Formula 1 is back

(March 5, 2023) Fernando Alonso is back: third at the Bahrain Grand Prix

Spanish driver Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) finished on the podium at Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix, the first round of the 2023 Formula 1 World Championship, after finishing third in a race where the Red Bulls confirmed their dominance, with Dutchman Max Verstappen the first winner of the year and Mexican Sergio Pérez second, while Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) finished fourth.

 

I wonder if "Alonsomanía" will return

Fernando Alonso fires the illusion: fastest time in Bahrain free practice, but reality sets in "Max Verstappen stands out in Q3"

The Asturian reaches a new F1 milestone by becoming the longest-serving driver with 20 seasons, despite going 10 years without a win.

 

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Fernando Alonso, a phenomenon

The Spaniard reaches a new milestone in F1 by becoming the longest-serving driver with 20 seasons, despite going 10 years without a win.

When the five lights go out today at the Sajir circuit and the 2023 World Championship starts in Bahrain, Fernando Alonso will have reached a new milestone in the history of Formula 1: he will start his 20th season and will be the longest-serving driver of the almost 800 who have taken part in the Grand Prix in the 74 years of the competition. Who would have thought that it would be a driver from a country with so little tradition in the discipline until two decades ago.

A phenomenon to be studied
How can a driver who has gone 10 years without a win and 17 without a title maintain intact the reputation, recognition and credit that Alonso retains in the profession, the fans and the media?

But beyond the prolongation of the Asturian's career, at 41 years of age, having competed in F1 since he was 19 (Minardi, 2001), what is most surprising is his durability in the elite, considering his results and the competition from the JASP pack that arrives. Alonso does not live up to the saying "you are only as good as your last job".

How can a driver who has gone 10 years without a win (since the 2013 Spanish GP) and 17 without a title maintain intact the reputation, ascendancy, recognition and credit that Alonso retains in the profession, the fans and the specialised media, as well as continuing to have the media reach of a charismatic star?

And how many sportsmen can say that in these 20 years? The most similar case would be that of Valentino Rossi, who retired in 2021 in 2021 with more pain than glory, closing the rankings, after the last 12 seasons without being champion and the last 4 without any victory; a total of 76 races without winning. Alonso has 154.

Alonso has always had a brutal degree of motivation throughout his career, from karting to F1 to the Dakar".

Pedro de la Rosa

How can the Alonso phenomenon be explained by a supporter and an unbeliever?

"It can't be explained; he is a paradigmatic case", says Pedro de la Rosa (52), who in addition to being an Aston Martin ambassador and analyst for Dazn TV, is one of the best connoisseurs of Alonso's career, with whom he crossed paths in 2007 at McLaren. According to the Barcelona native, one of the reasons he answers the question is "the brutal degree of motivation" that the Spaniard has. 

"He has always had that throughout his career, from karting to F1 to the Dakar. I would ask myself: how does a driver who has won what he has won take 10 years racing with uncompetitive cars and still maintain the same motivation?".

For De la Rosa, Alonso's case is parallel to Hamilton's: "People in F-1 and at Mercedes say that Lewis doesn't have the same motivation as when he had a winning car. Well, Alonso has driven much worse cars than this latest Mercedes and he's still very hungry.

Not everyone sees it the same way, though. "It's certainly amazing that at his age he still has the ability and the possibility to do well, plus the enthusiasm to drive (more understandable)... but Fernando should have retired from F1 for good when he left in 2018," counters one long-time driver manager, who requests anonymity.

His argument: make way for young talent. "I agree with Vettel (35) retiring, but not with Hülkenberg (35) coming back or Alonso (41), who are blocking the access of good drivers to F1".
Fernando should have retired from F1 for good when he left in 2018".

According to De la Rosa, the explanation for Alonso being considered a leader in the latest projects that trusted him (McLaren in 2015 when he was at his worst and resumed his alliance with Honda, Alpine in 2021 starting its journey, or now Aston Martin) is to be found in experience, the ability to work, to evolve cars and to encourage a team.

"What makes him unique is that he has the motivation and determination to keep pushing like an animal. He motivates the team, he has a great ability to send the message to the whole organisation, which at Aston Martin is more than 700 people. He is crossing internal boundaries. This Alonso transmits a lot and he likes to motivate people. He is what a team like Aston Martin needed.

In that sense, Alonso is reminiscent of the Michael Schumacher of his golden era at Ferrari. "All drivers want to win, but Fernando leads by example. If the day starts at 8 o'clock, he is already at 7 o'clock; these are details that make his colleagues fall in love with him, he wants to talk to the technicians, he asks questions, he invests time in how to improve. 

He is a different Fernando, more complete, who is more interested in the work of the team, and who understands the qualities that the team must have to win. I have seen a Fernando who is more of a leader," explains De la Rosa.

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