Button likens Alonso to Schumacher and urges two-time champion to stay in F1

Jenson Button has placed Fernando Alonso in the same bracket as Michael Schumacher, describing their on-track battles as among the most demanding of his career and calling on the two-time world champion to remain in Formula 1 beyond 2026.

Writing in his column for Aston Martin ahead of the Italian Grand Prix, the 2009 world champion reflected on Alonso’s career at a moment when the paddock is waiting for the Spaniard to confirm his plans for next season.

“The biggest compliment I can give Fernando is that fighting him was very similar to fighting with Michael Schumacher,” Button wrote. “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.”

Button recalled his maiden grand prix victory in Hungary as a benchmark moment shaped by those rivalries. “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.”

He also placed Alonso in a broader pantheon of rivals that included Mika Häkkinen, Kimi Räikkönen, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, describing himself as “really lucky” to have raced against “some of the true legends of the sport”.

On Alonso’s driving style specifically, Button was emphatic. “Fernando drives like no one else. He’s aggressive, he can adapt brilliantly, and it’s been that way all through his career.”

At 45, Alonso has yet to confirm whether he will continue with Aston Martin after the 2026 season. Rumours of retirement and a potential return to Alpine have circulated in recent weeks, but no decision has been made public.

Button acknowledged the difficulty of that choice while drawing on Alonso’s own history — the Spaniard stepped away from F1 between 2019 and 2021 before returning with Alpine. “He left the sport and came back, so he obviously left too early. Now, he will make sure that he’s 100 per cent certain that he doesn’t want to be in the sport before he leaves.”

Button also pointed to the arrival of Adrian Newey at Aston Martin as a compelling reason for Alonso to stay. “Any F1 driver would love to race a car designed by him, and to experience first-hand him driving this team forward.”

“Fernando’s still got so much more to give in F1,” Button concluded. “I would love to see him in an Aston Martin fighting for wins. That’s where he should be, and it’s where this team is aiming to be.”