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Jenson Button spoke about his longtime friendship with Fernando Alonso, and what the two discussed during Alonso’s first stint away from Formula One.
After a difficult period with McLaren owing to the issues between them and Honda, a frustrated Fernando Alonso retired from Formula One in 2018.
Alonso was a two-time world champion by that point, and still one of the best drivers in the sport when he walked away.
Prove us wrong, F1 will never quite recover when two-time world champion Fernando Alonso hangs up his helmet…
During his time away, Alonso pursued other motorsport dreams like racing in the Indy 500 and winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Fans were surprised when Alonso decided to return to Formula One in 2021. And now, Jenson Button, his former teammate, has revealed what Alonso learned during his time away from the sport.
READ MORE: Best moments of Fernando Alonso’s F1 career including first pole, podium, win, title and more
Fernando Alonso remembered Formula One is the ‘pinnacle’ of motorsport during first retirement
Speaking in an interview with Diario AS, Jenson Button was asked about Fernando Alonso’s longevity and how much of a surprise it has been to see.
Button admitted that both he and Alonso were targeting goals outside of Formula One. But after finding success in other avenues, Alonso realised that Formula One is where the best drivers are, and wanted to return to prove himself again.
“I thought we’d both go off and have some fun outside of F1, and we did for a while. Because he also left a year later, and we raced in the WEC.
“Fernando was at Toyota, who were unbeatable, but it was great sharing the paddock and the track with him at Le Mans, and I think he enjoyed himself. Then he realised that the pinnacle of motorsport will always be F1, and he came back.”
While Alonso’s return has been great for the sport, he now unfortunately finds himself in the same situation he faced at McLaren, as Aston Martin are struggling with their new Honda power unit.
Fernando Alonso expects Aston Martin to face 10 more ‘difficult’ rounds! Are we seeing the end of his F1 career?
Jenson Button claims Fernando Alonso still ‘believes’ in Aston Martin despite horrid 2026 start
In the interview, Button was asked about how Fernando Alonso feels about the current state of Aston Martin. He admitted that Alonso still believes in the team, and has reason to be excited about driving a car designed by Adrian Newey.
“I can’t speak for him. But as a driver, I can say it’s tough to start a season and not be competitive. He believes in this team; he knows his limits.
“It’s the first time Fernando has driven a Newey car, and that’s exciting too, because Adrian works very differently compared to other designers. He’s old school; he still uses paper.”
Alonso is reportedly staying with Aston Martin beyond next season, as he wants to end his career on a high note, and that cannot happen given the state of the AMR26 right now.
Many have criticised Aston Martin for failing Fernando Alonso in what was set to be his final season. Hopefully, they can address these issues in time for the 2027 season.
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