Jenson Button believes that Fernando Alonso’s re-signing with Aston Martin is hugely important for the team and, as long as he can see progress, that will “keep him going”.
At the end of September it was confirmed that 45-year-old Alonso would be continuing at Aston Martin, with the squad running an unchanged line-up of the Spaniard and Lance Stroll for 2027.
That latest deal will see the two-time World Champion – who won his titles two decades ago with Renault – compete in his 24th F1 season next year as the Silverstone-based outfit look to bounce back from a challenging 2026.
The team currently sit 10th in the Constructors’ Championship and required a B-spec update in Hungary to lift their performance level. However, even with that positive step, their engine supplier Honda have been off in terms of performance while reliability has also been a struggle.
However, Aston Martin still hold lofty ambitions for the future having also brought in the likes of Team Principal Adrian Newey in a bid to reach the top, and for 2009 F1 World Champion Jenson Button – an Aston Martin Ambassador – seeing signs of progress will be crucial in keeping Alonso involved with the project.
“I mean, there always has to be a little bit of doubt, because he’s 45 years old now,” Button told F1.com when asked if there were any doubts Alonso would stick around. “I’ve been out of the sport for 10 years, and I retired because I was tired!
“I mean it always has to be a little bit of that, but it amazes me – his dedication and how much he loves competing at the top level, and he’s still got it. So why not then keep going until he doesn’t want it anymore?
“He is going to want to see progress, that is the main thing. He probably knows he’s not going to win races any time soon, but as long as he can see progress and he is moving closer to that win, that’s what’s going to keep him going.”
‘I don’t know how he does it’
With Alonso and Aston Martin preparing for a fifth campaign together next year, it’s the latest chapter in a remarkable F1 career that began in 2001 with Minardi. Since then, he has gone on to represent the likes of Renault, McLaren and Ferrari while continuously operating at an elite level, with the Spaniard turning 46 midway through next season.
“I don’t know how he does it,” Button continued. “I really don’t. He lives racing, he lives F1. When he’s not in an F1 car he’s in a go-kart on his track or he’s driving ex-DTM cars.
“He’s always driving something, and that’s his passion, and he likes driving on dirt as well. He keeps himself very busy with racing, and fair play to him.
“For me, it was great to retire from F1 to go and do other things. Also, I’ve got other things I want to do in life, but his dedication to motorsport is undeniable and I think unparallelled.”
When asked if he’s still operating at his best-ever level, Button responded: “I don’t think you can compare really because the sport’s changed so much. But he’s still putting in an unbelievable effort and also what he’s achieving.
“It’s funny with Fernando, because most drivers look very similar. If you put them all in the same kind of car, you wouldn’t be able to tell who’s who.
“With Fernando you tell immediately. He’s up in the steering wheel and he’s [doing these] little adjustments the whole time and it’s great to have the talent of Fernando in the sport.”
‘It seems to work really well’
Alonso’s partnership with Aston Martin has often felt like an ideal match, particularly in 2023 when he scored eight podiums on his way to a P4 finish in the Drivers’ Championship. Even this year, given the struggles the team have faced, the fact the Spaniard has still amassed seven points is a credit to his never-ending determination.
For Button that’s also how it has felt, as he highlighted the importance of a team’s atmosphere in helping drivers excel.
“A few years ago, when they were getting podiums, it felt amazing,” Button recalled. “But now I think someone with his experience, this team has had world champions racing for them for quite a few years now, and I think it’s an interesting brand for racing drivers.
“We love cars, it’s got Aston Martin in the title – that’s nice – but to be fair it’s more about the performance on track and the team of people you have around you. You need them to believe in you as well, and sometimes that doesn’t happen with a team, and you see it time and time again with drivers jumping in cars.
“You know, they’re the next big thing and then it doesn’t work. You go somewhere else and then it works, so atmosphere is really important in making sure drivers feel comfortable and they can maximise their talents and skills. It seems to work really well, and [Alonso] seems at home.”
For that reason, when it was confirmed that Alonso would be sticking around with the team into next season, it served as an important boost for everyone involved in the project.
“I think that’s really important for this team and continuity with both drivers is really important,” Button said, commenting on that announcement. “They’ve been through the rough and hoping for the smooth, and the feedback from both of them is really key.
“Fernando is obviously the one that’s won the world championships, but Lance’s feedback is also important. We need two drivers’ feedback to enhance the car and [to make] a car that works for both drivers as well, you need that. That’s when you’re fighting for points.”