Fernando Alonso adamant he’s ‘much more fit’ than ‘walking dead’ F1 rivals after what he saw in Parc Ferme

Fernando Alonso signed off for the 2024 season with a commendable ninth-place finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend. He was already locked into the same position in the championship before he’d turned a wheel.

Alonso has extracted the maximum from the disappointing Aston Martin package this year. It was clear for months that he’d occupy the purgatory between the front-runners and the midfield.

70 points is a strong haul for the two-time world champion, particularly given that Red Bull driver Sergio Perez only scored 152. Nearest midfield challenger Pierre Gasly was 28 behind.

Alonso once again comfortably beat teammate Lance Stroll. He won the qualifying battle 18-6 and prevailed in 15 of the 22 races that both drivers finished.

Stroll finished 13th in the standings with just 24 points, around a third of what Alonso managed. 2025 is likely to be a similar story before Adrian Newey can make a decisive impact on the next-generation car in 2026.

Alonso signed a new multi-year contract back in April. At the time, he was optimistic about mounting another title challenge before he retires, though he may be less hopeful after seeing the team’s subsequent regression.

Fernando Alonso says his F1 rivals were lying ‘on the ground’ after Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Alonso is the oldest driver on the F1 grid by some distance at 43. There are no other drivers in their 40s, though Lewis Hamilton will celebrate that birthday in January.

2024 was a forgettable year for Alonso, but only because of his car’s limitations. There’s no indication that his world-class level has dropped.

At the end of F1’s longest-ever season, he says he feels ‘quite well’. He missed media day at the Mexico City and Sao Paulo Grands Prix because of an intestinal bug, but recovered before the end of the season.

By contrast, he says his rivals were lying ‘on the ground’ exhausted after the Abu Dhabi GP. As such, he believes he’s in much better condition.

He told DAZN: “People quickly think I’m 43 if I’m physically unwell. The closed park looked like The Walking Dead again, with everyone on the ground, and I’m quite well, much more fit than them.”

Why Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso thought 2024 was his ‘best season’ in one area

Alonso will be in the remarkable position of racing his protege next year. He manages Gabriel Bortoleto, the F2 champion who’s secured a Sauber drive.

The former Ferrari star says Bortoleto is the ‘best rookie’ on next year’s grid, even ahead of Mercedes sensation Kimi Antonelli. Given that Sauber finished bottom of the 2024 championship, he’ll hope to avoid racing against the Brazilian at first.

The ageing Alonso may be the butt of a joke or two, but he believes he’s better than ever in a vital area. He reached Q3 16 times in 24 events, which was remarkably more than Perez.

Alonso says he’d give himself a ‘prize’ for his qualifying performances. Given that Hamilton has struggled so much over a single lap lately, the Aston driver’s exploits are even more impressive.