It was another miserable weekend for Aston Martin at the Belgian GP this past weekend, with Alonso the last driver to cross the line in P19 - two laps down, while his teammate Lance Stroll suffered a DNF due to gearbox issues. Plagued with both power unit and aerodynamic issues, Alonso's fortunate P10 finish at the Monaco GP has secured the only points finish for Aston this year.

The Silverstone-based team are, however, set to introduce a significant upgrade package at the upcoming Hungarian GP, having opted against smaller, incremental changes to turn the tide in their campaign. With Alonso turning 45 in just over a week's time, you would be forgiven for believing such a package would be crucial in terms of the Spaniard's F1 future, but he has highlighted a more important factor surrounding the much-maligned F1 regulations.

Along with Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, Alonso has been one of the more vocal critics of the new generation of F1 cars, and despite tweaks both mid-season and for 2027 - which will move the 50/50 split between the ICE and electrical power closer to 60/40 - the sport's direction is critical for the two-time world champion's decision, which he has said will be made during the summer break.

Speaking to media, including GPblog, after the Belgian GP, Alonso was asked how important the Hungarian GP upgrades will be when it comes to his future. "Nothing," he replied. "Nothing because my decision is not about the performance of this year. This year we started on the wrong foot.

Highlighting the 2026 cars' performance on energy-starved circuits such as Spa and Silverstone in recent weeks, Alonso instead said: “My decision for next year is more about the rules. 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.”

There was, however, some good news for Alonso and compatriot Carlos Sainz over the weekend, in the form of Spain's World Cup final win over Argentina in the hours that followed the Belgian GP.

Taking to social media to celebrate, Sainz wrote on Instagram: "What madness!! Come on, Spain! Thank you for letting us enjoy an incredible World Cup. Champions!"

Shortly afterwards, the two-time world champion also reacted, and like his compatriot, could not hide his delight: "What a team. So well deserved. Congratulations, Spain. The best."