There is no doubt that Fernando Alonso is one of the most iconic drivers in world motorsport. Two Formula 1 World Championships, two Le Mans 24 Hours victories, a WEC championship title, two participations in the Indianapolis 500, and one in the Dakar Rally: a versatile champion, capable of being competitive with vastly different cars, much like the legendary drivers of the past. Many believe that in F1, the Asturian achieved less than his talent deserved, due to choices that often placed him in the wrong team at the wrong time.
However, in 2023, at almost 42 years old (he will turn 42 on July 29), the Spaniard made the right decision to move to Aston Martin, where he has already achieved 6 podium finishes in 10 races and is currently holding the third position in the driver’s championship.
Fernando Alonso looks back on his career
On Thursday at the Hungaroring, Fernando Alonso reflected on his long journey in Formula 1, which began in 2001: “I wouldn’t change anything. I have no regrets. No one has a crystal ball to predict how the teams will perform in the following year. When I left Renault, I moved to McLaren and in that season, we fought for the World Championship. So it was a good thing and a good move. Then I joined Ferrari, and I don’t think any driver would ever refuse an offer from Ferrari. We fought for three championships in five years. Then I moved to McLaren-Honda, which was a project that we all thought could be interesting and strong. It didn’t work out, but that’s something that can happen.
Then I took a break from Formula 1 because I had many things in my mind and many challenges I wanted to try. It was a wonderful period of my career to try endurance races and also Indy, with some decent success. And I’m happy I did it. Then I returned to Formula 1 with what I have always considered my family, at Alpine, at Renault. And now the last decision, the worst for everyone, to bet on Aston Martin. It turned out to be probably the best decision of my career.”
Fernando Alonso criticizes mid-season tire change
Alonso cannot say for certain if the cause of Aston Martin’s drop in competitiveness lies with the new Pirelli tires: “We don’t know. Obviously, it’s still a factor that we have to analyze a bit more in detail in the upcoming races. I don’t like changing the rules in the middle of a championship. It would be like changing the balls in the middle of a tennis tournament or something like that, and that’s what happens when we change tires here because we change the rules in the middle of a Formula 1 World Championship.” – the former Ferrari driver pointed out.
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“But it’s the same for everyone in the end, so we just need to understand the tire better and extract the most from it. We need a couple of races to confirm or dismiss this idea. So far, they seem very similar, but we have to wait and see.”
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