Fernando Alonso is a far cry from the days when he competed for Formula 1 victories and championships with Ferrari.
This year it has been 12 years since the Spaniard stood on the top step of the podium at the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix.
Peter Windsor says fans shouldn’t write off Alonso at Aston Martin as they welcome renowned designer Adrian Newey to their team in 2025.
Aston Martin could compete for the Drivers’ Championship in 2026 if they nail the new regulations and Alonso’s experience gives them a great advantage over their rivals.
He wouldn’t be the oldest champion in history unless he claimed the title in 2027, with Juan Manuel Fangio’s 1957 triumph at the age of 46 remaining the oldest in history for now.
Fernando Alonso was once left ‘frustrated’ after Ferrari hired Kimi Raikkonen
Robert Kubica believes he could’ve beaten Alonso at Ferrari when they were scheduled to be teammates from the 2012 season onwards.
He had a contract to replace Felipe Massa but a horror rally crash nearly ended his life and career. Massa was kept on but eventually replaced ahead of the 2014 season.
His replacement was Kimi Raikkonen, coming from a strong two years post-Formula 1 return with the Lotus Renault team.
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Alonso had been vocal about their struggles to that point but was frustrated that his Brazilian teammate who he had a good rapport with, had been replaced.
Speaking about the move back in 2013, F1 champion Mario Andretti mentioned that it was a result of his criticisms of Ferrari.
“In my opinion, Alonso has become frustrated this season, and what he said offended Ferrari,” Andretti told F1GrandPrix.it. “Otherwise they would never have hired someone who could challenge him and even beat him.”
Did Fernando Alonso make the right decision to leave Ferrari after 2014?
Alonso only lasted one year at Ferrari after Raikkonen joined the team, where he scored (161) nearly three times more points than the Finn (55).
The Italian outfit have won a race in all but three seasons since Alonso left, but they haven’t won any championships.
He would’ve been far better off with them than he fared at McLaren, where he failed to score a podium in four seasons before retiring.
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He returned with Alpine two years later and now is with Aston Martin, but he has failed to recapture the form he delivered in the first half of his F1 career.
The new regulations for 2026 may be his last chance to deliver in single-seater racing before he hangs up his racing gloves for good and waves goodbye to the sport. Maybe his decision to leave might come good yet?
