The 'what-ifs' of Alonso's career 23 years on from his first victory

The Spaniard's victory in Hungary in 2003 made him the youngest Grand Prix winner in F1 history at the time and marked the beginning of a career that would eventually deliver two world championships, 32 race victories and a reputation as one of the greatest drivers of his generation.

Yet despite his extraordinary talent and longevity, there has always been a feeling that Alonso's career should have produced more. The two-time world champion has often found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, with several pivotal career decisions preventing him from adding further titles to his tally.

The 2026 season might be Alonso's last, with the Spaniard stating F1's rules rather than the result of Aston Martin's upgrades could determine his future.

From missed opportunities with McLaren and Red Bull to leaving Ferrari just before their resurgence, Alonso's career is filled with "what ifs" that could have changed Formula 1 history.

Alonso's first world championship with Renault in 2005 was followed by another title in 2006, but his move to McLaren in 2007 created one of the most dramatic seasons in modern Formula 1 history.

On paper, the move looked perfect. McLaren had a championship-winning car, an experienced team and a rookie teammate in Lewis Hamilton. Instead, the season descended into a political battle that damaged Alonso's relationship with the team.

The Spaniard entered the year as the reigning world champion, but Hamilton's immediate pace and popularity within the team created tension. The rivalry escalated throughout the season, with the relationship between Alonso and McLaren eventually breaking down before the championship had even concluded.

Despite both drivers finishing just one point behind Kimi Raikkonen in the title race, Alonso left McLaren after just one season. The biggest question remains: what if Alonso and McLaren had managed to avoid the fallout?

If Alonso had not received a grid penalty for blocking Lewis Hamilton in the pits at Hungary he likely would have taken the points needed to win the championship. Meanwhile, in 2008, Hamilton was not as consistent as his debut season despite a number of spectacular performances, so Alonso could have again been in the championship hunt.

Perhaps the biggest "what if" of Alonso's career came before Red Bull's rise to dominance.

In the late 2000s, Red Bull was emerging as a force under the leadership of Adrian Newey, but it had not yet become the championship-winning machine it would soon transform into. Alonso was reportedly linked with a move to the team after leaving McLaren but ultimately joined Renault and then Ferrari.

Alonso narrowly missed out on titles in 2010 and 2012. Vettel and Red Bull meanwhile won four consecutive drivers' and constructors' championships. Red Bull were also in contention in 2009, which with Alonso's greater experience than Vettel, might have swung the championship away from Brawn.

Had Alonso joined Red Bull before their title-winning era began, he could have combined his exceptional racecraft with Newey's legendary car design. A partnership between one of the greatest drivers and one of the greatest designers in F1 history could have completely changed the record books.

Of course, there is no guarantee success would have followed. Vettel's pace and popularity within Red Bull, like Hamilton at McLaren, could have caused tensions. However, given how dominant Red Bull were in that period, Alonso likely would have at least one more championship to his name.

Alonso's time at Ferrari remains one of the strongest examples of a driver outperforming his machinery. Between 2010 and 2014, Alonso regularly extracted more from Ferrari than many believed possible, finishing runner-up in the championship three times and missing out on the 2010 and 2012 titles by narrow margins.

However, after a disappointing 2014 campaign, Alonso decided to leave Ferrari and return to McLaren. The timing could hardly have been more unfortunate as his replacement Vettel was in title contention in both 2017 and 2018.

While Vettel fell short against Hamilton, Alonso's consistency could have altered the outcome of those seasons. Instead, he watched from outside, in a struggling McLaren, who likewise went on to become championship contenders - although some five years after Alonso left the team.

Looking aside from his career choices, Alonso could be a five-time champion if it were not for his implosion at McLaren in 2007 and some bad luck in certain races during the 2010 and 2012 seasons with Ferrari.

The Spaniard finished one point, four points and three points behind the eventual champion in each of those seasons, showing that just one additional positive result in each of those seasons could easily make his career look much more different.

Alonso was particularly unlucky not to win the 2012 title, arguably his best season in F1, where he outperformed his car and would have won the championship if it was not for the crash sparked by Romain Grosjean at the Belgian Grand Prix.

If Alonso had decided to gamble on Red Bull instead of Ferrari he could have won an additional five titles between 2009 and 2013, though beating Vettel in all of those seasons would have been no easy feat.

Also, if he remained with Ferrari through until the end of 2018, then his greater consistency than Vettel might have resulted in him taking two more titles, although the challenge of Hamilton and Mercedes might have been too much to overcome.