Fernando Alonso recalls 2010 and 2012 and pokes at Ferrari: “Our car was slower, I slept worse than they would now.”
In the Abu Dhabi paddock, Fernando Alonso returned to discussing his past at Ferrari, delivering a comment that immediately sparked conversation. The two-time world champion recalled the dramatic finales of the 2010 and 2012 championships when he raced for the Scuderia, contested right on this very track, offering a very candid reflection on the feelings he experienced before the decisive races.
Fernando Alonso responded to a question about the pressure that current championship contenders face. His reference to his years in red came with a smile, but also a hint of bitterness.
“I think they’ll sleep well before the championship, everyone has their own routine,” explained the Aston Martin driver. At that point, Fernando Alonso added a remark that immediately drew attention, clarifying the difference compared to his situation fourteen years ago.
Fernando Alonso’s dig at Ferrari comes straight from Abu Dhabi: “I slept… well, we had a car that was six to eight tenths slower, so I definitely slept worse.” A direct reference to a Ferrari that, in 2010, was not competitive enough to challenge Red Bull and McLaren on pure performance, despite Fernando Alonso arriving at the final race leading the championship.
The 2010 championship remains one of the most iconic and painful moments in recent Ferrari history. Fernando Alonso arrived in Abu Dhabi ahead of Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel, but a wrong strategy against Renault’s Petrov forced him to finish only seventh. The title went to Vettel, who began his series of world championships from that day onward.
The Spanish driver has never hidden how difficult it was to accept that defeat. His words today show that season still serves as a benchmark for understanding the pressure and challenges faced by title contenders.
This weekend, Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, and Oscar Piastri are fighting for the championship in a tense three-way battle. Fernando Alonso, now an external observer, wanted to emphasize how different it is to experience a title fight with a competitive car versus one struggling to keep up. His message is clear: the pressure is always there, but it becomes much more complex when a driver knows he doesn’t have the technical weapon to compete on equal terms for the title.
Alonso knows that feeling all too well. And fourteen years on, the wound clearly hasn’t fully healed.
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