Fernando Alonso has admitted to having talks with both the F1 CEO and FIA president over the future of the sport.

As the Madring weekend kicked off, Mohammed ben Sulayem's suggestion that he would essentially do whatever is needed to ensure that the Spaniard remains in F1 was greeted with horror.

Not because anyone wants to see the Spaniard quit F1 but because the FIA president appeared to suggest that he was willing to change the rules in order to keep the two-time world champion - and Honda - on board, though this has since been denied.

Nonetheless, Alonso refuses to commit to another season just yet.

A long time, and very vocal, critic of the 2026 regulations, the Aston Martin driver has been left less than impressed by the latest track to host his country's round of the world championship, citing energy management as the key issue.

"It is sad, you know, in a way, with this generation of cars to come to a very nice circuit like this one, you know, with challenges here and there, like La Monumental corner, 10-12, and the driver input is just nothing," he told reporters.

Turning to the team's senior communications & media manager, Michael Clayton, who was sitting nearby, the Spaniard smiled and said: "Michael can drive in 10-12. You go flat with no MGU-K deployment, and then at one point, the 'K' comes and then you go fast on the exits.

"But Formula, 1 or motorsport in general, should be in 10-12," he continued. "If Michael is braver than me, he goes faster. If I have, you know, more attributes, I will go faster than him.

"That's how he should be qualifying. And now it's just how much sock I have, I will go faster or slower."

As was the case during the official FIA press conference, Alonso was giving little away in terms of his future, though he did confirm that he had spoken with the FIA president.

"I don't know," he said. "I mean, I have a lot of things to go through already, you know, to try to make my mind for next year.

"I did speak with him," he admitted, in terms of Ben Sulayem, "but I speak with Stefano regularly every week because Formula 1 cannot continue in this way.

"We have to... we cannot wait for 2031 to have a proper sport," he insisted. "So, I think it's also my responsibility to help them with my experience to make, you know, whatever we can do to do these kind of things.

"Turns 10-12, you know, whoever is faster there, it's OK, but it cannot be... I don't want to pick a name, but it cannot be Michael faster than Max Verstappen if he has more battery, because 10-12 is such an incredible corner that it has to be, you know, Max Verstappen making the difference compared to Michael.

"And at the moment, we can't."