Fernando Alonso‘s Formula 1 career has never been straightforward, and its conclusion won’t be either. The two-time world champion admits he is “open to everything” regarding his future, and has said no final decision will come before the summer break at the end of July.

For Aston Martin, that ambiguity has a consequence: the team needs a contingency plan, and per journalist Marc Limacher, that plan has a name: Oliver Bearman.

At 44, Alonso is the oldest driver on the grid, and his current deal expires at the end of this season. The situation at Aston Martin hasn’t made the choice any easier.

The team arrived in 2026 banking on Adrian Newey and a new regulatory era to turn them into genuine contenders, but the year has been a disaster. An underdeveloped Honda power unit left both drivers struggling to finish races, with the overall package among the slowest in the field.

Alonso himself described the situation after Monaco as confirming “fundamental issues” with the chassis, which he called “faulty.”

Why the Upgrade Window Matters So Much

Alonso’s timeline is tied directly to the car‘s development this season. He wants to see how things improve before committing either way.

Aston Martin is expected to bring a major overhaul to the car in the weeks before the summer break, with both Newey and Pedro de la Rosa confirming in Monaco that the team prefers one large upgrade push rather than incremental changes.

Whether those updates genuinely close the gap or simply repackage the same problems will likely define what Alonso does next.

“It’s going to be a special weekend, probably my last Barcelona race in Formula 1,” Alonso told the press in Barcelona. “So I want to say thanks to everyone. I will try to enjoy the weekend. I will not be competitive, and I will not be too long in the car in qualifying, in the race, hopefully yes, but not at the pace that we all want.”

Bearman as the Ready-Made Replacement

Bearman entering the picture makes obvious sense. He is already in the F1 ecosystem at Haas, has a year of full-time experience behind him, and is the kind of young British talent that a team with Aston Martin’s ambitions would want to associate itself with long-term. The pairing of a legacy project anchored by Newey and a rising driver on the right side of 25 is an interesting idea.

Whether that comment was genuine prediction or something more calculated is hard to say. Either way, Aston Martin is clearly thinking ahead, and the seat Alonso vacates won’t stay empty for long.