Key Highlights
- Fernando Alonso has scored seven points after 20 of 24 Formula 1 race weekends with Aston Martin.
- Rain at Interlagos allowed Alonso to demonstrate the speed and racecraft that made him a two-time world champion.
- Despite Aston Martin’s long-term ambitions under Adrian Newey, a third drivers’ title appears increasingly unlikely for Alonso.
Fernando Alonso Remains Faster Than His Aston Martin
Fernando Alonso became Formula 1 world champion in 2005 at the age of 24, replacing Emerson Fittipaldi as the youngest champion in the sport’s history. His arrival gave Michael Schumacher a genuine challenger and ultimately brought Schumacher’s dominant era to an end. Schumacher once mistakenly called the young Spaniard “Ferdinando”, but Alonso soon became impossible to overlook.
Alonso was part of an exceptional 2001 Formula 1 rookie class that also included Juan Pablo Montoya and Kimi Raikkonen. Brazilian Enrique Bernoldi raced at the season opener in Melbourne, while Malaysia’s Alex Yoong and Czech driver Tomas Enge joined the grid later that year. At least half of that rookie class went on to achieve greatness.
Formula 1 looked very different in 2001. Team principals included Ron Dennis, Frank Williams, Eddie Jordan and Tom Walkinshaw. The team now known as Mercedes was then BAR, Red Bull was still Jaguar, and Alain Prost’s team used a Ferrari engine rebranded under the Acer name. Facebook and Instagram did not exist, grid girls displayed driver numbers, and established names such as Jean Alesi and Jos Verstappen remained on the grid.
From Minardi Rookie to Aston Martin Veteran
Anyone who predicted in 2001 that Alonso would remain one of Formula 1’s best drivers 25 years later, while winning no more than two world championships, would likely have been dismissed. Alonso made his Formula 1 debut with Minardi, a team bought by Australian airline entrepreneur Paul Stoddart that is now known as Racing Bulls. He scored zero points during the 17-race 2001 season, not because his talent was unclear, but because the car was not competitive.
As Formula 1’s elder statesman, Alonso now finds himself in a remarkably similar position. His team-mate cannot seriously challenge him, his ability behind the wheel remains largely unquestioned, and he is again trapped near the back of the field because his car cannot deliver the required performance.
Between those two periods, Alonso has won two world championships and 32 Grands Prix while accumulating 25 years of experience. Yet after 20 of 24 race weekends, he has only seven points. Only his 2001 campaign with Minardi produced a lower total.
Interlagos Highlights Alonso’s Unchanged Ability
Interlagos, where Alonso secured his first world championship in 2005, provided fresh evidence that he has lost none of his ability to extract the final fractions of performance from a Formula 1 car. Rain reduced the advantage of the leading machinery and gave drivers in less competitive cars an opportunity to overcome some of their equipment’s limitations.
During Saturday qualifying, Alonso briefly topped the timing screens several times before securing his first Q3 appearance of the season. In Sunday’s race, he occasionally fought alongside drivers such as Lewis Hamilton in the Ferrari. Alonso later suggested that his Aston Martin must have been “phenomenal” through the corners in the wet, although the Honda engine was less impressive.
The underlying point was that the car’s strongest performance appeared only in Alonso’s hands. Saturday demonstrated why Alonso still belongs in Formula 1 at 45. Sunday exposed why, at the same age, he may be better served by pursuing opportunities elsewhere. He finished 12th, scored no points and endured another weekend in which his performance exceeded that of his Aston Martin.
The Career Doors Alonso Could Not Open
Alonso has raced for, or held discussions with, many of the leading teams in modern Formula 1. At Ferrari, he came painfully close to winning a third championship but never completed the achievement. At McLaren, his two spells left lasting damage to the relationship between driver and team.
His discussions with Red Bull were particularly serious in 2007, according to Helmut Marko. Red Bull already had Adrian Newey, but Alonso apparently lacked confidence that Dietrich Mateschitz’s ambitious plan to challenge established teams and manufacturers would succeed. When Red Bull began its extraordinary rise in 2009, Alonso was preparing to join Ferrari.
Nearly two decades later, Alonso is relying on Adrian Newey once again, this time at Aston Martin, as he pursues another championship opportunity. The reversal adds an unusual chapter to a career shaped by timing, decisions and missed opportunities. Alonso’s long-promised autobiography, pre-ordered in July 2021, has still not been published.
When Nico Rosberg retired in late 2016, Flavio Briatore contacted Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff at the FIA prize-giving gala in an attempt to secure the vacant seat for Alonso. However, Alonso’s history with McLaren-Mercedes had damaged his prospects, and Daimler chief executive Dieter Zetsche had not forgotten “Spygate”.
Some opportunities closed without Alonso’s control, while others were damaged by decisions he made himself. When he joined Aston Martin in 2023 and immediately achieved eight podium finishes in his first season, it appeared that he had finally overcome the poor timing that had defined so much of his career. Three years later, the team’s lack of progress has revived those concerns, and it remains possible that Aston Martin’s eventual success could arrive after Alonso has left, as happened with McLaren.
Why This Matters
Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin season highlights the difference between individual driver performance and car development in Formula 1. Alonso has continued to demonstrate elite speed in qualifying and difficult race conditions, but those performances cannot consistently overcome a car that lacks overall competitiveness.
His prospects of becoming a three-time world champion are therefore limited, even though Aston Martin’s partnership with Adrian Newey gives the team a significant future focus. Alonso’s career also illustrates how championship outcomes depend on timing, team choices and technical progress as much as driving ability. Had Alonso enjoyed the same combination of opportunity and machinery as Sebastian Vettel or Lewis Hamilton, he might have won five or more titles. Instead, his career may ultimately be remembered as that of one of the greatest drivers to win “only” two world championships.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Formula 1 world championships has Fernando Alonso won?
Fernando Alonso has won two Formula 1 world championships, in 2005 and 2006.
How many points has Alonso scored after 20 of 24 race weekends?
Alonso has scored seven points after 20 of the 24 race weekends in the season described.
Why is Alonso struggling despite his continued speed?
His Aston Martin has not provided enough overall performance. Alonso can still extract strong results from the car, particularly in difficult conditions, but the machinery has left him near the back of the field and unable to regularly score points.
