Fernando Alonso has been qualifying last and retiring from races at 44 years old, driving a car that can’t break into the top ten on merit.
His home weekend at Barcelona ended with a last-place grid slot and a battery failure retirement… not exactly the send-off a two-time world champion deserves on home soil. And the man running Formula 1 apparently felt every bit of it.
Stefano Domenicali spoke to Spanish outlet AS during the Spanish Grand Prix weekend and didn’t bother hiding his frustration. “I suffer a lot for Alonso, because I have a lot of respect for him and I know he’s fantastic,” the F1 CEO said. He went further: “But I know that he is a resilient person. He will have the opportunity, I hope, if they give him a good car to show the talent he has. His mentality is one of fearless commitment, at all levels. He needs the right project. I hope he will be here and not just for a year, for a long time.”
The pair worked together during Alonso’s years at Ferrari , and the F1 CEO’s sympathy reads less like a diplomatic talking point and more like genuine dismay at watching a driver he rates highly be let down by machinery.
Aston Martin‘s Problem — Not Alonso’s
Alonso began 2026 with back-to-back retirements in Australia and China, and an 18th-place finish in Japan – the AMR26, the only car on the grid running a Honda engine, has suffered from reliabilityproblems and a lack of outright pace.
Through seven race weekends, the team had scored a solitary point – Alonso’s P10 in Monaco – alongside eight retirements and an average finishing position of P15.
In separate comments to DAZN, Domenicali has opined that the car is the problem rather than the driver.
“He’s a champion and he needs a car that showcases his talent and pace,” he said. “If Fernando were in another car, he’d be at the top. He’s very strong and a champion who never gives up.”
Rumours have been mounting linking Alonso to a potential move to Alpine in 2027, a reunion with Flavio Briatore, while Alonso himself admitted during the Spanish GP weekend that Barcelona may have been his final race at the circuit.
When asked directly about his plans, Alonso said he had nothing in mind and would make a decision after summer – with Aston Martin, retirement, or Alpine all on the table.
Domenicali added: “It’s a fact that we need heroes. That’s why I expect Fernando to stay for a long time, with the right car he’s still very strong.” Asked about what Formula 1 would lose if Alonso retired, the F1 chief refused to engage. “It’s not the time to talk about that because I want to see him here for a long time,” he said.
Alonso himself indicated that results in the second half of the season could shape which direction he goes.
Given what the first half looked like, that bar isn’t exactly high.
About the Author
