Fernando Alonso linked with sensational Alpine return
Fernando Alonso is reportedly exploring a dramatic return to Alpine, in what would mark another remarkable twist in the Spaniard’s long Formula 1 career and his relationship with the Enstone-based team.
The Aston Martin driver left the squad before the 2023 season, but multiple reports now suggest that a future move back to Alpine is under consideration. If it materialises, it would be the fourth time Alonso has signed for the organisation across its Renault and Alpine identities, following previous arrivals in 2003, 2009 and 2021.
Alonso’s Alpine Link Reopens
The potential pathway is made more intriguing by the presence of Flavio Briatore, Alonso’s manager, who has returned to Renault as a special advisor. Briatore’s role is centred on supporting an Alpine team that had been under-performing but is now described as enjoying a performance resurgence in 2026.
That upturn has been aided by Alpine’s switch to a customer Mercedes power unit, while the team has also secured a Gucci title sponsorship from next season. Together, those developments have helped reshape Alpine’s image into a more attractive proposition — including, potentially, for Alonso.
Alonso’s current Aston Martin contract expires at the end of the 2026 season, placing his future firmly within the wider driver-market conversation. The timing is significant, particularly after Alonso recently indicated that his appearance at Barcelona-Catalunya could be his last at the venue. As previously reported, Alonso admitted the Barcelona Grand Prix could be his final home F1 race, with the circuit not due back on the calendar until 2028 under a rotational arrangement with Spa from 2027.
Alpine’s Rising Appeal
Alpine’s current driver picture adds another layer to the story. Pierre Gasly signed a new contract last year running until 2031, giving the team a long-term pillar around which to build. Franco Colapinto, meanwhile, is on a one-year deal.
Gasly’s recent form has strengthened Alpine’s momentum. He scored the team’s first podium in a dry grand prix since 2023 in Monaco after a Right of Review appeal was upheld and penalties were rescinded. That result, covered in detail when Alpine won its FIA review and Gasly regained the Monaco podium, underlined the team’s improving competitive picture.
For Alonso, the question is whether Alpine’s renewed trajectory, commercial momentum and familiar management connections are enough to make another reunion credible. For Alpine, the prospect of bringing back a driver so closely tied to its history would be a statement move — but one that would need to fit within an increasingly complex 2026 and 2027 driver landscape.
Simone Scanu
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.