Fernando Alonso is still displaying the same ‘exceptional’ talent he showed as a rookie says former F1 boss

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At 43 years old, Fernando Alonso is the most experienced driver not just on the F1 grid today, but in the history of the sport.

No F1 driver has started more races than the Spaniard, having made 377 Grand Prix starts in 21 seasons. Kimi Raikkonen is second with 341, while Alonso’s former teammate and rival Lewis Hamilton is third with 339, who is also still in F1 today with Ferrari.

Alonso has had his fair share of highs and lows in F1 over the years. Winning two world championships in 2005 and 2006 with Renault, he came close to winning more titles with McLaren in 2007 and Ferrari in 2010 and 2012.

He struggled for performance on his return to McLaren between 2015 and 2018, before taking a three-year sabbatical from the sport. He returned in 2021 with Alpine, before moving to his current team Aston Martin, where he hopes to have success under the 2026 F1 regulations.

It has been a tough start to the 2025 campaign for the Spaniard as he sits 14th in the drivers’ championship with 16 points. But despite this, his former F1 boss still sees an ‘exceptional’ talent that he showed him as a rookie.

Gian Carlo Minardi says ‘exceptional’ Fernando Alonso still shows he has ‘something more’ than others

Gian Carlo Minardi handed Alonso his first shot in F1 back in 2001. Joining Minardi as their reserve driver the year prior, the team promoted him to a race seat alongside Tarso Marques, and it would be a brutal introduction to the sport.

Minardi spent their entire F1 history as backmarkers, struggling to score points. Reliability issues plagued Alonso as he failed to score points, registering a best result of 11th at Suzuka.

Despite the lack of success, it was clear that the Spaniard had serious talent, as Renault picked him up as a reserve driver the following year. Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Minardi saw that Alonso had ‘something more’ than other drivers, which he still sees in him all these years later.

“Young Fernando was recommended to me by a former Minardi driver, Adrian Campos, who had already recommended Marc Gené to me years earlier,” he said.

“He told me there was this exceptional Spanish guy I had to see, and indeed, during the first tests, I was immediately impressed. It was clear that he had something more than the others, and I think he still demonstrates it today in Formula 1, at almost 44 years old.”

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Can Fernando Alonso return to the front of F1 with Aston Martin in 2026?

Having not scored a podium since the 2023 Sao Paulo GP, or won a race since the 2013 Spanish GP, the 43-year-old is looking to return to the front of the grid. Alonso is banking on 2026 to give him a competitive car, with Adrian Newey and Honda giving Aston Martin an exciting project.

Lawrence Stroll is investing heavily behind the scenes at Silverstone to put the team in a position to compete. John Watson sees a ‘major advantage’ for Aston Martin as Newey can ‘exploit’ his relationship with Honda, given the success they have had at Red Bull.

However, the Silverstone outfit’s current state has raised some concerns about their potential, as they sit eighth in the constructors’ championship. Reportedly, Alonso is debating whether to ‘jump elsewhere’, with his contract being up in 2026.

His future beyond next season is unknown, with the possibility that Alonso and Hamilton could retire on the very same day. It will be a sad day for F1 when two of the sport’s greatest veterans wave goodbye to their incredible careers.