Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA president, at the New Economy Forum in Madrid on Friday morning. A surprising speech, because they evoke an active role of the Federation to provide further recovery tools to Aston Martin in order to prevent Alonso’s departure. This is Ben Sulayem’s statement:
“We absolutely cannot allow Fernando, Alonso, a great champion, to leave just because of circumstances. This is not the way to leave the scene. He must succeed and then leave when he wants, not because he was forced to do so due to performance.
I share the concerns: the car is not delivering. As I said, yesterday I met the owner and Alonso, and I intend to make the necessary changes and talk to him to try to make him change his mind. It is unacceptable.
I told him I saw him very sad. I said: “Fernando, I understand that it is not acceptable that you come to your country and now, after being twice world champion, you find yourself in last place. In May we did something, within the rules, for the team, on the engine, to try to improve.”
And then I told him: “I will not tell you what we will do. Please, tell me what you want, because you are the driver, and come tell me what you want us to do to improve these results.” Suddenly, you see everything change.
Then I received a phone call and yesterday I had a meeting. We are here also to give our support.”
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So the 2027 rules are not yet final?
The words of Mohammed Ben Sulayem seem very clear and suggest the idea of an FIA willing to further help Aston Martin and Honda in order to keep Fernando Alonso in the Circus.
On Thursday, the Emirati president actually met Lawrence Stroll to discuss the necessary changes to give a competitive boost, beyond those already made in recent months that led to an ad hoc ADUO band for the Honda deficit, initially not foreseen by the regulations.
The issue on the table could be much broader than just Fernando Alonso’s continuation in Formula 1 and would also embrace Honda’s future in the category, so much so that after Zandvoort there was talk of a meeting with Mercedes to evaluate an emergency plan by Aston Martin.
On the BBC a FIA spokesperson wanted to stop the conjectures, despite Ben Sulayem’s clear words: “This is a comment on the ADUO process and the hope that Fernando Alonso stays. That’s all. The president is a passionate driver, having been a driver himself, and I would not give too much importance to this episode“.
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