Team Principal at Aston Martin F1, Mike Krack believes there is “no reason” to think Fernando Alonso won’t be in the car when the new deal with Honda comes around in 2026. He also stressed that the Spaniard didn’t have much involvement in the negotiations with the Japanese manufacturer.
Photo Credit: Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team
Fernando Alonso has a long-standing history with Honda power, dating back to his second F1 stint at McLaren from 2015-2017, and even crossed over to his Indy 500 entry in 2017. But while the relationship consisted mostly of disappointment throughout their time together, plagued by unreliability and a lack of raw performance, the pair could be set for an unexpected reunion in 2026.
That’s because Aston Martin’s new deal with Honda will start along with the new power unit rules and regulations set to come into effect in 2026. That is ‘only’ three years from now, and with the form the Spaniard has been showing since he joined the British squad, it is not out of the question he would still be around in ’26.
When asked about this is a media session ahead of the Monaco GP, Mike Krack made it clear that he sees “no reason” why Alonso wouldn’t be in the team to enjoy the new partnership:
“I think there’s no reason to think he should not be with us in the car in 2026,” he said. “I mean I cannot see one single reason why he would not be.”
Given his past relationship with Honda, it wouldn’t be surprising if Alonso had been involved in talks with the Japanese manufacturer to evaluate how it has changed since they last worked together. But according to Krack, the Spaniard wasn’t actively involved in negotiations, but reiterated the team did ask him about his opinion on the subject:
“Fernando was not involved in the discussion, but he was always kept in the loop,” said Krack, “We wanted to have his thoughts. We wanted to have his opinions, as we do with every topic because he’s a key member of the team, just as Lance [Stroll] is.
“We have a very good relationship with our drivers. You see it when you listen to the radio. So they are both always involved and we are fortunate to have also Pedro [de la Rosa], for example, who has also some relationships.
“So I think all in all, it’s a very strong team and we do not say the drivers out there, the engineers are there, it’s just one big group where everybody’s opinion counts.”
There have been talks of Yuki Tsunoda potentially moving to the team for 2026, following comments from the team’s CEO Martin Withmarsh, but it’s not clear yet whether the move will materialize and who would he replace then.
