Why Renault once withdrew Fernando Alonso from Formula 1 despite his ‘excellent’ performances

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Fernando Alonso is the most experienced driver in the history of Formula 1. He became the first ever to reach 400 Grand Prix starts in Qatar last month.

Lewis Hamilton recently overtook Kimi Raikkonen for second place on the all-time list. But he remains 48 behind Alonso, and he may never pass him.

The Spaniard has signed a new multi-year contract to keep him at Aston Martin until at least the end of 2026. It’s possible that he retires at the same time as Hamilton.

This is Alonso’s third stint in Formula 1. He nominally retired at the end of the 2018 season after a disastrous four-year return to McLaren.

He then made a comeback in 2021 with Alpine before his 2023 switch to Aston. He’s refused to give up on the third world title that has eluded him for nearly two decades.

Had Alonso raced continuously from his 2001 debut until the 2024 Abu Dhabi GP, he’d now be just one shy of 450 starts. But his career was interrupted after just 12 months.

Renault wanted to ‘integrate’ Fernando Alonso as a test driver

Alonso produced one of the great scoreless seasons for Minardi (now Racing Bulls) in 2001. While he finished bottom of the world championship among active drivers, this reflected Minardi’s status as the slowest team on the grid and their woeful reliability record.

Renault F1 boss Flavio Briatore hailed his performances as ‘excellent’. And yet, the French manufacturer, who controlled Alonso’s career under his contract, pulled him off the grid for 2002.

They had already confirmed Jenson Button and Jarno Trulli as their drivers. That meant Alonso had to accept a test role.

But Briatore’s goal was to ‘integrate him quickly into the Renault F1 programme’. He would then be fully prepared to make his debut for the team in 2003.

Mark Webber replaced Alonso at Minardi and would later race for Red Bull. However, the Oviedo-born racer’s patience was rewarded as he took Button’s drive for the following season.

Juan Pablo Montoya pinpoints Fernando Alonso’s mental edge over Lewis Hamilton

Alonso won his first F1 race at the 2003 Hungarian GP and went to win back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006. He’s in a truly unique position, almost universally regarded as an all-time great but unable to escape the midfield.

He hasn’t had race-winning machinery since 2013, when he stood on the top step for Ferrari at his home race in Barcelona. Since then, he’s largely been scrapping for points finishes.

But Juan Pablo Montoya says Alonso is more motivated than Lewis Hamilton, who needs a race victory to be up for grabs before he gives his all. Their career paths have diverged sharply since their short-lived partnership at McLaren in 2007.

Still, Peter Windsor is adamant F1 fans shouldn’t write Alonso off. He’s stunned that ‘nobody’ is talking about him as a potential 2026 champion after the arrival of legendary designer Adrian Newey.