“GP2 engine GP2 engine!!,” screamed a frustrated Fernando Alonso driving his McLaren machine powered by Honda. His underwhelming stint on the team drove him to hang his boots. However, the matador who arrived at his dream team at 41 stands at the crossroads where his past stands staring at him now. How will Aston Martin deal with that?
Fernando Alonso stated that the fast-tracking of the podium beyond their expectations has instilled his faith, as things are already going better than he expected. And the question of extension is laced with many temptations as he said, “new engines… and that is another temptation“. Now, CEO Martin Whitmarsh had declared his unwavering faith in the Spanish driver. Talks have filled the paddock with whether this 2026 partnership means Nando hanging his boots before Honda arrives at Silverstone. But Mike Krack, the team principal, has echoed the CEO’s emotions.
As quoted by Motor.es, Mike Krack said, “I think there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be in the car with us in 2026. I mean, I don’t see a single reason why he wouldn’t be.”
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The top management has faith in the 2x champion’s abilities and believes that it won’t hamper his presence beyond 2026 when Honda arrives.
Martin Whitmarsh has full faith in Fernando Alonso’s intelligence
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Honda, which currently powers the reining champions, Red Bull, had almost left the sport. However, putting speculations to rest, they returned. And now partnering with Red Bull’s current rival, the $48 Billion dollar brand has that they will return to the sport when the new regulations kick in. But what about Alonso’s troubled history with them?
Martin said, “Clearly Fernando is doing a great job and I’m delighted to have him as part of our team as he’s making a great contribution both on and off the track. I spoke to Fernando a while ago about the direction we wanted to go. He’s a very intelligent individual. I’m sure everyone here is referring to some comments that were made in the heat of the battle, which were quite memorable, but he understands and respects what Honda is doing.”
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Do you think Fernando will stay in the sport for another 3-4 seasons? His bosses certainly think so.