Aston Martin, after their scintillating start to the 2023 campaign, have receded to midfield contender role. They currently place P7 in the fight for P6 in the Constructors against Racing Bulls, Haas and Sauber.

Nevertheless, the team have made no secret that their focus is vested entirely on getting off on the right foot next season, when F1 is set to premiere what is arguably the biggest regulations overhaul in the sports history.

It is precisely in this area where Montoya thinks Aston Martin Senior Technical Partner and power unit supplier Honda will assure Alonso a protagonist role in the fight for the titles as of 2026, 2027 at the latest.

Speaking to a gambling website Montoya said: “You can’t write Fernando Alonso off for a championship challenge next year.”

"Honda won’t sit still if they don’t, every time Honda is involved in F1, they win. I’m not 100 per cent sure Aston Martin will be competitive next year, but if Newey finds that loophole in the rules, they will win everything,” Montoya concluded.

Aston Martin’s 2026 F1 plans are strengthened by its exclusive power unit partnership with Honda. The team's Technical Director, Enrico Cardile, says Honda’s single-team focus lets them tailor the PU to Aston Martin’s requests without compromises and push development harder due to lower production volumes.

While Cardile is primarily focused on chassis design alongside Adrian Newey, he’s impressed by Honda’s commitment and aggressive approach and notes strong collaboration between chassis and PU teams. Read Cardile's full statements here.

Want to stay up-to-date with what happens in the F1 paddock? Then GPblog's F1 Paddock Update video is the perfect way to do it. Subscribe to GPblog's YouTube channel and turn on notifications to never miss the latest episodes.