Alonso is set to have discussions regarding his contract with owner Stroll.

      "Perhaps in the next few weeks"

      Fernando Alonso has mentioned that discussions regarding his future at Aston Martin are approaching, coinciding with the new Honda-powered package showing new issues at Zandvoort. The 45-year-old Spaniard had earlier suggested a decision would be made around the summer, but he now states there is no set timeline.

      "I just returned from vacation, so I’ll just watch how things unfold in the next few days or weeks," Alonso stated. "Lawrence (Stroll) is here this weekend, so I plan to have a pleasant lunch and coffee with him."

      Alonso noted that talks could also extend to Monza or back at the factory with Adrian Newey. "I also need to visit the factory again to practice Madrid on the simulators, so maybe I’ll see Lawrence or Adrian there," he elaborated. "Perhaps in the upcoming weeks."

      These discussions about his future occur as Aston Martin continues to analyze its new technical package. Honda unveiled its Spec 2 power unit at Zandvoort and reported a performance improvement, but Alonso remarked that the Sprint qualifying revealed several drivability issues. "There were handling problems, as the engine was exerting strong force on the straights, making it challenging to brake effectively due to what seemed to be an over-delivery situation," he explained.

      Additionally, the active aerodynamics malfunctioned, resulting in Alonso finishing in last place. Nonetheless, he asserts that the new package represents progress, albeit not completely grasped yet. "It’s a step forward, but it’s still early; we haven't worked on it for very long, and perhaps everything is somewhat immature," Alonso commented. "And since it's a sprint weekend, you don’t have the three practice sessions available like at other Grands Prix, which hampers the ability to refine the package before a situation like qualifying."

      Honda's chief engineer Shintaro Orihara also confirmed that the new engine achieved the anticipated improvement. "We launched the Spec 2 power unit for the first time and were able to verify the performance enhancement over Spec 1 in today’s session," stated the Japanese engineer. "We also recognized that there are still areas that need improvement, particularly in relation to the data settings affecting drivability."