Fernando Alonso stood on the podium once for Alpine at the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix, but for the time before that, we have to go back to the 2014 Hungarian GP. In 2023, the two-time world champion climbed the podium eight times. Alonso, therefore, speaks of his best season ever, along with the 2012 season.

"I'm happy with the personal performance, I think together with 2012, it's the best season for me," Alonso is quoted by Sky Sports. Interestingly, the now 42-year-old Spaniard did not become world champion in 2012 or 2023. For that, we have to go back to 2005 and 2006.

Still, he calls this season "his best when it comes to steering". "I was happy with everything, I was motivated, I was fit, I was performing as you said in difficult conditions sometimes, Bahrain, Monaco, Canada, Monza and Brazil will be my top four/five of the year," said Alonso, who has finished third five times and second three times this year.

Still, it is noteworthy that the Aston Martin driver mentions Monza in this list. Alonso finished ninth at the 'Temple of Speed'. "It was not a podium, it was nothing that people will remember. But probably we had the slowest car in Monza or the second slowest and to be in the points it was one of those weekends everything was very good."

Alonso contract

Despite the fact that Alonso is now quite elderly, he is not thinking of quitting yet. He wants to continue as long as he feels he still has it in him. Alonso's contract expires after next year, but - judging by his own words - a new commitment certainly seems a real possibility.

"If I feel slow one day, I think it will be noticeable and I will not be happy with my performance and I will be the first to raise my hand and say it's time."But I don't think that time will arrive honestly in terms of feeling slow, I have extreme self-confidence in my performance," he concluded.