- Fernando Alonso is third in the Drivers’ Championship, with five podiums from six races.
- He has earned the title of ‘best of the rest’ behind the runaway Red Bull team.
- Alonso is simultaneously the eighth-youngest podium scorer of all time, achieved aged 21 in 2003, and now the 19th-oldest at 41.
Rivals of two-time Formula 1 champion and current Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso have quipped that he is “pretty impressive for an old guy,” as the Spaniard continues to thrive into his 40s.
Alonso, 41, moved from Alpine, which only offered a one-year contact extension, to Aston Martin on a multi-year deal for 2023, and has profited from the squad’s surge in performance so far this season. Alonso is third in the Drivers’ Championship, with five podiums from six races, and has been ‘best of the rest’ behind the runaway Red Bull team.
He is simultaneously the eighth-youngest podium scorer of all time, achieved aged 21 in 2003, and the 19th-oldest. Michael Schumacher, who was 43 in 2012, is the only other driver since the mid-1980s to have stood on the podium in his 40s.
Alonso, the record-holder of 362 starts, will have started one-third of all grands prix when he lines up on the grid on home soil in Spain this weekend.
He is chasing an end to a 10-year victory drought, which has covered his final fallow season at Ferrari, fruitless second spell at McLaren, two-season hiatus in which he claimed sportscar successes, and two years at Alpine. During those years Alonso has vigorously maintained that he is driving better than ever, raising some eyebrows, though doubters have been firmly silenced this season.
Aston Martin chiefs have already suggested there is little reason why Alonso could not continue when it links up with new works partner Honda, in 2026, when he will be 45.
“He’s pretty impressive for an old guy, that’s for sure,” joked Lance Stroll, Alonso’s Aston Martin teammate, who has been outscored 27-93 so far.
“He’s been doing very well. The results speak for themselves. He’s on top of his game and he’s enjoying driving the car. He’s physically fit, mentally in a great place, and it goes to show that if you look after yourself you can go for a long time.”
Carlos Sainz was also effusive about his elder compatriot.
“I think it’s also the power of the brain—whatever motivates you in life, whatever makes you happy in life—if you do it with the power, and invest everything into it like he’s doing, you can be successful at an age that I believe is still reasonable.”
Fernando Alonso has been on the podium in five of six races so far in 2023.
AlphaTauri’s Nyck de Vries agreed and added that “I’ve watched Fernando also in endurance racing and it’s just very impressive to see that after all those years, how much hunger he still has to continue to push and to be here and to be competitive. It almost seems like his hunger hasn’t decreased whatsoever. So that’s really impressive and it tells something about him.”
Alonso finished in second place in Friday practice at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, behind runaway points leader Max Verstappen.
Drivers were able to sample the tweaked Barcelona circuit for the first time, with the cumbersome chicane removed, and the fast right-hander that was part of the layout until 2007. Lap times were roughly five seconds faster than in 2022 as a result.
“It’s gone from one of the worst corners in Formula 1 to one of the best corners in Formula 1,” said Mercedes’ George Russell. “So that’s really enjoyable.”
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