F1 LIVE: Alonso hailed for ‘near-perfect’ Ferrari era as Horner issues update on F1 return

Jolyon Palmer has picked the Formula 1 driver he believes came closest to perfection that he has ever seen – and who is still racing today despite his age.

That driver, in the Briton’s view, is Fernando Alonso during his Ferrari years. Across that four-season spell from 2010 to 2014, the Spaniard came agonisingly close to the title on two occasions. The first came in his debut season at the Maranello outfit, when he arrived at the Abu Dhabi finale leading the standings, only to lose the championship to Vettel. The second followed in 2012, when Alonso kept his title hopes alive until the very end, again against Vettel, ultimately falling short by just three points despite a Ferrari that was not on the same level as Red Bull that year.

Palmer described how Alonso seemed almost able to anticipate situations before they unfolded, praising his exceptional racecraft and ability to position the car perfectly in wheel-to-wheel battles. He also recalled racing against him during the McLaren-Honda era, admitting the Spaniard operated on a completely different level and often left him with valuable lessons on track, despite his own confidence in his racecraft developed through GP2.

Christian Horner has provided a fresh update on his plans to return to Formula 1, outlining both a possible timeline and the possible role he could pursue.

The 52-year-old remains without a team following his departure from Red Bull last July, although his gardening leave officially ended on April 9. In recent months, speculation has grown over a possible involvement with Alpine, with reports linking him to a potential move to acquire a stake in the team currently held by Otro Capital.

However, Horner has now stressed that he is in no immediate rush to re-enter the F1 paddock, revealing that he is enjoying time away from the sport and following other racing series, including MotoGP, where he attended the Spanish Grand Prix as a guest of Liberty Media.

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