Aston Martin hope to make Alonso’s F1 future decision ‘as difficult as possible’ while two-time champ weighs up options

Aston Martin team boss Mike Krack has explained that it is his, and the squad’s, mission to make Fernando Alonso’s decision over his F1 future “as difficult as possible” by giving him the “best possible car” as the 2024 campaign develops.

Alonso, now aged 42, stated pre-season that he initially needs to decide whether he wants to “commit to the future” and take on another stint in F1, while his “first priority” would be to sit down with Aston Martin after the “tremendous” start to their partnership in 2023.

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However, he also acknowledged that “I’m probably attractive to other teams”, given the Spaniard is one of only three world champions on the grid, with the likes of Red Bull and Mercedes yet to confirm their full line-ups for 2025.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 at the Australian Grand Prix, Krack provided an update on where Aston Martin were regarding talks with Alonso, saying: “The situation is unchanged, actually, from two weeks ago [in Saudi Arabia].

“Fernando made it clear, I think, to everybody that he needs to decide what he wants to do in the future. He also said that if he wants to continue he will have talks with us first, which is very nice to hear.

“Then we have to see what happens over the next weeks. There are discussions, there will be further discussions. As I said, the first thing [is] we have to respect Fernando’s call for time, for thinking what he wants to do.

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“I think if you have such a champion in your team you have to give him that time and you have to respect this request.”

Pushed on whether the outcome will be dependent on Aston Martin’s performance, or whether it’s a personal choice in terms of Alonso’s career, Krack added: “I think it’s rather the latter, but I think also with the former we can influence it maybe.

“If we provide him [with] a good car over the races to come, I think we have maybe a chance to facilitate that decision. These champions, they do not want to drive for 10th position or for sixth or fifth, they want to win. It’s upon us to deliver the car to both drivers that allow them to do that.”

Krack signed off: “We want to make the decision for him as difficult as possible by giving him the best possible car.”

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Aston Martin sit fifth in the constructors’ standings after the first three rounds of the season, a point behind Mercedes, while McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull also lie ahead.

Alonso, meanwhile, holds eighth in the drivers’ battle; having taken three successive podiums at the start of the 2023 season, his return so far this year is a P9 finish in Bahrain, P5 in Saudi Arabia and P8 in Australia.