Alonso and Stroll Stay at Aston Martin for 2027

Aston Martin has confirmed an unchanged driver line-up for 2027, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll both extending their contracts. The announcement on 29 September, made ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, means next season will be the pair’s fifth consecutive year as team mates. Formula 1 notes that the duo have 644 Grand Prix starts between them, making them the most experienced pairing on the grid.

Stroll’s continuation had been widely expected, given his long association with the team led by his father, Lawrence Stroll. Alonso’s decision was the bigger question. Aston Martin is tenth in the Teams’ Championship in a season that has tested everyone’s patience, and there had been genuine uncertainty over whether the two-time champion would want to continue.

What the drivers and team said

Alonso made clear that the decision had not been rushed. “I’m very happy to sign a new contract with Aston Martin. I took my time to make this decision, but racing is my life,” he said. Stroll framed his extension as part of a longer story: “I’m very happy to continue with Aston Martin Aramco for the long term. I’ve been on this journey since the beginning.”

Executive chairman Lawrence Stroll said: “Lance and Fernando have been a crucial part of our journey and we are very pleased to confirm that they will continue.” The wording of the announcement describes both deals as long-term extensions, although the exact length of each contract was not the focus of the statement.

• Both drivers have extended their contracts and will race for Aston Martin in 2027.
• It will be their fifth straight season together as team mates.
• Their combined total of 644 starts is the highest of any pairing on the grid.
• Aston Martin is currently tenth in the Teams’ Championship.
• Alonso will turn 46 during the 2027 season, according to Formula 1’s analysis.

A hard season with Honda and Newey

The context makes Alonso’s choice notable. Formula 1’s Lawrence Barretto writes that Aston Martin needed a B-spec upgrade in Hungary to reach the midfield after previously trailing competitive cars by more than five seconds. Reliability has remained a problem. Stroll has suffered 11 retirements this season, and both cars retired in Baku, where the pair had also started from the back after taking new power-unit components.

Honda, Aston Martin’s engine partner in the new power-unit era, has been off the pace of its rivals. That will inevitably remind some fans of Alonso’s difficult years with McLaren-Honda. Yet the Spaniard has chosen to stay after discussions with Lawrence Stroll and technical principal Adrian Newey, concluding that the project still merits his commitment. Barretto adds that Alonso still believes he is fast and values being able to watch his newborn son Leonard grow up while continuing to do what he loves.

Age is part of the story, but it is not a barrier under the rules. Formula 1 points out that even at 46 Alonso would remain some nine years younger than Louis Chiron, the oldest driver to have started a World Championship race. What matters more is whether the car improves. Alonso’s decision suggests he has seen enough in Newey’s plans and in the team’s facilities to believe that next year can be better.

Why keeping continuity makes sense

For a team trying to recover, continuity has clear benefits. Both drivers know the organisation, its engineers and its processes. They have lived through the development of the current car and can give direct feedback on whether upgrades are working. Bringing in a new driver would add a learning period at a time when Aston Martin needs to focus on fixing performance and reliability.

Alonso’s value also extends beyond lap time. His experience of multiple regulation eras, his feel for a car’s weaknesses and his appetite for detail can help direct development. Stroll, meanwhile, offers stability and a long-term commitment. The pairing may not be the youngest on the grid, but it removes one uncertainty from a project that already has enough to solve.

What it means for the 2027 grid

With Aston Martin settled, Formula 1’s analysis identifies Haas and Racing Bulls as the teams where decisions for 2027 still need to be finalised. That places the focus on a small group of drivers whose futures remain open.

• Haas: Oliver Bearman is favoured to continue, while Ferrari junior and Formula 2 leader Rafael Camara is reported as the leading candidate for the other seat.
• Racing Bulls: Arvid Lindblad is confirmed, with Liam Lawson the frontrunner for the second car.
• Formula 2 runner-up Nikola Tsolov remains a possibility at Racing Bulls.
• Camara strengthened his case by winning the Baku Feature Race to open a seven-point F2 lead over Tsolov.

The confirmation also closes off one of the more attractive options for drivers hoping for a late move. Alonso’s seat had been viewed by some as a possible opening had he decided to retire. Instead, the market narrows further, and the remaining opportunities are likely to go to young drivers from the Ferrari and Red Bull pathways.

GrandPrix.com notes that the extension will take Alonso into his 24th Formula 1 campaign and his fifth with Aston Martin. His arrival in 2023 brought eight podium finishes, an early sign of what the partnership could achieve, although subsequent results have fallen short of what the team’s investment was expected to deliver. Stroll, meanwhile, will begin his ninth season with the team his father owns.

The bigger picture for Aston Martin

Aston Martin has made heavy investments in recent years, from its new factory and wind tunnel to the recruitment of Adrian Newey. The 2026 season was meant to be the moment those investments came together with a new engine partnership. Instead, it has been a struggle, with reliability problems and a car that took a major upgrade simply to reach the midfield. Keeping both drivers shows the team is betting on steady improvement rather than a dramatic reset.

For Alonso, the decision is also about legacy. He has already achieved two world championships and a long list of records, and he does not need to stay for the sake of his statistics. His choice to continue suggests he genuinely believes the team can become competitive again, and that he wants to be part of it when it does. Lawrence Stroll said the drivers’ experience, commitment and knowledge provide considerable value as the team develops its cars under the new rules.

For Aston Martin, the real test starts now. Keeping its drivers is the simple part; giving them a car capable of scoring regularly is the challenge. Alonso has bet that Newey, Honda and the team can deliver a significant step. After a season spent near the back, a return to the midfield in 2027 would already represent progress, and anything more would justify his decision to stay.