It had been on the cards for a long time, but ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia it was finally officially announced: Fernando Alonso will add another year to his illustrious Formula 1 career, which will make 2027 his 24th season at the pinnacle of motorsport. Almost everyone in the paddock already knew that Alonso would stay, which also explains why Mike Krack repeatedly said he was "relaxed" despite the announcement taking months to arrive.
The process that led to a new signature for 2027 was rather straightforward, Alonso explained during media day at Sepang. "I took the decision quite recently, and sitting with Lawrence Stroll was very straightforward," he said. "We didn't have much to discuss. We both wanted to continue at that point. It was a five-minute talk and then we announced it."
However, the real reason for carrying on turns out to be slightly different: Alonso says he still feels the fire inside and does not want to let that go. "I have no guarantees that 2027 will be more fun, but it is a commitment that you have to make to yourself," he continued. "And at the end of the day, I feel fast, I feel motivated and I feel that I'm enjoying what I'm doing."
The new contract means Alonso will still be competing in F1 next year at the age of 46. He is also pushing for further changes to the regulations, suggesting limiting the battery’s maximum power for longer periods so that speed profiles become more natural again.
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