Fernando Alonso is looking to Formula 1\u2019s new era with optimism, but acknowledged the \u201cvery competitive\u201d grid will not make it easy.<\/p>\n
Alonso will head into next season with Aston Martin having put its focus on 2026 for quite some time, with infrastructure having been built at the team to challenge for titles in the years to come.<\/p>\n
Fernando Alonso: \u2018A lot of things will happen in the first part of the year\u2019<\/p>\n
Alonso predicted there will be plenty of shifting in the development race in the early months of the year, once the best and worst design philosophies show themselves on the grid.<\/p>\n
Much has changed at Aston Martin<\/a> in recent years, with Adrian Newey taking on design responsibility at the team alongside team principal duties next season, with Andy Cowell set to move into a role suiting his power unit capabilities.<\/p>\n Honda has been working in conjunction with the team on its new factory engine, while the team has scaled up its operations to increase its overall headcount to better align itself with the established frontrunners on the grid.<\/p>\n The two-time World Champion confirmed Aston Martin shifted its development focus at a similar time to Ferrari, in early spring, with every team set to reset with both new chassis and power unit regulations coming into force.<\/p>\n Alonso remains calm about his team\u2019s prospects next season, but also knows the entire field will have been putting the majority of its focus on next year.<\/p>\n More on F1 2026 from PlanetF1.com<\/p>\n F1 2026 tech analysed: The future of overtaking and biggest car advantage identified<\/a><\/p>\n F1 2025 vs F1 2026: Nine key questions ahead of massive regulation changes<\/a><\/p>\n