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Alonso makes it 'his mission' to see Aston Martin competing

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Fernando Alonso said it is his mission to ensure Aston Martin returns to competitiveness before he retires, although he thinks it is a guarantee the team will be champions within the next 10 years.

Alonso will turn 45 in 2026, the final year of his contract with the team.

Ambitious Aston Martin boss Lawrence Stroll has targeted the new F1 regulations coming into force next season as the time for the team to become title contenders.

He has secured an exclusive engine deal with Honda from next season and earlier this year secured the services of car design legend Adrian Newey.

"It feels very possible, for sure," Alonso told ESPN about the possibility of winning races again with Aston Martin.

"We have the right people and we have the right facilities. All the tools are there, so it's just up to us.

"At the same time, I understand Formula 1 needs some time to glue everything together."

Alonso has said there is no guarantee he will continue beyond 2026 and recently hinted he would walk away if he has a full season of being competitive again with Aston Martin next year.

But he has warned against lofty expectations, saying there is no magic bullet for success in the sport.

"[In F1] there is no football team that you can buy Messi, Ronaldo, this, that, and then maybe you win the next match or the next championship or the next Champions League," he said.

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"Here, you need a couple of years until the organisation is completely free of any friction or any things that slow down.

"I think it's a great chance that next year we are competitive, but what I can say is that there is a guarantee that Aston Martin will be competitive in the next five, ten years.

"I will probably not be driving at that time. We'll see. My mission is to make it as short as possible because I want to enjoy behind the wheel that success."