Fernando Alonso has responded to FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s efforts to keep him in Formula 1. The lobby to have the Spaniard continue as an F1 driver started during his first home race weekend at the Madring. Alonso is uncertain about his future in the top class due to the new generation of cars, and therefore cannot yet give the FIA president a concrete answer: “I have a lot to consider,” says the Aston Martin driver.
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FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem gave a notable speech earlier this week in Madrid. In it, the FIA chief spoke about how he wants to keep Fernando Alonso in Formula 1. “We cannot afford for Fernando, a great champion, to leave just because of circumstances. You don’t say goodbye to someone of his caliber like that,” said the Emirati. Earlier, the Spaniard himself stated that his decision to continue or not as a Formula 1 driver depends on the regulations.
That Ben Sulayem is helping both Aston Martin and engine supplier Honda is no luxury. Alonso has been driving at the back of the field all year in the AMR26, with only three World Championship points scored this season. The Spaniard is now responding to the FIA president’s attempts to keep him in F1.
“I don’t know. I have a lot to consider before making a decision for next year,” Alonso told the media. “I haven’t spoken with him (Ben Sulayem, ed.), but I speak with Stefano (Domenicali, ed.) regularly every week. Formula 1 cannot continue like this. We can’t wait until 2031 to have a decent sport. I therefore feel it is my responsibility to help them with my experience to do everything we can to improve these kinds of things.”
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‘Driver input is basically zero’
The Spaniard agrees with Max Verstappen that the driver’s input no longer seems to make a difference with the current generation of cars. “Turn 12, La Monumental: whoever is fastest there – I don’t want to name names, but it can’t be that Michael (Clayton, Aston Martin’s press officer, ed.) is faster than Max Verstappen if he has more battery capacity,” Alonso cites as an example. “Because turn 12 is such an incredible corner that it should be Max Verstappen making the difference compared to Michael. And right now, that just isn’t happening.”
“It’s in a way a shame that with this generation of cars we end up on a very beautiful circuit like (the Madring, ed.) with challenges like La Monumental, while the driver’s input is basically zero,” Alonso concludes.
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