Alonso not in a rush to decide his future, says he may not be driving in F1 next year

MADRID (AP) — Fernando Alonso says there’s “no urgency” to make a decision on what he'll be doing in 2027.

The 45-year-old Aston Martin driver said Thursday ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix that racing in the World Endurance Championship series instead of F1 is an option.

The two-time world champion doesn't appear to be enjoying his current time in F1, as Aston Martin continues to struggle and with new regulations that take away some of the importance of the drivers' input.

“It’s a matter of understanding what the rules from next year will have an impact or not on the racing and on the driving side of things,” Alonso said. “The current cars, as I said many times, are not the best cars to drive and to enjoy.

“But next year there is a step, I think, in the right direction, hopefully,” he said. "At the same time, I need to think what is the best program for next year and sit with the team. Behind the wheel or in another role, where I will be helping the most, that will be the most important thing to decide together."

Alonso did not elaborate on the “other role” he may take next season. The Spaniard quickly said “yes” when asked if racing in the sports cars series WEC was an option.

Drivers have been complaining of the 2026 cars’ reliance on electrical power and the compromises it forces drivers to make on the track. Max Verstappen earlier this year said he even considered leaving F1 if changes weren't made. F1 said in June it would shift to more engine power and less electrical hybrid power beginning next year.

Alonso said his “best day of the year so far” was when he recently raced an older McLaren car in Barcelona.

“You know, I drove cars with no batteries, no nothing,” he said. “I just put fuel, tires, lots of noise, lots of videos, earplugs, so amazing.”

Alonso has only three points after 13 races this season, with his best finish ninth place in the Netherlands in August.

Alonso won three F1 races in Spain during his career, twice in Barcelona and once in Valencia, but knows that he arrives in Madrid — which is back in the F1 calendar after 45 years — without any chance of triumphing again.

“It will not happen this year,” he said. “Yes, we are aware of that, and we will work towards getting a more competitive package and have that possibility in the future.”

See AP’s full auto racing coverage here

Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso of Spain attends a press conference ahead of the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix, in Madrid, Spain, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso of Spain attends a press conference ahead of the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix, in Madrid, Spain, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso of Spain attends a press conference ahead of the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix, in Madrid, Spain, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

DETROIT (AP) — More than a dozen former hockey players are suing the University of Michigan, alleging their coach and other staff were aware of sexual hazing that included the forced shaving of their genitals and other abuse by teammates decades ago.

"The abuse was ritualized, meticulously planned, and sadistic. ... Enduring sexual abuse was required to be a member of the Michigan Men’s Ice Hockey team,” attorney Michael Pitt said in a sex discrimination lawsuit filed Wednesday in federal court in Detroit.

The plaintiffs are 16 men who played at Michigan between 1984 and 2001. The lawsuit apparently grew out of conversations among several former teammates in 2024.

The university said the allegations are “disturbing,” but denies responsibility.

“To the extent any former student athlete engaged in hazing or other misconduct, they were violating university policy,” spokesperson Paul Corliss said in a written statement.

“The university first adopted an official anti-hazing policy in 1982. It was one of the first universities in the country to do so, and it has earned its standing as a leader in this area,” he said.

The 72-page document describes players being forced to consume excessive amounts of alcohol and eat live fish. A common allegation: They were forced to have hair around their genitals shaved by teammates. A player identified as John Doe 7 said he was taunted with a blowtorch while on a table.

The lawsuit says Red Berenson, who was coach from 1984 to 2017, was aware of the abuse and did not intervene.

John Doe 3 said he told Berenson that he didn't want to participate in the hazing. The coach coerced him by telling him to be a “Michigan Man” and a ”good teammate," according to the lawsuit.

Berenson announced the end of “freshman hazing” in 2012, mostly referring to first-year players being forced to carry equipment and eat team meals last. He made no mention of physical abuse but acknowledged “captains that got too carried away," according to news reports at the time.

Berenson, 86, declined to comment on the lawsuit Thursday.

“Give me a chance to absorb what's going on,” the former NHL player said.

The university could argue that the hockey players waited too long to file a lawsuit, a position it took in 2020 when former athletes sued over sexual misconduct committed decades earlier by a campus sports doctor. The university ultimately agreed to pay $490 million to settle claims by more than 1,000 people.

FILE - Michigan head coach Red Berenson walks across the ice after the Midwest Regional final against North Dakota in the men's NCAA college hockey tournament, Saturday, March 26, 2016, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

FILE - Michigan hockey coach Red Berenson watches NCAA college hockey practice in Ann Arbor, Mich., Tuesday, March 22, 2016. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)