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Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane believes Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin is “still” one of the three best F1 drivers in 2026, and he is one of the greatest of all time.
Permane saw up close what Alonso is capable of producing amid the most successful period of the Spaniard’s F1 career in the early 2000s with Renault. But despite Alonso now being in his 23rd season, Permane feels the 44-year-old still has the speed he won his two titles with.
Alonso took back-to-back F1 drivers’ titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006, when he brought Michael Schumacher’s run of five consecutive championships with Ferrari to an end. Alonso also secured 15 of his 32 wins and 15 of his 22 pole positions for Renault from 2003 to 2006.
If Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso were in equal machinery for their entire F1 careers, who would have been better?
Alan Permane names Fernando Alonso, Max Verstappen and Lando Norris as F1’s best drivers
Some of the decisions that Alonso has made in the driver market over the years have meant he has not achieved the feats that his talent deserves. The Spaniard last won a Grand Prix in Barcelona in 2013, last got a pole in Germany in 2012 and has just nine podiums since 2015.
READ MORE: The best moments of Fernando Alonso’s career in Formula 1
Alonso also only has one point so far this season due to Aston Martin’s underwhelming start to the 2026 F1 regulations. But Permane still believes Alonso is one of the three best drivers in F1, with Red Bull racer Max Verstappen and McLaren’s defending champion Lando Norris.
“Honestly, I think I put him among the best,” Permane told Mundo Deportivo. “I’d probably put Max first. Max, Lando and Fernando are all there. Fernando is still among the best.”
The 2026 season has so far been the story of Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes leading the drivers’ standings at only 19 years old and in only his second year on the grid. Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton is also in the spotlight, after Alonso’s old rival took his first win in red in Barcelona.
But while they are fighting at the front, with Verstappen and Norris often close behind, what Alonso is showing at the rear of the field amid Aston Martin’s plight still impresses Permane. So far this year, Alonso’s only point came in Monaco after Sergio Perez’s 10-second penalty.
Permane still sees the same speed in Alonso’s efforts for Aston Martin that he saw whilst at Renault, too. It is a continuation of the ability that Permane saw from Alonso with Renault to get the most out of whatever car he is driving, as his driving style allows him to easily adapt.
“What I remember most about Fernando is his ability to extract the absolute maximum performance from any car,” Permane added.
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“These days, there is a lot of talk about driving style, that one car suits one driver and another doesn’t. I honestly don’t think Fernando has a specific style. And I think Max is similar, although I’ve never worked with him.
“When people talk about styles, I think Fernando simply drives as fast as possible. If a car needs a certain setup to go fast, he adapts and drives accordingly.
“In fact, I don’t think much has changed. Honestly, the speed is still there. Of all the drivers I’ve worked with – I worked with Schumacher, although back then I was not in engineering but more in the garage – Fernando is clearly among the best of them all.”
Along with Alonso and Schumacher, Permane has worked with drivers including Jean Alesi, Giancarlo Fisichella, Jarno Trulli and Kimi Raikkonen. Now, Permane works with Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad at Racing Bulls, where he took over as the team principal in July last year.
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