Fernando Alonso says he ‘still dreams’ of winning a third world title
Alonso signs new contract Last spring he spent time with Aston Martin, which will keep him with the team until he enters the second half of his 40s – he will turn 45 in July 2026.
He doesn’t like to talk about it and has said many times that he doesn’t think it matters – more downforce on an F1 car has a more important impact on lap times than the age of the car.
Of course, he would say that. But it’s worth talking about. He is doing something that has not been done since the 1950s – racing in an F1 car in his 40s.
It is indeed extraordinary by the very definition of the word, but what is extraordinary is that he does not seem to realize it.
“No, I don’t,” he said. “I don’t think too much about it. The media reminds me of statistics and numbers every now and then, but for me I feel like I’m 25 or 30 years old and I’m still racing in F1.
“I don’t feel that way. I feel motivated, I feel fresh, I feel fit to drive and do the same training I’ve been doing for 20 years because it’s more or less the same routine.”
So why does he think he can do this while others are not capable or provided the opportunity to do the same?
“I think because my work and training discipline and dedication to F1 have been very strict,” Alonso said, “and the results are maybe paying off.
“I never missed any test sessions or any debriefings or any factory time or training. I never went out or partyed too much.
“Maybe you can see the results now in your 40s, but the starting point is your 20s or 30s. At that time, you need to commit to F1 for a long time to achieve some results in the future.”
As drivers age, it often slows them down because they lose the desire to do so. It doesn’t matter that much anymore.
As time goes by, the importance of shaving off the last few milliseconds of a lap time – as Niki Lauda said when he retired from the race for the first time in 1979 – is waning in importance. So does the desire to make the many necessary sacrifices, both in terms of physical commitment and time away from family.
However, for Alonso, the flames of love and desire still burn brightly. Why?
“Because apart from my season with Toyota in the World Endurance Championship (2019-20), I’ve never had a good car that could dominate something.
“That season I realized how wonderful it is to have a dominant car in F1 because you can achieve so much and drive whatever you want.
“Throughout my career, the cars I drove were probably not the best at the time, even my two world championships. In 2005, the McLarens were the fastest cars, but their reliability was poor, So we made up for that and won the championship.
“Then in 2006 they were very similar but Ferrari and Michael (Schumacher) had a little too many DNFs, especially at the end of the year in Japan where I won the championship.
“I keep delivering and driving and I don’t (feel like I’m) treading water because every year I still hope that I can have a fast car during the season.”
Is he worried that others might lose confidence in his ability to do the job because of his age?
“Don’t worry,” he said. “I know this is happening and will happen. There is a younger generation of fans and followers who have just come into F1 and they don’t know much about me, they have never seen me win a race or only the results.
“But I still hope I can prove them wrong and have a fast car in 2026.”
