Fernando Alonso once again defended his ability to compete at a high level in Formula 1, despite his age. At 45 years old, the Spaniard referred to the 2023 Qatar GP to show that experience and physical condition can weigh more than simply the number recorded on the document.
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The statement came as Alonso evaluates whether he will continue in the category in 2027. The driver finished the Dutch GP in ninth, becoming the first competitor over 45 years old to score points in F1 since Graham Hill, at the 1974 Swedish GP.
Asked about the possibility that current cars, easier to drive, are helping drivers extend their careers, Alonso rejected the idea that age is necessarily an obstacle. He pointed out that the demand in Formula 1 is different from that found in other sports.
“When we raced in Qatar in 2023, I was 42 years old, everyone was almost dead in parc fermé in front of me, and I was fine. I was doing interviews in the TV area, so this is a different animal,” he said.
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The Spaniard recalled that the extreme weather conditions in that very hot race affected several drivers. Esteban Ocon even vomited inside his helmet, Lance Stroll lost consciousness while driving, and Logan Sargeant had to retire due to heatstroke.
Alonso also emphasized that a driver’s wear and tear does not depend solely on age, but on the level of demand required to extract performance from the car: “Age is not a problem. It’s just motivation, fun, what is still left to achieve,” he added.
Speaking about his own situation, the two-time F1 champion highlighted that he still has goals within motorsport, but also interests beyond Formula 1. Alonso stated that the years away between 2019 and 2020 were precisely aimed at broadening his development as a driver and learning other things.
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