Phoenix 24
The price of experience rises when a project still depends on belief.
SILVERSTONE, UNITED KINGDOM
Fernando Alonso has reportedly requested an annual salary of €40 million to extend his Formula One career with Aston Martin through the 2028 season. The proposed agreement would keep the two-time world champion competing beyond his 47th birthday. Neither Alonso nor Aston Martin has publicly confirmed the figure or disclosed formal negotiating terms.
Alonso’s current contract expires at the end of the 2026 season. Reports presenting the €40 million salary as a firm demand originate from paddock sources rather than an official statement by the Spanish driver. Estimates of his existing compensation are also unofficial because Formula One teams do not normally publish individual driver salaries.
Money would not be the only consideration behind Alonso’s decision. He has repeatedly indicated that motivation, competitiveness and the possibility of fighting near the front will determine whether he continues racing. Aston Martin’s performance under Formula One’s new technical regulations has therefore become a more meaningful negotiating factor than a single upgrade or isolated result.
Team principal Adrian Newey has said that he hopes Alonso will remain for another season, praising his speed, experience and technical feedback. Aston Martin has invested heavily in its Silverstone facilities and its works partnership with Honda, but the team’s difficult start to the season demonstrated that infrastructure and prominent personnel do not automatically produce a competitive car.
At 45, Alonso remains the oldest driver on the grid, yet Aston Martin officials insist that his pace does not justify retirement. The Spaniard has also said that he will remain connected to the organization’s wider project even after ending his Formula One career. That commitment gives both parties alternatives if they decide that continuing as a race driver is no longer the best arrangement.
A two-year extension would represent a considerable financial and sporting commitment to a driver whose ability remains evident but whose age makes long-term planning unusually complex. Until the parties confirm an agreement, the reported salary and duration should be treated as negotiating speculation rather than established contractual facts.
La narrativa también es poder. / Narrative is power too.