Jenson Button backs Fernando Alonso to remain in F1 in final driver market twist
Fernando Alonso is the last standout name left to confirm their Formula 1 future for the 2027 season.
Jenson Button has weighed in on Fernando Alonso's Formula 1 future, with the Spaniard yet to commit to Aston Martin beyond the end of the season.
Alonso is out of contract at the end of the current season, but has repeatedly made clear his commitment to the long-term project clear, stating previously that he will be a part of Aston Martin beyond his driving career.
"I've said many times, the regulations are what they are," said Alonso. "It's not the best, the most fun cars to drive, but still, my life and Formula 1 have been... it will always be my life, and my heart is here.
"I will be with this team in one role or in another for the long term, so it's not about myself or about who is driving next year, or if I'm driving next year or three more years. I don't know. "
With front-running teams having recently locked in top talent including Max Verstappen and Lando Norris on long-term deals, and Alpine, a team Alonso has a long history with and had been linked to, confirming an unchanged line-up for 2027, the Spaniard appears to have limited options of either remaining where he is, or retiring.
Former McLaren team-mate Button knows the decision he hopes the 45-year-old will take.
"Fernando's future is a hot topic of conversation right now," he wrote in Jenson's Journal via Aston Martin.
"I have no idea whether he's going to commit to another year in the sport, but I do know whenever he does decide to retire he'll be rightly regarded as one of the true F1 greats – though personally I hope he'll stay a little longer. While we wait to see what he does, I felt compelled to pick up my pen and reminisce about my time racing against him in my latest journal entry.
"The biggest compliment I can give Fernando is that fighting him was very similar to fighting with Michael Schumacher. In my experience against them it would be hard but fair – it was on the limit every time and I loved that. That was part of the challenge.
"When I won my first Grand Prix in Hungary, I was fighting against them and that's what you want as a driver. You want to be fighting against the best, against the greats, to see how you compare.
"In my career I got to race against the likes of Fernando and Michael, as well as Mika Häkkinen, Kimi Räikkönen, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. I've been really lucky to have raced against some of the true legends of the sport.
"What makes Fernando stand out is his driving style. If you painted all the cars the same colour and put every driver out on the track, you would struggle to notice the difference. But when Fernando drives past, you immediately know it's him. That's down to what he's doing behind the wheel.
"Fernando drives like no one else. He's aggressive, he can adapt brilliantly, and it's been that way all through his career."
Sam joined Crash.net in February 2026 with extensive experience in motorsport media, having covered numerous championships around the world.
