How Fernando Alonso responded when asked if he has ‘aged better’ than his Formula 1 rivals

Follow us on Google Discover

Fernando Alonso has been a man on a mission in the later stages of his F1 career. With the upcoming 2026 season marking his 23rd year on the grid, the two-time world champion has shared whether he thinks he has “aged better” than his rivals.

Alonso is set on securing his elusive third world title in Formula 1, and with the help of design genius Adrian Newey, the 44-year-old is certain that Aston Martin will be the team that will give him the tools to do so.

With 421 Grand Prix entries to his name, Alonso is the most experienced driver on the grid by a long way and has had a storied career to match.

Winning two consecutive titles with Renault in the mid-2000s, he has been at the centre of numerous championship battles since, as well as the centre of some of F1’s most controversial moments, including the infamous Crashgate incident in 2008.

READ MORE: Fernando Alonso has seen something ‘mystical’ from Adrian Newey behind the scenes at Aston Martin

Fernando Alonso has managed to suppress the biggest problem with an ageing driver: losing motivation

In a testament to the Spanish driver’s longevity in the sport, Alonso began his career in the pinnacle category of single-seater motorsports before every member of the current F1 rookie class had even been born.

Speaking to journalists ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix, Alonso was asked whether he believes he has aged better than his rivals.

“I think drivers improve over time because they gain more experience and face different situations they’ve experienced in the past, and they can handle them better or learn from mistakes and learn different driving techniques,” the Aston Martin driver replied, via Marca.

“They’ve driven with many different tyre models and setups, and also with the team. The problem is that with age, you start to lose motivation, the desire to train every day and go to the factory, get in the car, and perform at your best.

“So far, that hasn’t happened to me, but I think that’s the problem. I don’t think any driver gets slower with age, unless they have problems with reflexes, vision, or something that prevents them from being 100%, but so far, it doesn’t seem to have happened.”

Alonso showed that he still has cat-like reflexes at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix earlier in the current campaign. Despite being the oldest driver on the grid, the Spaniard proved to have the best reaction time to the drop of the lights as he made up three places at the start.

READ MORE: Aston Martin insider makes remarkable Fernando Alonso future claim amid 2026 retirement rumours

Fernando Alonso believes he is still at his “peak level” despite previously hinting at retirement

Whilst he looks as if he can continue for what seems like forever, Alonso has hinted at a possible date for his retirement, citing the performance of Aston Martin’s 2026 challenger as the deciding factor.

If the Silverstone-based team are able to give him a car worthy of challenging for a third world title, he may just call it quits afterwards.

In his chat with journalists at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, Alonso was also asked if he believes that he is still at the “peak level” of his career, to which he replied, “Yes, I think so. I think so, last year and this year, the car probably isn’t where we see it in qualifying.

“I think we have some issues at the back, and we’ve been dealing with some weaknesses that sometimes aren’t too obvious from the outside, but I think, personally, some of the performances this year and last year wouldn’t have been possible 20 years ago.

“That’s my opinion, and that’s why I’m calm, happy, enjoying myself, and confident for next year.”

It’s been a while since we saw the 32-time Grand Prix winner on the top step of the podium, 4,527 days (at the time of writing) to be exact.

There is no doubt that the celebrations will be spectacular if Aston Martin are able to deliver a race-winning car for him next year.