boss Zak Brown this week referred to Formulation 1 title hopeful as the person in horror movies who simply can’t be shifted throughout his look on The Sports activities Agent podcast.
He made that remark within the context of the 2025 F1 title struggle which, initially, was considered between McLaren pair and – just for the four-time world champion to get pleasure from a late resurgence and put himself within the dialog.
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But when that’s what Verstappen is to Brown, then what would his former McLaren colleague be? As a result of on the age of 44, the two-time F1 world champion remains to be going robust. He holds the championship’s grand prix begins file with 423 – 45 greater than second-placed – he’s in his twenty second season after making his debut in 2001 and it seems to be as if Alonso has no intention of stopping anytime quickly.
There has, in fact, been conversations this yr about whether or not the Spaniard is previous his finest, contemplating it’s been a tricky season for his Aston Martin squad and is 12 years since his final victory, which got here on the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix.
But Alonso then responded to mentioned doubts by performing brilliantly in qualifying for Saturday’s Qatar Grand Prix dash race by sticking himself on the second row. for what will likely be his highest beginning place of the yr – beating fifth at Imola, Budapest and Sao Paulo.
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“Yeah, I imply, 24 years expertise, 44-year-old, it has some disadvantages,” mentioned Alonso, who certified 12 spots above team-mate .
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
“I get a bit extra drained with the jet lag and the travelling, however I do know the tracks, I do know the tyres, I do know the automotive, I understand how to trace every thing on Friday. Then on Saturday, it is true that we will open the parc ferme.
“We do change the automotive a little bit bit, minor tweaks, and yeah, everybody appears to get on prime of the circuit. However yeah, let’s have a look at, let’s go one step at a time. Let’s do tomorrow, the dash race, after which into quali [for Sunday’s grand prix].”
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What makes Alonso’s motivation extra exceptional is that he has been caught combating within the midfield for fairly some time now, marking a stark distinction from his early days having develop into world champion on the age of 24.
Aston Martin is eighth within the 2025 championship with two rounds remaining and is with no podium since 2023, when Alonso took eight of them throughout his debut yr with the Silverstone squad.
So, for Alonso to nonetheless be pushing the crew is admirable, although what helps is the widespread regulation change that can come into impact in 2026 with alterations to each the chassis and energy unit.
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“Perhaps again in 2022, the winter after the 2022 season, clearly after I joined Aston Martin, I knew that the crew was progressing effectively that winter and 2023 could possibly be an excellent season,” mentioned Alonso, who made the shock transfer from .
Alonso’s final podium was the 2023 Brazilian GP
Alonso’s final podium was the 2023 Brazilian GP
“So I used to be excited at the moment. Now it is a change of laws. There are extra unknowns now of what the laws will likely be, which crew will begin in a greater method. However yeah, I believe excited for certain.
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“Additionally this yr, as I mentioned earlier than, it is powerful. We’re not actually in competition for any huge issues. So we simply wish to end the season in the easiest way attainable – these subsequent two races are essential.
“For the constructors’ championship, we’re all in 5, seven factors and we’ve three alternatives to attain factors, two right here in Qatar, one in Abu Dhabi and we wish to outscore the opponents. So yeah, excited, subsequent yr goes to be attention-grabbing.”
Not solely would an excellent consequence within the dash probably assist Aston Martin leapfrog Haas into seventh, as only one level separates each side, however it could additionally cease the specter of ninth-placed chopping its four-point hole to the British marque.
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Further reporting by Stuart Codling.
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