Fernando Alonso hasn’t won an F1 race in over a decade. Therefore, there has been huge anticipation around his next win. With Aston Martin starting on a high note in 2023, there was hope that he could register his elusive 33rd victory last year. Even Alonso personally was hyped for it. But despite the strong need to see Alonso increase his win count, George Russell doesn’t think the Spaniard deserves to win more than other prominent drivers like Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc, who are still going through a drought.
“Fernando is one of the best drivers on the grid and deserves to be fighting the same way as Charles and Lando, Lewis and Max as well. We all deserve to be fighting for a championship and for victory and that’s ideally where you want the sport to get to. So, he doesn’t deserve any more or any less than the drivers who I’ve mentioned,” said Russell as per GPBlog.
Norris is yet to register his first F1 win, whereas Leclerc hasn’t won a Grand Prix since 2022. Russell then also added that a superior car is a major reason why a driver manages to prosper on the grid.
He cited Lewis Hamilton’s success to explain his point. Although the 39-year-old has recorded 103 wins, he has failed to win in over two seasons.
But that doesn’t make Hamilton a bad driver or Max Verstappen less talented before 2021. Therefore, for Russell, multiple drivers equally deserve to win like Alonso, but the limitations of the sport have bound them.
This is the reason why Verstappen continues to triumph with nobody in sight. However, with the latest move by Alonso, the Spaniard has just boosted his chances of having another win in his basket before he finally decides to retire.
Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin: The new chapter
In the latest update, Fernando Alonso extended his contract with Aston Martin. Therefore, as per reports, he is likely to stay in the first year of the new regulations. The mere extension of his contract sent the message that the 42-year-old believes in the work of the team.
And with Honda allying with Aston Martin, there are chances that the Silverstone-based team could be a title-contending team from 2026. Therefore, Alonso and his admirers can hope for a win in the future.
It’s also rumored that Alonso was certainly in demand as Red Bull and Mercedes had an interest in his services. However, it was the Silverstone-based team that got him locked. Now, it remains to be seen how Aston Martin fares on his hopes.
Meanwhile, if Alonso indeed continues in 2026, he would turn 45, making him the oldest active driver on the grid since 1975, overtaking Graham Hill. Thus, a win at that age would be remarkable.
