Fernando Alonso joined Ferrari at the start of the 2010 season after a disappointing second stint with Renault. Alonso had won two world titles at Enstone before his ill-fated 2007 switch to McLaren.
Despite the acrimony with Lewis Hamilton, Alonso would have been world champion in ’07 had he scored just two more points. But he decided to get out, and Renault were happy to welcome him back.
He bagged a couple of race wins in 2008, but wasn’t able to compete for the title, instead watching Hamilton lift the trophy. When he slipped to ninth in the standings a year later, Ferrari saw their opportunity to strike.
| RANK | DRIVER | WINS |
| 1 | Michael Schumacher | 72 |
| 2 | Niki Lauda | 15 |
| 3 | Sebastian Vettel | 14 |
| 4 | Alberto Ascari | 13 |
| =5 | Felipe Massa | 11 |
| =5 | Fernando Alonso | 11 |
| 7 | Kimi Raikkonen | 10 |
| 8 | Rubens Barrichello | 9 |
| 9 | Charles Leclerc | 8 |
| =10 | Jacky Ickx | 6 |
| =10 | Gilles Villeneuve | 6 |
Alonso was the replacement for Kimi Raikkonen, who had walked away from F1 altogether. He immediately went close to winning the championship.
He led the world championship by eight points heading into the finale in Abu Dhabi, but Sebastian Vettel was able to snatch glory after the Spaniard’s disastrous race. Two years later, Vettel prevailed again as Alonso somehow took the fight to the wire in an unimpressive car.
Alonso scored his most recent F1 victory – at the 2013 Spanish GP – in Ferrari colours. In total, he won 11 races for the Scuderia, ranking joint-fifth all-time.
Fernando Alonso demanded number one status over Felipe Massa at Ferrari
Felipe Massa was a true child of Ferrari. He made his F1 debut for Sauber in 2002 under their guidance.
Four years later, he was racing for the works team as Michael Schumacher’s last Ferrari teammate. By the time Alonso arrived, he’d already won 11 times for Ferrari, and he was momentarily the world champion in ’08.
And yet, Alonso expected to assume number one status straightaway. When Ferrari refused to move Massa aside at the Australian Grand Prix, the second race of the season, he was shocked.
According to The Race, Alonso subsequently sought a ‘summit meeting’ with team principal Stefano Domenicali. It was agreed that he’d take priority going forward.
In an infamous radio message, Rob Smedley told Massa ‘Fernando is faster than you’ at the German GP that year. This was his cue to give Alonso the victory, and the Brazilian driver did so even though he hadn’t been informed of the hierarchy within the team.
Adrian Newey can’t get his head around one Fernando Alonso statistic
Alonso and Massa were teammates for another three seasons before Ferrari brought back Raikkonen. Neither driver achieved their ultimate goal of a title at Maranello.
After stints at McLaren and Alpine, Alonso is still pursuing a third F1 crown at Aston Martin. His most recent contract extension will keep him in the sport until he’s at least 45.
As he prepares to start work as Aston Martin’s managing technical partner, Adrian Newey says Alonso deserves more championships. Success in F1 isn’t governed by talent alone, however.
Karun Chandhok would be ‘delighted’ if Alonso won the title again before he retires. Based on the deficit between him and Stroll to date, he won’t be reliant on team orders if Aston deliver a contending car.
