Aston Martin forced Fernando Alonso to sign a new contract amid an offer from Mercedes

Fernando Alonso’s new Aston Martin deal was reportedly signed with a “gun to his head” amid an F1 2025 offer from Mercedes, with the acquisition of Carlos Sainz forcing him to make a quick decision.

Alonso announced last week that he will remain in F1 until at least the end of the 2026 season, after signing a new multi-year deal with Aston Martin.

Was Fernando Alonso pressured into signing a new Aston Martin F1 contract?

The Spaniard’s new contract will take him to his 45th birthday and will see him reunited with Honda, who will arrive from Red Bull as Aston Martin’s new engine supplier for the new F1 regulations in 2026.

The timing of Alonso’s contract extension came as a surprise after the former Renault, McLaren and Ferrari driver was heavily linked with possible jobs at Red Bull and Mercedes.

Ahead of the signing of his new contract, reports claimed Alonso was “working hard” to secure a Red Bull seat for 2025 amid uncertainty over Max Verstappen’s future.

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Alonso was also believed to be in the running to join Mercedes for 2025 as a replacement for Lewis Hamilton, who announced in February that he would join Ferrari on a multi-year deal at the end of the season.

Alonso – who had insisted throughout the process that Aston Martin was his “first priority” in any negotiations – told media including PlanetF1.com after the contract announcement that the team and driver “both wanted the same” for 2025, and Alonso feels it. “home” since the arrival of the Silverstone outfit in 2023.

However, a report by German publication Auto Motor und Sport has revealed that Alonso’s decision to stay was “not entirely of his own accord” – with the availability of Sainz, dropped by Ferrari to make way for Hamilton, forcing him to act quickly.

And Alonso’s decision to stay came despite Mercedes offering a one-year contract in excess of one year if the team failed to convince Verstappen to join from Red Bull.

With Sainz’s stock soaring following his best ever start to the season, which saw him claim his third win at last month’s Australian Grand Prix, Alonso is reportedly worried the outgoing Ferrari driver could emerge as an option for Aston. Martin.

The acquisition of Sainz, AMuS claim, allowed Aston Martin to “put a gun to the head of their star driver” and the risk of waiting for a potential opportunity at Red Bull or Aston Martin “is too great” for Alonso to take.

Mercedes’ offer of a one-year deal with an option for a further season was deemed “not very attractive” to Alonso as the option to extend would have been on the team’s side, allowing them to try again to sign Verstappen for 2026 or. 17-year-old Italian beauty Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

If Alonso were to join Mercedes, he was “determined” to ensure he remains with the team for the new F1 regulations in 2026, which are expected to shake up the competitive landscape.

According to AMuS, Alonso’s decision to pull out of the market by leaving Aston Martin has left Verstappen “in a corner” when it comes to his F1 future.

With Mercedes still waiting for a first podium finish in 2024, the prospect of replacing Hamilton in 2025 does not seem attractive to Verstappen.

However, Red Bull’s commitment beyond this season is said to threaten Christian Horner’s takeover amid tensions within the team.

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