Luca di Montezemolo made an appearance in the Formula 1 paddock at the Bahrain Grand Prix and opened up on Fernando Alonso’s ‘truly sad’ season for Aston Martin.
The two-time F1 champion remains one of just four drivers still yet to score a single point this season. Alonso ranks in only 17th place in the drivers’ standings after the first four rounds of the 2025 season with the 43-year-old taking his personal-best finish so far of 11th in Japan.
His plight continued last weekend at the Bahrain GP, too, as Alonso came home down in P15 and 12.746 seconds outside of the points-paying spots. It even marked back-to-back rounds without any points for Aston Martin, with teammate Lance Stroll also 5.149s behind for P17.
Another round of the 2025 F1 season without taking a point meant Alonso further extended his worst start to a term since 2017 in Sakhir, too. His plight for Aston Martin is also one that long-time Ferrari chairman Di Montezemolo admits is ‘truly sad’ for his ‘great friend’ Alonso.
Luca di Montezemolo thinks Fernando Alonso could retire in 2026 if Aston Martin struggle
Di Montezemolo was at the helm in Maranello when Alonso joined Ferrari in 2010 in a move which led to F1 drivers’ championship bids in 2010 and 2012. But the Spaniard would not lift a title for the Prancing Horse to add to his crowns with Renault from back in 2005 plus 2006.
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To now find Alonso failing to score a single point through the first four rounds of a season is difficult for Di Montezemolo. The Italian even feels Alonso could retire from Formula 1 after the 2026 season if Aston Martin continue to struggle despite F1’s 2026 regulation overhaul.
“I’m very sad for Alonso,” Di Montezemolo said, via Marca. “A driver like him at the end of his career with such an uncompetitive car is truly sad. I hope that next year, which may be his last in F1, he’ll have a competitive car. He’s a great friend [and] he’s a great champion.”
Aston Martin and Fernando Alonso are pinning their hopes on Adrian Newey and F1’s 2026 regulations
Aston Martin are pinning their hopes on 2026 given the introduction of new power unit and chassis regulations. The Silverstone outfit also made a huge splash as Aston Martin made F1 design legend Adrian Newey a 5% shareholder to arrive as their manging technical partner.
Newey arrived at Aston Martin in March to begin leading the design of their 2026 car, which F1 teams could officially start working on in January. Aston Martin will also become Honda’s works engine team next season with the Japanese brand switching from Red Bull after 2025.
But if even Newey and Honda engines fail to move Aston Martin – a team which is still yet to win a Grand Prix – to the front of the order, Alonso will likely consider retiring. Aston Martin have Alonso under contract on a £19m-a-year deal through 2026 yet with options to extend.
