Comment: The eternal Alonso remains true to himself

Dear readers,

With 381 Grand Prix starts, Fernando Alonso has long been the record driver in Formula 1. But the Spaniard can’t get enough of the first class!

On Thursday, Alonso extended his contract with Aston Martin by at least two more years until the end of 2026. At the age of 45, the two-time world champion will still be racing around the world racing with the horsepower circus he loves so much. . His reasons for extending his contract with Aston Martin read like one big declaration of love for Formula 1:

“I felt like I loved driving too much,” says Alonso. The sacrifices to be made are less than his passion. Media, XXL calendar, travel, family… it doesn’t matter: Alonso is a Formula 1 junkie, he can’t stop! But who can blame him? The Spaniard himself declares: “The time when I feel I need to change this way of life has not yet come.” … Will he ever be?

One thing is clear: Aston Martin’s rise last year gave Alonso new confidence. Instead of the gray autumn of his career, Alonso is currently going through what feels like his eleventh spring. And hope is colorful, green – just like the dollars that team owner Lawrence Stroll and his Saudi sponsors are happily throwing at the project. Success must come at some point, thinks the billionaire Stroll and continues to invest heavily in the factory, the wind tunnel and the poaching of good workers.

Alonso knows that he has all the ingredients for success at Aston Martin. In 2026 there will be not only new regulations, but also a new engine supplier in Honda, which will give the status of a team factory – and for Red Bull they have proven in recent years that they can finally do it, the Japanese, where Alonso. was McLaren no matter how desperate.

Will Alonso get another win… or even a championship?

It could be the last missing building for one of the biggest events in the history of Formula 1: 20 years! Alonso’s last title will be in 2026. The proud Spaniard’s last victory was more than a decade ago, in Barcelona in 2013. But the Aston Martin star continues to seek success, tirelessly and insatiably, even at the age of 42 years old. Age does not stop Alonso much. As a reminder: one of his friends and mentors, the American legend Mario Andretti, drove in IndyCar at the age of 54 and Le Mans at the age of 60!

A great role model for Alonso, who shows almost every other weekend that he can still compete with the wild youngsters, with all his routine and a quarter of a hand or two. The Spaniard reports that it was after the Australian Grand Prix that he decided to continue. Especially after that race, where the stewards gave him a severe penalty for his fight with George Russell.

© FIA

Alonso and Andretti: Has Fernando been driving as long as Mario? Grow

It suits Alonso that this only spurred him on. “Now more than ever,” he must have thought – as he did a year and a half ago when he moved to Aston Martin. At the former Alpine team, management close to then-boss Laurent Rossi doubted Alonso’s ability, held him back for a long time and finally gave him a one-year contract extension.

Together with manager Flavio Briatore and his friend Mark Webber, Alonso had the right answer to this underground boss: He ran into Stroll’s arms almost overnight, while his successor Oscar Piastri, whose manager is Webber, also canceled Alpine and went to McLaren. there. the same breaths went: the French have not recovered from this to this day and are now in last place at the World Cup, while Alonso is still fighting for the podium in his old age.

Red Bull or Mercedes? Aston Martin!

“I will decide its fate – for better or for worse,” Alonso explained again in his press conference about the expansion of Aston Martin, his attitude as “the first mover”, the person who takes the first step. before others got in front of him – knowing full well that this had not always gone well in the past.

Very few pundits in the paddock accuse the part-timer from Oviedo of squandering Formula 1’s most successful career through his many political games and decisions. And it’s true: With “only” two titles, Alonso is poorly decorated compared to his skills and talent.

But looking ahead, he will still have a good look at the options:

© Sports Pictures

Fernando Alonso won the world title for Renault in 2005 and 2006 Grow

Would you like to be Hamilton’s successor to help the ailing Mercedes team get back on track with the Zero Sidepod concept and various endurance slogans? Or dare to jump to the current long-term winner Red Bull, where the ruler Max Verstappen can stand in the way, or the completely failed management team of the team, whose future still seems uncertain due to the struggle for power over Horner. matter?

In the wild driver market of 2025, Alonso moved like one of the royals on Thursday and once again surprised everyone. This is also an example of the eternal Alonso, who cannot stop and will continue to give fans a lot of joy in the future. Good job, Nando!

Euer Frederik Hackbarth