Fernando Alonso’s future stays in the spotlight after FIA chief’s backing
SportLocation Formula 1 Desk · 17 Sept 2026 · Archive footage
Mohammed Ben Sulayem has said Fernando Alonso should not be forced out of Formula 1 while Aston Martin remain uncompetitive.
Fernando Alonso’s future has been pushed back into the spotlight after FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said it would be “not acceptable” for the Spaniard to leave Formula 1 because of Aston Martin’s current form.
Ben Sulayem made the comments at an event in Madrid on Friday, backing a driver who is out of contract at the end of the season and has already said he will decide whether to stay “not soon”.
Aston Martin are 10th in the championship so far this year, with Alonso having scored all three of the team’s points. The team’s Honda power unit is also described as the least powerful on the grid.
The FIA chief said Alonso, a two-time world champion, should be successful before he walks away, rather than being pushed out by circumstance. He also said he would speak to the 45-year-old.
It is a striking intervention from the head of motorsport’s governing body, but it also underlines how much Alonso still matters in the paddock. Even in a difficult season, the conversation around him is not about fading quietly away; it is about whether he should be allowed to choose his own exit.