FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has met Fernando Alonso and signalled further action, saying the FIA "cannot let him leave because of performance". Power unit supplier Honda drew a line, saying "the president cannot give us magic" and that it would focus on improving by itself, while Mercedes' Toto Wolff said there was room to revisit the Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) granted to Honda. Ahead of this Saturday's Azerbaijan GP, the plight of Aston Martin and Honda, with just three points this year, appears to be spilling over into a debate about the rules.
"He should not leave the stage like that": the FIA president in Madrid
Ben Sulayem met Alonso at a business forum in Madrid ahead of the Spanish GP. As reported by Motorsport.com, he said: "We cannot let a great champion like Alonso leave because of the circumstances. He should leave when he wants, after success, not be pushed out by performance." He added: "He looked very sad. I told him I would not decide what to do; you are the driver, so tell me what you want in order to improve the results."
He did not spell out any specific measures. According to RacingNews365, he said he had "already acted in May for the team, on the engine side, legally", and according to PlanetF1 he said he had "met the owner, Lawrence Stroll, and will go ahead with changes". Any change to the regulations, however, has to go through a vote of the stakeholders, the teams included.
Honda: "no magic", no major upgrade this year, only calibration
Honda's Shintaro Orihara (described as chief engineer by PlanetF1 and as trackside general manager by RacingNews365) said: "I don't know what he has in mind, but I don't think he can give us magic. We just focus on our development plan and work hard to improve by ourselves."
The plan for the rest of the season is modest, too: "There is no big upgrade this year. But there is room to extract performance by changing the calibration." He admitted that the straight-line speed measures used at the Spanish GP had brought "small gains", but pointed to improved driveability at Monza and Madrid as "an encouraging sign this weekend", and said Honda would keep building step by step on energy management and engine tuning. PlanetF1 reported that several manufacturers, Honda among them, were measured at more than 4% behind the benchmark internal combustion engine of Red Bull Powertrains.
Mercedes: "that conversation is legitimate", opening the door to an ADUO rethink
ADUO stands for Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities, a mechanism to help manufacturers that fall behind to catch up. Honda qualified because of its late return to F1, and according to Motorsport.com it received extra development allowance and cost cap headroom with an additional package in May, though its recent updates have had little effect.
Wolff said: "ADUO was designed as a catch-up mechanism and it was opened to Honda. But more is needed. The conversation the president had with Alonso is legitimate. The rules are there for the sport, and sometimes adjustments may be needed." Red Bull's Laurent Mekies also said that "when there is a situation that needs fixing, we usually find a solution", and that he would discuss the shortcomings of the ADUO rules. None of the sources, however, sets out what further measures would be possible.
Alonso: "I trust Honda 100%" – the background to a difficult 2026
Aston Martin have scored only three points this year and have often lined up towards the back of the grid. Motorsport.com notes that Honda's 2026 power unit has lacked power, been heavy and proved unreliable, largely because the company had to assemble its staff in a hurry after reversing its decision to leave F1 at the last minute.
Even so, in an interview published on 20 September Alonso said: "100%. The facilities in Japan are among the best in the world, the power unit staff and management have been strengthened, and people from the previous project have come back. I trust Honda 100%." On the timeline, he said: "I don't want to wait five or six years like last time. I want to do it in two years, three at most." Now 45, he has yet to say whether he will continue for a 24th season, and said the decision will depend not on the car's performance but on whether he enjoys racing under these rules.
Sources
- PlanetF1, Honda responds to FIA intervention claims regarding Fernando Alonso's future
- RacingNews365, Honda issue 'magic' concern after FIA president indicates intervention
- RacingNews365, Fernando Alonso reiterates Honda trust despite 2026 pain
- Motorsport.com, Mercedes open to F1 ADUO rethink amid Fernando Alonso talks with FIA president