Fernando Alonso renews with Aston Martin until 2027: I will retire… but not yet. The legend who refuses to stop

What's up, folks? I nearly had a heart attack, I'll admit it. Aston Martin posts a video, Fernando appears sitting in a black chair, gets serious, and announces he's retiring from Formula 1… and for a few seconds half of Spain stopped breathing. But no, mate: «but not yet». The Nano's staying put. The old smooth operator has renewed with Aston Martin and in 2027 he'll race his 24th season in Formula 1, at 46 years old. And since this doesn't happen every day, today's the day to give the greatest legend Spanish motorsport has ever produced the tribute he deserves.

🪑 The black chair video: «I'll retire… but not yet»

Aston Martin set it up like a series. First, a short video of an empty black chair with a countdown. Then, the same chair, but with Fernando sitting in it. He starts talking about everything Formula 1 has given him, in a farewell tone, falls silent… and delivers the line that's already gone down in history: he'll retire, but not now. Peak-level banter, very him.

The underlying message was crystal clear from him: he still feels quick and motivated, and Formula 1 is still, in his words, his life. At 45 years old, after a forgettable 2026 season, that says a lot about the headspace this guy's in.

🤔 Why 2027 (and why now)?

The renewal had been in the air for months, and the reason wasn't age or motivation: it was the rules. Alonso had been warning that he doesn't like the direction of the new-era Formula 1, with so much weight on the electrical side, and was asking for changes for 2027. According to Motorsport.com, at the Madrid GP he even met with the FIA president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who took note and promised to do what he could.

On paper, what's been signed is to continue in 2027, though Aston Martin talks in their statement about a long-term extension and Fernando himself admitted to AS that he doubts it'll be just one year. Translation to Asturian: this isn't wrapping up when you think it will.

And how much is he raking in to stay? I'll break it down for you, with the figures that are known and those that aren't, in Fernando Alonso's Aston Martin salary.

😬 2026, a lost year with Honda

This year's been rough. The AMR26 is the only car on the grid with a Honda engine, and it's had reliability and pace issues from day one: two retirements to start, in Australia and China, and the team's first points didn't come until Monaco, with a tenth-place finish. A ninth in Zandvoort and not much else. Knowing the Japanese engine is still way behind, renewing is an act of faith in Lawrence Stroll's project and the 2027 car, which according to the team will be designed from scratch.

And hey, he's got reasons to have faith: in his first year at Aston Martin, in 2023, he notched up eight podiums, finished fourth in the World Championship and in Saudi Arabia hit 100 podiums in his career. With the right car, the Nano is still there.

🏁 The legend, from the start

Oviedo, a hand-me-down kart and slicks in the rain

Fernando Alonso Díaz was born on 29 July 1981 in Oviedo, in a working-class family. His father, José Luis, a mechanic and karting enthusiast, built a kart for his daughter Lorena… who wanted nothing to do with it. So it ended up in the hands of a three-year-old kid. There was no money for wet-weather tyres, and Fernando learned to drive in the wet on slick compounds. That's where much of that sensitivity comes from that later made him unique.

A brilliant piece of trivia: as a kid he was offered the chance to be a goalkeeper for Celta de Vigo, and his father said no. Thank goodness. At seven he won his first kart race, in Pola de Laviana, and in 1996 he became junior champion of the Five Continents Cup. That's where his famous 14 comes from: he won that world title with a kart bearing that number, at 14 years old, on 14 July.

From Minardi to Renault: the kid breaking precocity records

At 17 he won the Euro Open by Nissan with Adrián Campos' team, and in 2001 he made his Formula 1 debut with a Minardi in Australia, a car you couldn't do much with. Flavio Briatore brought him to Renault as a test driver in 2002 and, in 2003, as a full-time driver, he became the youngest poleman in history in Malaysia and the youngest winner of a Grand Prix in Hungary. Both records were later broken by Vettel.

2005 and 2006: the man who toppled Schumacher

In 2005, with seven wins, he won the World Championship ahead of Räikkönen and became Spain's first world champion in history and the youngest at the time, at 24 years old. In 2006 he repeated the title in a head-to-head battle against Michael Schumacher, with that Suzuka moment where the German broke his engine while leading. The youngest two-time champion in history at that point. Half of Spain learned what Formula 1 was watching him, and that's priceless.

McLaren 2007: the Hamilton year and the internal war

He signed for McLaren and won four races, including Monaco, but the year was a war with his teammate, a rookie called Lewis Hamilton, between the spygate scandal and the Hungary incident. He finished third, one point behind champion Räikkönen, level on points with Hamilton. He left at the end of the year.

Ferrari: three runner-up finishes that stung

After two years back at Renault (with victories in Singapore and Japan in 2008), the red dream arrived. With Ferrari, between 2010 and 2014, he was runner-up three times against Vettel: in 2010 he lost it in Abu Dabi and in 2012, by just three points, with a clearly inferior car. Many still consider that 2012 his best season. His last victory came at home, at the Spanish Grand Prix 2013 in Montmeló.

McLaren-Honda: the dark years

He returned to McLaren in 2015 with a Honda engine and it was a nightmare: no reliability, no pace and radio complaints that went viral. Four seasons without podiums that ended with his first retirement, in late 2018.

Le Mans, Daytona, Indianapolis and the Dakar

And what he did outside Formula 1 is worth framing. He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice (2018 and 2019) and the 2018-19 World Endurance Championship with Toyota, and the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2019. In the 2017 Indianapolis 500, as a rookie he led 27 laps until his engine blew, and was named Rookie of the Year. He even had a go at the 2020 Dakar, finishing 13th. He's the only driver in history to be world champion in both Formula 1 and Endurance racing. He's just missing Indianapolis for the Triple Crown.

The comeback: Alpine and Aston Martin

In 2021 he returned with Alpine and in Qatar he secured his first podium in seven years. In 2022 he broke the record for race starts in Formula 1, in 2023 he moved to Aston Martin and was fighting up front again, and in 2024, in Mexico, he became the first driver in history to compete in 400 Grand Prix races. And here he still is.

📊 Fernando Alonso by the numbers

Formula 1 data up to late September 2026.

And a handful of records that speak to his longevity: most starts, most races finished, most kilometres and most laps covered in the history of the category, and the longest span between his first and last race, over 25 years.

💙 Asturian to the bone (yes, also a Real Oviedo fan)

He's carried it on his helmet since day one: the yellow Victory Cross and Asturian colours alongside Spain's. He has his museum and his circuit in Asturias, and he's carried his homeland's name around the world like no one else. That he's also a Real Oviedo fan? Yeah. This week stings a bit more, I won't lie to you, but Fernando's forgiven everything. He belongs to all Asturians, and he's the best thing this sport has ever produced.

🔮 What's next: 2027 and the dream of 33

New regulations, a car built from scratch and a Honda that needs to deliver once and for all. If Aston Martin gives him a decent car (and it's about time, the man's itching to fly across the asphalt), he can still give us some joy. Victory number 33 is still up for grabs, and with him you never know. What we do know is that while Fernando Alonso sits in a Formula 1, motorsport smiles.

Don Fernando Alonso. Still here. And may it last. 🏁💚

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