Webber still sees Alonso win but: 'Red Bull was driving on cruise control'

Obviously, age is not a factor for Fernando Alonso, who is undoubtedly among the most motivated drivers on the Formula 1 grid. Mark Webber, therefore, can easily see the two-time world champion continuing until he is 44, if not longer.

Alonso currently has a multi-year contract at Aston Martin, where he took over Sebastian Vettel's seat after the latter's departure from F1. A two-year contract with an option to extend is assumed, but details of the contract have not been officially disclosed. Either way, Webber sees it as a realistic scenario for the 41-year-old veteran to continue beyond 2024.

Webber sees Alonso continuing for a long time to come

According to the former F1 driver, all the qualities that characterise Alonso are still there. "He obviously has the possibility to stay longer than these two years. Never rule out Fernando still driving at 44," Webber is quoted by the Spanish edition of Motorsport.com.

That the two-time world champion is still competitive was evident at the Bahrain Grand Prix, where he secured a hard-fought podium finish. "It's not that we needed confirmation of his talent, that's not in question," Webber continued. The former F1 driver believes Alonso will be highly motivated in the role of team principal in the "next big phase of his career".

According to the 46-year-old Australian, whether another victory is in store for Alonso this year depends mainly on Red Bull Racing, but he certainly sees the Aston Martin driver as capable of it. "The podium is definitely special, but we must not forget that Red Bull drove completely on cruise control," he stressed.