The first part of the 2025 Formula 1 preseason (focused on the physical aspect except for some cases such as Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who already got into an F1 car) clearly showed that Fernando Alonso was taking it very seriously. Punishing himself at 43, forcing his neck to the limit and seeking to reach both the Bahrain test and the first race in Melbourne like never before. The new Aston Martin, from its single-seater to the guts of a team where new faces are landing in key positions, will tell if it is possible to dream, improve and fight. But Alonso will be motivated to show that he still has those differential hands in the ‘Great Circus’.
Nobody doubts the ’14’ at this stage. His top-10 in 2024 with a car that was the worst on the grid at some Grand Prix is the most recent example. Whatever happens, the Spaniard’s style is non-negotiable. “My strengths are starts, performing under pressure and getting the most out of the car,” he confessed in DAZN’s ‘Decoded’. He knows them, exploits them and cultivates them. As has been happening for the last 20 years.
The virtues
Starts have always been his forte. The smartest since the lights go out, finding gaps and forcing his rivals. The 2011 Spanish Grand Prix was the highlight, finding a gap on the inside of the straight, between the two Red Bulls that were rockets. And there are many more, with the outside of Perez in China 2024 or the collection of surgeon’s moves at Zandvoort 2023 as more recent exponents.
Performing under pressure is another hallmark of his career. He proved it with any vehicle, like that night stint in the 2018 24 Hours of Le Mans where he came back with the Toyota. “Tell me if you want another one,” he repeated to his engineer. Or the one at Daytona, leaving even his team ‘freaked out’. “He’s God when he takes off his helmet,” repeated the legendary Wayne Taylor, head of that Cadillac car.
It has been the story of my life, competing with slightly inferior weapons to the others
Fernando Alonso
Getting the most out of the car is the third virtue. There are countless examples of this determining factor. The last campaign is a summary, perhaps undervalued, of this message. And something that has defined him. He always gives everything and will return to 2025. “It has been the story of my life, competing with weapons that are a little inferior to others,” he explained
… and future
The way he opens his heart is a statement of intent. From a rider who knows himself and continues to push himself to the limit for 2025. And someone who has never changed in the way he works. Since he was the prodigy and took the kart that his sister did not want. Something that shaped him and made him a better driver. “Since I was a child I only had one kart when I started driving,” he recalled. That’s where part of his current heart was formed. “When it rained, all the kids would run on rain tyres and I would run on dry tyres because we didn’t have the money to buy them,” he added. The rest, as they say, is history.
When it rained, all the kids would run with the rain tires and I would run with the dry tires because we didn’t have the money to buy them
Fernando Alonso
And although he is 43 years old, he does not seem to have an expiration date. In fact, in ‘Decoded’, Alonso left a message that can have all kinds of interpretations. “In the past, drivers started at 35 years old and raced until they were 50 years old,” he said. “Now everything has changed,” he said with a revealing smile. Perhaps there is still a long way to go. And as he clearly explained, 2026 has an exciting outlook. Before that, there is 2025 in which Aston Martin is revolutionizing its team.