Fernando Alonso will remain at Aston Martin next season after the team confirmed the two-time world champion will continue alongside teammate Lance Stroll in 2027.
Alonso, 45, who made his Formula 1 debut in 2001, had been weighing up his future this year after Aston Martin and its engine partner Honda made a slow start under the sport's controversial new technical regulations for 2026.
Aston Martin always maintained the door was open for Alonso to continue at the team in 2027, but it took until Tuesday for the Spaniard to confirm his decision.
"I took my time to make this decision, but racing is my life, my passion, and I know I still have the speed and determination to compete at the highest level," Alonso said. "I'm committed for the long term with this team and to helping us succeed.
"I truly believe in what we are building: we have strong leadership, incredible people, partners and facilities. I look forward to making more memories on the race track in front of the passionate fans. Their energy creates an atmosphere that inspires me and is what makes our sport special."
Alonso's commitment to Aston Martin for 2027 was announced alongside news that Stroll -- the son of Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll -- will also remain at the team.
"Lance and Fernando have been a crucial part of our journey and we are very pleased to confirm that they will continue with us into the next chapter for the team," Lawrence Stroll said. "Having two drivers with their level of experience, commitment and knowledge provides tremendous value to the whole organisation.
"We are here to win, and whilst our short-term focus remains on improving performance, I believe we have the world-class talent we need to achieve our long-term objectives."
In an interview with BBC Sport, Alonso said his decision was partly motivated by his belief that he, as a driver, is still capable of fighting with the very best on the grid, even if his car in not fast enough to regularly compete for points.
"When I jump in the car, in free practice, I will see some people braking late in a corner, locking up the front tyres here or there, making mistakes there," Alonso said.
"I feel that I'm OK. Or, I'm faster than them.
"So when I get changed and I go back home, even if I'm P18, in a way I feel some satisfaction and pride inside, even if it should not be the case because we are not competitive.
"How will I be in the living room, watching TV, thinking that I can do better? That will be my feeling now. When that changes, if I see that I lost abilities, I lost speed, I lost reflexes, I lost something, then I will be happy to watch from my living room the race.
"At the moment, I feel it was not the time because I'm better than that guy. I'm better than that other guy. I will think like that. And I cannot stop racing if I still think like that."
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In the same interview, Alonso made clear that he still has faith in Aston Martin's ability to provide a competitive car next year.
The team, which is led by legendary designer Adrian Newey, brought a significant upgrade to the Hungarian Grand Prix this year, while Honda introduced an updated engine at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Aston Martin remains at the back of the field -- and struggled throughout last weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku -- but Alonso believes next year will bring a step forward in performance.
"This team has all the ingredients to have success in the future and I didn't feel that this was the moment to leave," Alonso added. "It was the moment to keep on going, giving a second chance to Honda as well to fix their problems as well and stay together with the team.
"Adrian was probably the biggest contributor to this. We didn't start it right this year but things are moving in the right direction and he's capable of changing things very quickly.
"Aston is my family. I know Lawrence and Lance for many, many years. We keep open conversations, many different topics, every week. And that will be the case also for next year.
"There are no guarantees that next year the engine will be completely fixed but all the changes that are happening in Honda made sense, so I have faith.
"The trust that I have in the team, it didn't change even throughout this difficult year. In the future, I don't know how long it's going to take, but it will be a successful team, and I want to be part of it."
Alonso has been among the biggest critics of F1's new regulations for 2026, which put added emphasis on energy management.
Earlier this season, the Aston Martin driver labelled the latest iteration of the sport a "battery world championship" and highlighted the regulations as one of the factors that could convince him to retire.
However, targeted changes to the regulations over the next two years appear to have softened his stance, and he is hopeful the racing will improve.
"This year, there have been some good races and some bad races," Alonso told BBC Sport. "Maybe some of the shorter circuits that you had the battery until the braking point are changing the way you perceive the driving.
"And some of the circuits like Silverstone, Spa, Suzuka, they were very bad, you know, because they derate and things like that.
"Maybe even for next year they can tweak a little bit the battery power to have a little bit maybe less battery for longer or something like that because F1 at the moment is not natural driving.
"Reaching the top speed in the middle of the straight, it goes against the driver instinct of braking late and going on power earlier. It seems that if you want to drive these cars fast, you ended up going slower and that's not the way it should be."