Why Alonso is crazily still not 'too old' for Formula 1

Fernando Alonso will still be active in F1 at the age of 45. You usually say such a spot should go to a young talented driver, but if one driver has proved that age is just a number, it is Fernando.

Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen are two examples of how it can go wrong. Two drivers who perhaps stayed active in F1 a little too long because, well, they once became world champions. At some point, they lost hunger and were only active in the sport because they enjoyed racing. They were no longer there to win or to become world champions.

You also notice it now with some older drivers on the grid. With Daniel Ricciardo, Valtteri Bottas, and Kevin Magnussen, you wonder if they all still really want it. Yes, racing in Formula 1 is great, but do they still have that burning ambition to make the most of their careers? To be better every weekend than the weekend before?

Why Alonso does deserve extra years in F1

Whereas with those drivers, at some point, you think, 'Just give that seat to a young star', you never have that feeling with Fernando Alonso. By the end of 2018, the fire had been extinguished, and it was wise for Alonso to temporarily step out of F1. Since his return, however, Alonso has been more eager than ever, proving repeatedly that he is still among the top performers.

Alonso is not in F1 to make up the numbers. Alonso wants to win and will not settle for underachievement. That is why he fits in so well with Aston Martin. That team is overflowing with ambition. They built a brand new factory, snatched top staff from the big teams and will become an official factory team in 2026 through their deal with Honda. A new project will need some experience in the cockpit, especially if the owner's son occupies the other seat.

Alonso has also not shown at any point since his return that he does not belong at the top. In his first year back in F1, he could duel with Esteban Ocon. By then, Ocon had been driving for Alpine for a year, while Alonso had been out of the sport for two years. Alonso scored more points and finished ahead of Ocon in more races than vice versa, and the qualifying duel ended in 11-11.

In the second year, Alonso won the duel more convincingly. Ocon will proclaim after that year that he has beaten Alonso. That is true in points, but Alonso lost a huge number of points that year due to retirements. The fact Ocon scored only 11 more points than Alonso despite all those DNFs by his teammate was not exactly a significant achievement.

In addition, Alonso, at his age, was stronger than Ocon in qualifying. Over the whole year, Alonso was, on average, a tenth faster than the Frenchman per qualifying session and won the qualifying duel 12-10.

How Alonso took the lead at Aston Martin

However, the move to Aston Martin is THE example that shows Alonso still has it. Whereas Sebastian Vettel wasn't much better than the Canadian in the years alongside Lance Stroll, Alonso has left him in the dust. For instance, the qualifying duel between Vettel and Stroll in 2022 was 13-7. Alonso won the duel in 2023 by 18-3. The average difference per qualifying session also doubled from one-and-a-half-tenths to three-tenths. The difference in points also increased sharply.

In year two, that picture has not changed. Not only does Alonso perform much better than Stroll over a full year, but Alonso is still there at the moments when he can shine. With Aston Martin's car, he was on the podium eight times in 2023. In Monaco, the Spaniard even came close to pole position and victory. Monaco is the place where drivers make the difference.

While other drivers show signs of stagnation or even decline, Alonso still has no wear and tear. According to Alonso, there won't be any for the time being. He seems to be serious when he says he wants to continue racing in F1 beyond the age of 45 if he still thinks he can.

Alonso shows that age is just a number. Some drivers on the grid are much younger but more ready to retire than Alonso. Alonso cannot do without racing. If he were no longer good enough for F1, he will race in another class. He will probably never stop entirely, so for now, he will not stop F1. He deserves it.