Fernando Alonso made his F1 debut in 2001 and has raced in the sport for over two decades. Even at the age of 43, he has no intention of stopping. Due to his age, some have raised questions about whether he will still be able to deliver at the highest level.
Amid such speculations, Alonso’s former McLaren teammate Stoffel Vandoorne is confident that the Spaniard is still one of the best drivers on the grid. Vandoorne gave such a response to Marc Priestly on the Pitlane Life Lessons podcast when asked what it felt like to work alongside the two-time F1 champion.
Vandoorne replied, “I mean, it’s fantastic. To be honest, in all those years in between, Fernando hasn’t changed much as a personality, let’s say, or as a driver. He’s still one of the best on the grid, one of the most talented ones. I think what is impressive with Fernando is his drive, his motivation towards the sport in general, let’s say.”
F1 is an extremely physical sport that requires a driver’s reflexes to be top-notch. That’s something a person loses as they age but not Alonso.
Even at 43, he’s performing at the highest level and producing exceptional results. Limited just by the capabilities of the car, he’s already proved last year that he can still fight for podiums and possibly even wins.
This is exactly why it’s hard to argue with Aston Martin’s reserve driver who claims the Spaniard is still one of the best on the grid. Similarly, legendary aerodynamicist Adrian Newey also recently claimed that Alonso is one of the best drivers in F1.
Newey finally fulfills his desire to work with Alonso
Newey once revealed he has three regrets in his life. He stated that he regrets never ever having had the opportunity to work with Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, or Alonso. With he set to join Aston Martin next year, Newey will fulfill his desire to work with Alonso.
During his first press conference with Aston Martin, Newey referred to Alonso as a legend. In reply, Alonso was humble and referred to the 65-year-old as an inspiration.
Alonso said, “I would say that he was more of an inspiration. For me, it’s going to be an incredible opportunity professionally to work with Adrian and to keep wearing this green color, which I’m very proud to be part of.”
Since both Newey and Alonso are undoubtedly legends in their respective fields, this is a dream pairing most F1 fans could have only dreamed of would ever come true. The two would now hope to work together and help Aston Martin win their first Constructors’ Championship. Meanwhile, Alonso himself would be desperate to win his elusive third title.
