Aston Martin speaks out after Ben Sulayem’s plan to keep Alonso in F1

The FIA president has called for Alonso to be given the opportunity to decide when his Formula 1 career comes to an end, rather than seeing his future dictated by Aston Martin’s current difficulties. He does not want the Spaniard’s struggles with the team to become the reason he walks away from the sport.

Instead, he has stressed that Alonso should be able to leave Formula 1 on his own terms. The FIA president has also suggested that he wants to look into whether anything can be done to improve the situation around the two-time World Champion and help Aston Martin deliver better results.

"There is no way we can allow Fernando to leave - Alonso, a great champion - just because of the circumstances. That's not the way to leave the stage. He has to be successful and then he leaves whenever he wants, not because he was forced to leave because of the performance," he said.

Asked whether Honda believes it needs further assistance from the FIA or is satisfied with the support it currently receives, Orihara explained that the manufacturer is happy with the concessions already granted, including additional dyno operating hours and an extension to the budget cap. He added that Honda is currently content with the framework in place and is using it to plan its roadmap towards 2027.

Also asked about Ben Sulayem’s comments, Mike Krack stressed that Formula 1 operates within a clear regulatory framework that defines the conditions under which teams compete in the championship. The Aston Martin chief said the team trusts the framework and the regulations established by the FIA, and therefore sees little need to add anything further on the matter.