When considering F1 champions, Fernando Alonso’s name often gets overlooked. Although the 42-year-old has won two world championships, many analysts believe the Spanish ace deserves more. Following impressive stints with Renault and McLaren, Alonso made a crucial move to Ferrari, one of Formula One’s most esteemed teams, in 2010. During his five-year stint with Scuderia, he finished second to Sebastian Vettel in three seasons (2010, 2012, 2013). Though finishing second is still something to be proud of, Fernando Alonso has recently admitted that it is one of his biggest regrets.
However, McLaren’s current team principal, Andrea Stella, who worked with Alonso at Ferrari, has recently opened up on the matter. The Italian explained on the F1 Nation podcast how Ferrari squandered an opportunity to secure a championship for the Spanish driver.
Despite his outstanding performances in the early 2010s, Fernando Alonso fell short of Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel’s brilliance. In 2010, Alonso got within four points of winning the championship. While the deficit was only 3 points in 2012, it ballooned to 155 points during Red Bull’s strong 2013 season. In light of these results, one persistent question remains: What exactly were the main factors behind Ferrari’s failure to secure a championship for Fernando Alonso?
Andrea Stella addresses Fernando Alonso’s title drought at Ferrari
Andrea Stella discussed his stint at Ferrari with Fernando Alonso in a recent F1 Nation podcast. The McLaren team principal, who was the Spaniard’s race engineer at the time, detailed how Alonso was a brutal force. However, it was Ferrari’s failure to maintain consistency with the project that made Alonso’s time at Ferrari a regret.
In his conversation, the 52-year-old said, “There was no continuity in the project. We were very close to achieving success with Fernando in the first year.” Later In a comparison of the 42-year-old’s tenure at Ferrari to Michael Schumacher’s time at Maranello, the Italian highlighted a crucial factor. Stella stressed that confidence in the plan was the keystone of Ferrari’s success during the German legend’s tenure.
However, while wrapping up, the McLaren boss stated that the lack of continuity in the project caused Alonso to lose titles, which he believes was a big opportunity missed. He said, ” I think this is something we missed during the Fernando era and we could have built it, but we would have needed to build the project brick by brick, as it was established in the mid-90s at Ferrari.”
After winning his last race in 2013, Alonso hopped ship again to rejoin McLaren. Since then, Alonso has struggled on the racing track and has yet to win a race. Although his current stint with Aston Martin has shown some promise, which might take him to the ultimate aim.
Fernando Alonso made his ambition clear with Aston Martin
At the start of the season, Fernando Alonso looked like a hungry lion waiting to hunt down victories. Following a discontented spell with Alpine (previously Renault), the two-time champion took a major gamble by joining a team that struggled the previous year. However, the team’s hard work paid off this season, and Aston Martin, which currently sits at P4, appears to have been the ideal decision for Alonso.
Despite seven podium finishes, the 42-year-old driver is still looking for his first victory. Nonetheless, when he first joined the team, he made his ambitions obvious.
In an interview with Bang & Olufsen in April, Alonso revealed his ultimate ambition, which is to win the third title. He said, “Well that’s the aim for sure.”
Though Aston Martin initially showed some promise, it soon became clear that the adjustments offered by the Silverstone-based crew were unsuccessful. This is why Aston Martin’s competitor appears to be in a better position presently. If Fernando Alonso and the team fail to perform well in the coming races, a resurgent McLaren will certainly dethrone them from P4.
