Fernando Alonso Maintains Hope for Third F1 World Title

Fernando Alonso, who made his Formula 1 debut in 2001 with Minardi, is reflecting on his journey in the sport, particularly his aspirations for securing a third world drivers’ championship. This ambition persists despite his age of 43 and the 18-year gap since his last title victory. Alonso stated, “I still dream,” adding, “Why not? I know 2026 is probably my only chance because 2025 is extremely difficult, but I am still dreaming.” He further commented, “F1 is for dreamers, probably, because anything can happen. Let’s see.” This statement highlights Alonso’s profound passion for his profession and his steadfast conviction that, notwithstanding the challenges faced over the last decade and beyond in his career, new achievements remain within reach. Eleven years have passed since Alonso achieved his 32nd and most recent Grand Prix win. A year and a half ago, a strong start to the 2023 season saw him return as a consistent contender with Aston Martin, achieving several podium finishes and nearly ending his winless streak before his team’s performance declined. By the conclusion of the sport’s longest season, his initial optimism had once more been tempered by the harsh realities of Formula 1 outcomes. Nevertheless, Alonso maintains his belief that additional victories, and potentially another championship to complement the two he secured with Renault in 2005 and 2006, are attainable in the near future. While it may not appear so, his conviction is rooted in logical reasoning. Three months prior, Aston Martin made a significant impact in F1 by announcing the recruitment of Adrian Newey, widely regarded as the sport’s most accomplished designer. Newey, aged 65, who declared his departure from Red Bull in May after 18 years, is scheduled to commence his role with Aston Martin in March 2025. The anticipation, or rather, the expectation, is that Newey will apply his expertise to the car Aston Martin develops for the new regulations effective in 2026, enabling the team to become a leading competitor. Alonso commented, “Expectations will be high because it is a new car, change of regulations, car made by Adrian.” He continued, “Probably – or at least to start – it will be my last season in F1. Because my contract finishes at the end of 2026. It is the time of delivering and the time of truth. High expectations.” The eventual collaboration between Aston Martin and Newey presents a bittersweet situation for Alonso, primarily because he is aware that their working relationship will be brief. Throughout their careers, Alonso and Newey have had several near-misses regarding working together. Alonso will now finally have the opportunity to drive a car designed by Newey, though this will occur when he is 44, approaching 45 years old. This acknowledges that even Alonso’s career has a finite duration. Considering his decision not to join Red Bull at the close of 2007, and the failure to finalize an agreement during subsequent discussions in 2013, the question arises as to why he believes he and Newey are finally collaborating now. Alonso attributed this to “Destiny,” stating, “It seems like destiny always I was missing the opportunity. But he came now at the end of my career and I will still enjoy as much as I can, try to learn from him.” He added, “We have this mutual respect. We exchanged some messages and spoke from time to time and it seems like we connected always. We never worked together but we were always in the same frequency when we talked in the past. I am looking forward.” He also noted, “And for Aston Martin it is a big thing.” Fernando Alonso, who secured the F1 drivers’ championship in both 2005 and 2006, extended his contract with Aston Martin last spring. This agreement ensures his presence with the team into his mid-40s, as he will reach 45 years of age in July 2026. Alonso typically avoids discussing his age, having repeatedly stated its irrelevance, emphasizing that increased downforce on an F1 car has a far greater impact on lap times than a driver’s age. While such a perspective is expected from him, the topic warrants discussion. He is achieving something unprecedented since the 1950s: competing effectively in Formula 1 into his mid-40s. This accomplishment is, by definition, extraordinary, yet what is remarkable is his apparent lack of recognition of its exceptional nature. He responded, “No, I don’t,” adding, “I’m not thinking too much on that. Media reminds me from time to time some of the stats and some of the numbers but for me I feel like I was 25 or 30 and I keep racing in F1.” He continued, “I don’t feel it. I feel motivated, I feel fresh, I feel fit to drive and to do the same training I was doing for 20 years now, because it is the same routine more or less.” This prompts the question of why he believes he has managed this feat, while no other driver has yet been able or given the chance to do likewise. Alonso attributed his longevity to his “quite extreme” discipline in “working and training and dedicating myself to F1,” suggesting that “the results maybe are paying off.” He elaborated, “I have never been missing any test session or any debrief or any factory time or training. I have never been out or partying too much.” He concluded, “Maybe the results are coming now in my 40s, but the starting point was at 20s or 30s, when you need to dedicate yourself to F1 for a long period of time to achieve some results later on.” Typically, as racing drivers mature, their performance often declines due to a diminishing desire for the sport, as its significance lessens for them. With the passage of time, the imperative to shave crucial milliseconds off lap times – or “driving around in circles,” as Niki Lauda famously described it upon his initial retirement mid-race weekend in 1979 – wanes. Similarly, the willingness to undertake the numerous necessary sacrifices, including physical dedication and time away from family, also decreases. However, in Alonso’s case, his passion and ambition for the sport remain undiminished. The question is, why? He explained, “Because I never had a good car that I could dominate something, apart from my season with the world endurance championship with Toyota [in 2019-20].” He added, “That season I realised how wonderful it could be to have a dominating car in F1 as well, because you could achieve so many results and drive as you wish.” He continued, “All my career I have been driving cars that were maybe not the best in that moment, even my two World Championships. In 2005, the McLaren was the fastest car but their reliability was bad so we compensated with that and won the championship.” He further stated, “And then in 2006, they were very similar but the Ferrari and Michael [Schumacher] had a little bit too many DNFs, especially in Japan at the end of the year, and I won the championship.” He concluded, “I keep delivering and motivated and I am not [feeling like I am] driving in circles because every year I still have the hope that will be the season I could have a fast car.” Is he concerned that others might view his age as a reason to doubt his capabilities before he himself does? He replied, “Not worry,” adding, “I know it is happening and it will happen. There is a younger generation of fans and followers who are just into F1 and they don’t know much about me and they never saw me winning a race or they go just by the results.” He then stated, “But I still have the hope I can prove them wrong and have a fast car in 2026.” The question of whether he is performing at his peak, as he asserts, is difficult to definitively answer, especially when his teammate, Lance Stroll, does not match his skill level. However, underlying metrics suggest Alonso’s strong performance. He accumulated the majority of his points early in the season, consistently qualifying within the top six. On average, the Aston Martin was the fifth fastest car, leading to a fifth-place finish in the