Fernando Alonso’s latest contract extension with Aston Martin at least until the end of 2026 means the Spanish driver will race in F1 till he is 45 years old. With two decades of racing experience under his belt, Alonso is leading by example and doesn’t look to stop anytime soon. Considering how the #14 driver is still going strong, Zak Brown couldn’t help but term the Spaniard as Tom Brady of Formula 1.
Brady retired from the NFL recently after his 45th birthday and remains one of the most sought-after athletes globally. He was someone who continued his involvement in his sport at such an age, and therefore, it makes sense why Brown compared Alonso to the greatest quarterback of all time.
More to come. Here to stay @AstonMartinF1 @F1 pic.twitter.com/d1Tvh1BOhD
— Fernando Alonso (@alo_oficial) April 11, 2024
“Fernando [Alonso] is impressive, he is not slowing down at all. His way of running is incredible, and I know him well, he doesn’t care about anything more than running,” said the McLaren CEO on Justin Bell’s Drive to Wynn podcast, as quoted by SoyMotor.
“Maybe some of these guys, a little older, are starting to lose their way because they concentrate on other things that go beyond racing. Fernando only thinks about running, and I think he is all the Tom Brady in this world, the Scott Dixon.”, Brown added.
Besides Brady, Brown also compared Alonso to Scott Dixon, who is 43. The New Zealander is a veteran of the IndyCar series and a six-time champion of the American open-wheel series. Dixon has also won the Indianapolis 500 in 2008, something Alonso has coveted to win but has not been able to.
In a nutshell, the McLaren boss pointed out how “rare” Alonso is relative to other drivers in F1. This was something Lando Norris also emphasized a few days after the 42-year-old re-signed with the Silverstone-based team for at least two more years.
Zak Brown is happy for a ‘stable’ McLaren but would have signed Fernando Alonso otherwise
Lewis Hamilton triggered a massive silly season after he agreed to move to Ferrari for 2025. Following his decision, his seat at Mercedes was up for grabs, along with numerous others on the grid. However, McLaren wasn’t a part of it, for which Zak Brown is glad.
“At a time when some teams are becoming destabilized, with engine changes, drivers, and things like that. We are in a good position to look forward,” revealed the McLaren boss as to why he is glad.
Even if the Woking team was a part of it and Fernando Alonso was a driver available, Brown would have allowed him to drive the McLaren car again. Nevertheless, Alonso’s decision to stay back at Aston Martin makes him a strong rival to Brown’s team.
However, McLaren is currently focused on Ferrari and looking to cut down their gap to the Prancing Horse in the Constructors’ championship, after getting the better of Aston Martin already this season. Brown would want to keep this trajectory to fight for wins again, something he dreamt of doing with Alonso back in the day.
