Fernando Alonso has insisted that his Formula 1 future will hinge on the sport's regulations as the two-time world champion weighs up his options beyond 2026.
The Spaniard is into the final year of his contract at Aston Martin and there is great speculation concerning Alonso's future beyond this season following a dire campaign.
Many critics considered the overhaul in technical regulations to be Alonso's best and final opportunity at claiming an elusive third world championship.
Expectations were high heading into the campaign as legendary design guru Adrian Newey moulded Aston Martin's AMR26 challenger, while a new power unit partnership saw the British team collaborate with Honda, who had powered Red Bull to two Constructors' Championships in 2022 and 2023.
However, after nine rounds of the season, Aston Martin sit 10th in the constructors' standings with one point, which Alonso accrued at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Aston Martin's alarming performance will certainly be a pivotal factor in Alonso's future.
2027 would mark the Spaniard's 24th season in F1 and the 44-year-old still feels he is capable of challenging at the front at motorsport's top level.
Aston Martin will be bringing a catalogue of upgrades to this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix in the hope that it will enable them to bridge the gap to the lower-midfield pack, but Alonso insisted that any improvements from the new specs will have no major bearing on whether he will race beyond this season.
"My decision is not about the performance of this year," Alonso told RacingNews365. "This year we started on the wrong foot.
“I cannot base my decision for next year on a performance that is not realistic.
“This is not the true potential of the team. It's much higher than what we see."
Alonso suggested earlier in the campaign that he will "make a decision" during the summer break, which commences upon conclusion of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
F1 will return four weeks later for the Dutch Grand Prix at the end of August, where Alonso will likely have revealed his plans for the next season.
Many drivers, Alonso included, have vocally criticised the current technical regulations following an underwhelming Belgian Grand Prix where the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit laid bare the issues with the new generation of hybrid engines.
The FIA have revealed plans to make significant alterations to the current regulations next year, which could be key in determining Alonso's future.
"My decision for next year is more about the rules,” he added.
“Driving these cars in places like Spa or Silverstone last race is not what I'm dreaming of for my future. So we'll see.”
