Tag: Mexico City Grand Prix

There’s been a bit of consternation about how Fernando Alonso’s latest milestone has been reached. 400 race entries but this is set to be his 397th official start in Formula 1, although one of the missing three saw him start the 2001 Belgian Grand Prix, retire early on, and then a race restart declare the first four laps null and void.

That doesn’t count towards his official starts in some quarters, but does highlight why it’s tough to choose exactly when to celebrate his remarkable achievement. Given his other two Did Not Start races were the infamous 2005 United States Grand Prix — when all Michelin runners withdrew after the formation lap — and Sochi in 2017 when a power unit issue thwarted him, also having taken the formation lap, then this weekend’s race in Mexico City has been selected.

Split it however you want to, Alonso’s longevity is remarkable. In the past he has referenced the importance of the two years he took away from F1 in 2019 and 2020 as a key component in still competing in a series that demands the utmost commitment, with 24 races across 21 countries around the world and significant global marketing demands on top.

A best result of fifth this year has been a comedown when juxtaposed against the remarkable start to his Aston Martin career he had a year ago, but Alonso has still been producing those almost-car-defying drives, getting every last point on offer and picking up four top-10 finishes — including an impressive sixth in Azerbaijan — since his teammate Lance Stroll last scored.

All at the age of of 43.

I’ve been lucky enough to not only follow a large portion of Alonso’s F1 career (although still barely more than half of his races, as he’d entered 189 already at the point I covered my first as a journalist), but also part of his sojourns into other major motorsport events. His first Indy 500 attempt was a particular highlight, when he threatened a remarkable debut victory, but it was his focus on becoming a stronger all-round driver that stood out.

“At the moment for me, the whole event as a driver keeps adding quality, experience and I think I will finish the event as a better driver,” he told me at the time. “Despite the result — I could finish the event in 28th — I will be a more complete driver. So that’s the first step of this adventure, to be better and better every day.”

That drive to improve is one of the keys to Alonso’s endurance. He’s since won the Le Mans 24 Hours on two occasions amid a World Endurance Championship title, been back to Indy and failed to qualify, returned again and finished 21st, made his Rolex 24 At Daytona debut and then won on his second appearance, and tackled Dakar.

The fact that those results came almost entirely in his two-year hiatus from F1 highlight the level he has been able to perform at across disciplines even into the latter stages of his career, but to then return to the series where he has won two world championships and maintain that standard is sensational.

The steering assists in F1 reduce some of the brute force required in other disciplines, but these are still cars that require a driver to be extremely fit to handle. Even more so, their reactions need to be at an elite level, and neither has dropped in Alonso’s case.

Yet for others who were reaching a similar age and performing strongly, there was usually a drop in desire. After so many years, to dedicate your entire life to racing in F1 was no longer attractive enough. But with Alonso, his motivation remains so high.

“If you look at how at an advanced stage of the career he’s still performing, it’s incredible,” his current team principal Mike Krack says. “So if you ask about character or adjectives, there are many, but I think what you need to really point out is the talent — obviously, as many people have — but then the discipline and foremost, I think, the desire.

“The desire to compete, he’s super competitive. So [I’d describe him as] super competitive, super disciplined and super talented.”

Alonso has the desire to drive almost anything and everything, to such an extent that after completing 148 laps of the Yas Marina Circuit to end the 2021 post-season Pirelli tire test, he drove straight to Dubai and competed in a 24-hour karting race.

But that desire also stems from unfinished business in F1. As so many widely attest, two world titles do not reflect just how good Alonso is, and are far below what his abilities deserve.

“It’s incredible, the longevity that he’s had, the competitiveness that he has,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner says. “And the statistics for the talent that he has and the ability he has… Two world championships don’t do him justice. He should have won more than that.”

On Friday, Horner cheekily revealed there had been an approach from Alonso about the driver situation at Red Bull as the Spaniard checked out his potential options before signing a long-term extension with Aston Martin. And Alonso admits his sole target is to add a third championship, with nothing else truly on his radar right now.

“I’m very, very focused [on] Formula 1 now,” he said in a recent event with Aston Martin title sponsor Cognizant. “For the next two or three years, I want to win the third world title. This is my first and only priority at the moment.”

The fact Indy is the only one missing from his triple crown is something Alonso acknowledges but believes he will be too old to attempt when he stops racing in F1. The Dakar instead remains on his list as an event he believes would elevate his reputation as a driver even further should he win.

But there’s nobody currently racing in F1 who can boast Alonso’s CV across the wider world of motorsports, and very few in the sport’s history that can do so. A third world title should not be required for anyone to appreciate that, and nor should record numbers in terms of race starts.

This weekend’s milestone does provide the opportunity to reflect on just what pushes Alonso to continue to be so good, though. He might not have the most titles, or wins, or a competitive car right now, but he is the first driver to even claim to have been involved in 400 grands prix, and has a hunger that is a match for absolutely anybody.