Spanish Grand Prix: Fernando Alonso’s Future in F1 Discussed by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem
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Alonso Cannot Leave F1 While Uncompetitive – FIA Boss
Image: Getty Images
Image Caption: Fernando Alonso (right, with Mohammed Ben Sulayem) has scored all three of Aston Martin’s points this season.
By Andrew Benson, F1 Correspondent in Madrid
Published 25 minutes ago
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has stated that it would be "not acceptable" for Fernando Alonso to leave Formula 1 while he is in a competitive position. The 45-year-old two-time world champion’s contract with Aston Martin ends at the end of this season, and he has not yet committed to staying.
Aston Martin currently occupies tenth place in the championship, struggling with an uncompetitive car and underperforming engine from Honda. Ben Sulayem expressed his views at an event in Madrid on Friday:
"There is no way we can allow Fernando to leave—Alonso, a great champion—to leave just because of the circumstances. That’s not the way to leave the stage. He has to be successful and then he leaves whenever he wants, not because he was forced to leave because of performance."
Ben Sulayem proposed that Alonso deserves better treatment, suggesting they will explore options to improve Aston Martin’s car in response to his disappointment. He said, "I said to him, I saw him very sad, and I said, ‘Fernando, I understand… we did something earlier, in May, legally for the team towards the engine to go and improve, and then I said to him: ‘I am not going to tell you what we are going to do. Please tell me what you want because you are the driver.’"
An FIA spokesperson clarified that Ben Sulayem was referring to F1’s Additional Development Opportunities (Aduo) system, which allows engine manufacturers to upgrade their power units if they meet specific performance criteria. The spokesperson emphasized that Ben Sulayem’s comments were about encouraging Alonso to stay in F1 and did not imply overreach of his role as FIA president.
