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How Alonso's desperation exhibited his genius in masterful F1 drive

17:08, 13 Sep

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byNorberto Mujica

Fernando Alonso revealed his best ever F1 race, the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix.

Fernando Alonso in parc fermé at the Italian GP

'I hate losing. I hate retiring the car. I would try everything before just stopping, and accept that we have to DNF'.

Alonso gave an interview to Aston Martin partner Maaden where he revealed which was his best ever F1 race.

"Valencia, probably. One of the best, but I think it has been the most mediatic one, well known," he said. "There are many races that people were not maybe aware of.

"I think it was Malaysia, Sepang, 2011, probably, where I had a problem on the gear shift," he explained. "The gearbox was broken, semi-broken, the clutch had a problem. The gears went up, okay, but not down."

Alonso then revealed the depth to his gearbox issues around the iconic Sepang track. "Around half [way] through the race. I tried to downshift into 1 and from 7th I went to only 5th instead of 2nd [gear]. So I did Turn 1 in 5th, I lost time."

The issues were so profound they threatened to force a retirement. "I realised in the following corner that there was a problem. Out of desperation, I tried to blip the throttle on a downshift just because if not, I will retire the car in that lap.

Fernando Alonso endured gearbox issues at the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix

"And I blipped the throttle and the downshift went in. So in the next braking point, I blipped the throttle four times and four downshifts went down. And I communicated to the team, 'what I'm doing is right or wrong?' I will break the gearbox within one lap.' And they said, 'keep doing what you're doing. Gearbox is safe by doing that.'

Alonso then explained where the solution to the problem and the mammoth effort it took to maintain that driving cue throughout the entirety of the remainder of the race came from.

"Obviously, synchronise the throttle and the paddle shift. The engineers, they came and they said [after the race], 'I don't know why you came [up] with that solution that fast, because that could be a solution, but you did it like in 13 or 14 seconds in the second corner after you had a problem.'

"And I said, 'I hate losing. I hate retiring the car. I would try everything before just stopping, and accept that we have to DNF'. I finished like fifth or something, completely anonymous.

"No one will remember that race," he added. "But the level of energy that you have to put in that race, the level of concentration, focus, and instantly come out with a solution of a problem that was never tested or experienced, I think it was quite a race to remember.

"But as I said, some races, they become anonymous on the people," he concluded.

In that same interview the Spaniard also shed light on his view of Aston Martin's new Senior Technical Partner Adrian Newey, and the way the British engineer makes him feel now they're teaming up together for the first time in both of their careers.

Alonso's determination aids Aston Martin in 2026 F1 championship bid

Alonso is currently 43 years old, and will turn 44 prior to the start of the 2026 season. Yet he is still believed to be one of the most complete and finest drivers in Grand Prix racing today.

Joining up forces with Honda and with Newey working on the 2026 car, Alonso will be charged with the task, should it be within reach, to bring home the Drivers' title and help the team achieve its first Constructors' championship in F1.