One of Fernando Alonso's most enduring colleagues and friends believes the Spaniard will stay in Formula 1 well into his mid-40s.

With Aston Martin teaming up with Honda from 2026, many have wondered if 41-year-old Alonso will want to extend his stay with the team beyond next season.

Honda president Toshihiro Sanbe and Aston Martin boss Mike Krack say an Alonso deal for 2026 and beyond - when the driver will be 44 - is a possibility.

When asked what he thinks, Pedro de la Rosa said in Monaco: "Personally, I see him staying more than two years.

"This is due to his involvement, his enthusiasm and his performance. Any team would want to have Alonso," said former F1 driver de la Rosa, who has held various roles at Alonso's teams including McLaren, Ferrari and now Aston Martin.

Honda is pairing with Aston Martin for the beginning of the all-new engine regulations from 2026, where the hybrid elements of the engine will be much more powerful.

"I think it's not about the regulations," Spaniard de la Rosa told El Mundo Deportivo newspaper. "Fernando's decision will be conditioned by his performance on the track.

"Fernando enjoys fighting for victories. As long as he knows he's competitive, he'll continue. And the day he sees that he is not competitive and that he has dropped physically, well, he will want to dedicate himself to something else.

"But I don't see any sign that Fernando has lowered his performance at all, neither in involvement, dedication, enthusiasm or performance on the track," the 52-year-old said.

F1 legend Gerhard Berger said in Monaco that Alonso has so far been "the highlight of this year's Formula 1".

"He's also become much more likeable," he also told Kronen Zeitung newspaper. "He always has a smile on his face and the fans are happy for him." body check tags ::