Fernando Alonso, the most experienced, and by far the oldest, driver on the F1 grid, could have easily ended up not rewriting the longevity record books had he retired young back in 2009.
That was the year when he first mulled quitting the sport. At the time, Alonso was 28 and possibly at the peak of his driving prowess. He had two world championships under his belt and was perhaps losing his motivation to chase titles, records, fast cars, or personal milestones.
“I was 99% sure that 2009 would be my last F1 season,” he said on the Beyond the Grid podcast. “That was my plan, a very clear plan in my head. I won the championship in 2005 and 2006, I signed for McLaren for three years and that was my last contract in my head.”
Well, we all know how the Oviedo-born driver silenced that inner voice. Alonso stayed on and raced hard. And, fast forward to 2024, he is pretty much still on the gas and is ready to take part in his 400th Grand Prix in Mexico City this weekend.
Alonso has had an interesting journey since he decided to join McLaren on a three-year deal in 2007. This was immediately after his two back-to-back title wins with Renault. The Spaniard did not last long, leaving largely because of his rivalry with a rookie Lewis Hamilton within the team.
Instead of calling it quits, he refocused and returned to Renault with renewed motivation. Perhaps it was also to prove a point to the McLaren camp and Hamilton, who was already being touted as the future of F1 by then.
In 2020, he shifted to Ferrari and was a championship contender in 2010 and 2012, finishing second behind Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel on both occasions.
That was the closest he would get to the championship. From 2013, his stocks as a driver dipped, and the former champion found himself contending for non-podium spots. That too in a scarlet red car.
He went back to McLaren in 2015, and four years of iffy mid-table finishes later, he retired. But then, the urge to come back always remained.
And, three years later, he did just that, looking hungrier. However, by then, the sport had also sped forward, and the grid a generation and a half younger, if not more.
When will Alonso retire?
Alonso retired after the 2018 season from F1, but not from motorsport. He tried IndyCar and Le Mans. Those sojourns possibly did not provide him the adrenalin rush, or the spectacle-driven high of driving a Formula One car. He had to return, and 2021 marked his second coming.
He rejoined Renault and stayed with them for two years. The team was rechristened Alpine by then. In 2023, he joined the Lawrence Stroll-led Aston Martin, his current team. In his first season with the Milton Keynes-based outfit, Alonso finished in the top three eight times, showing that he belonged right up there.
This year, at the ripe old age of 43, he signed a multi-year contract extension with Aston Martin which guaranteed him a spot till 2026. Alonso will be 45 by then. And, if speculations are anything to go by, there is a chance he could continue driving.
Earlier this year, Alonso himself admitted he could well be driving beyond 2026. Two years, though, is a long time in F1. Then again, Alonso has been there and done that longer, much longer in the cockpit of an F1 car than anyone else. Can you bet against him?
