Alonso urges F1 chiefs to fast-track rule changes after 2026 cars disappoint at Spanish GP

Fernando Alonso delivered a blunt assessment of Formula 1’s current direction after the Spanish Grand Prix at the new Madring circuit, warning that the sport “cannot continue this way” and revealing he has held talks with both F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem to push for faster regulatory change.

Alonso was full of praise for the 5.4km Madring layout, which features several high-speed, high-commitment corners including the demanding La Monumental at Turn 12. But the Aston Martin driver argued that the track’s challenges were being wasted on a generation of cars whose performance is dictated by battery charge levels rather than driver skill.

“It cannot be that Michael [his PR manager] is faster than Max Verstappen if he has more battery, because Turn 12 is such an incredible corner that Max Verstappen has to be making the difference,” Alonso said. “But at the moment we can’t. Formula 1 or motorsport in general should be that in Turn 12, if Michael is braver than me, he goes faster. If I have more attributes, I will go faster than him — that’s how we should be qualifying. Now it’s just how much [battery charge] I have.”

F1 has already begun shifting the power balance, moving gradually toward a 60-40 split favouring combustion over electric energy, with the most significant adjustment scheduled for 2027. However, Alonso is pushing for the anticipated return to V8 engines to be brought forward from its currently planned 2031 introduction.

His urgency is compounded by Aston Martin’s own struggles with Honda power. Honda has already received additional concessions under the ADUO catch-up system for underperforming power unit manufacturers, but the mechanism is widely regarded as flawed and is expected to be revised further.

“I did speak with him but I speak with Stefano regularly every week, because Formula 1 cannot continue in this way,” Alonso said. “We cannot wait for 2031 to have a proper sport, so I think it’s also my responsibility to help them with my experience, to make whatever we can do.”

The comments arrive as the 45-year-old has been publicly reflecting on his future in the sport, though Alonso is widely expected to remain with Aston Martin for the 2027 season.