Fernando Alonso eventually parted ways with the Maranello team at the end of 2014 Formula 1 campaign, after the team’s performance dwindled with the new regulation changes. By the time he left, Ferrari had dropped to fourth in the constructors’ standings, trailing Mercedes by almost 500 points.

Despite these challenges, Fernando Alonso’s achievements with Ferrari are significant. He ranks fifth on the team’s all-time list for both wins (11, tied with Felipe Massa) and podiums (44), cementing his status as one of the most accomplished drivers to wear Ferrari’s colors. However, his time with the team never resulted in the ultimate prize — the World Championship — despite coming agonizingly close on two separate occasions.

While Lewis Hamilton continues to build his legacy as the most successful driver in F1 history, his decision to join Ferrari has a unique context. the Spaniard’s journey offers a cautionary tale about timing, as many in the paddock believe that had Fernando Alonso stayed at Ferrari just a bit longer, he might have had the chance to secure another title. After his departure, the Italian side came close to matching Mercedes’ dominance, with Sebastian Vettel finishing third in 2015 and securing runner-up spots in 2017 and 2018.

Alonso’s ill-fated move to McLaren-Honda, however, derailed his chances, leading to a premature retirement in 2018. After a two-year break, he returned with Alpine and is hopeful of challenging for the 2026 title with Aston Martin. Yet, despite his talent, his victory drought is set to stretch into 12 years.

In contrast, many believe Hamilton has joined Ferrari at just the right moment. The team has shown significant progress, finishing just 14 points behind McLaren in the constructors’ championship last year, signaling that the Scuderia might be on the verge of a major breakthrough.

Martin Brundle has highlighted how Hamilton’s decision to return to working with trainer Angela Cullen, along with the support of his manager Marc Hynes and team principal Fred Vasseur — who coached Hamilton in his junior categories — is a “very smart” move. Hamilton, already the most successful driver in F1 history, is positioning himself for success at Ferrari, and with the right timing, he could finally achieve that elusive eighth championship. While McLaren is currently seen as the fastest team, Hamilton is hopeful that Ferrari can challenge them and rise to the occasion in 2025.

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The ‘Crashgate’ Scandal
At the time, the idea of Hamilton driving for Ferrari was unimaginable, but 2008 remains a year of regrets for Massa, also due to another driver: Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard, who later drove for Ferrari from 2010 to 2014 and came close to winning the championship twice, was Felipe Massa’s teammate from 2010 to 2013. In 2008, while racing for Renault, Alonso won the Singapore Grand Prix in an incident that went down in history as ‘Crashgate.’ The current Aston Martin driver secured victory thanks to his teammate, Nelson Piquet Jr., crashing into the barriers on purpose to help Alonso win. The scandal later proved decisive in shaping the world championship standings.

The Criticism
Felipe Massa has never forgotten the episode and, in an interview with *Relevo*, criticized Fernando Alonso for never apologizing: “He is an incredible driver,” the 43-year-old stated. “He is one of the greatest talents in F1, without a doubt, but that doesn’t change what I think of him regarding the 2008 incident. Fernando did not behave well. He never spoke about it, and that’s a shame because his greatness as a driver does not match the way he acted in that situation. He claimed he knew nothing, but he covered everything up. It’s unacceptable because we are talking about a great sportsman.” – the former Ferrari driver pointed out.

Two Personalities
Despite his criticism, Felipe Massa clarified that the two are not on bad terms: “I never had problems with Fernando, but he has always had two personalities,” he added. “One that he showed publicly and another that he revealed behind closed doors. He was focused only on himself, and in 2010, he had an outstanding season, deserving to win. Perhaps he lost the title due to a strategic mistake. He lost two world championships in the final race, and I believe everything happens for a reason. Nothing in our lives is the result of chaos.” – the Brazilian concluded.

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However, the former Red Bull designer recently admitted that if the AMR25 requires adjustments, he could dedicate a small portion of his effort to this season’s technical project as well. It will be interesting to see whether it is worth investing time and resources in the car unveiled yesterday or using almost all of the AeroTest allocation for the development of next year’s car. In this regard, the sliding scale that regulates wind tunnel and CFD usage percentages in the second half of 2025 will be based on the constructors’ standings from the first half of the year.

F1 teams aiming to go all-in on the new-generation cars would prefer to have more hours in the wind tunnel rather than on computational fluid dynamics systems. Aston Martin looks ahead to 2026 with confidence, despite Honda’s concerns regarding the development of the new power unit. By a strange twist of fate, the next two years will bring back an age-old dilemma: how much influence does a driver have, and how much does a designer impact a team’s fortunes? This refers to the added value that Hamilton at Ferrari and Newey at Aston Martin can respectively provide.

Fernando Alonso, during his time at Ferrari, often emphasized that his real rival was Newey rather than Vettel, downplaying the German driver’s value while simultaneously praising the talent of the English designer. This was a communication strategy he often used throughout his career to highlight his own worth despite driving cars inferior to those of his competitors. For the first time in his career, the Oviedo-born driver will have the opportunity to race in a Newey-designed car in 2026. The Spanish driver has not missed the chance to reiterate the importance of a designer over a driver.

And who else but Lewis Hamilton could be the target of his remarks? According to the two-time world champion, Newey will have a greater impact than any driver. While he cannot predict what Hamilton will bring to Ferrari, Fernando believes Lewis’ contribution will likely be less significant than that of a top designer. The Spanish champion has always been a skilled communicator, but on several occasions, his statements have revealed a clear bitterness toward colleagues who, in his view, have been more successful and more fortunate.

For the evergreen ace of F1, the driver from Stevenage will inevitably have to adapt to the new environment and contend with a fast teammate who knows the Italian team inside out. According to Alonso, the seven-time F1 world champion will need to regain some of the confidence lost in his battle with Russell. However, he believes that the heptachampion can return to fighting for the title if he has a car capable of delivering. That Fernando’s long career has been marked by poor choices is beyond doubt.

There is no need to recall it. However, unexpectedly, fate could repay with interest all that it has taken—sometimes immediately—from the Spanish champion. Alonso, physiologically, is certainly not in the “prime” of his career. On the contrary, he is in the final stage, just like the Ferrari driver. But for once, Fernando will be able to rely on Newey’s expertise, rather than having to “endure” it as he so often had to throughout his long career. Will it be enough to end the Spanish champion’s story in the top tier of motorsport on a high note?

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In the previous season, it was Red Bull who initially set the pace, dominating the early races. However, a shift occurred after Lando Norris claimed victory in Miami, altering the competitive dynamic as teams began to challenge the frontrunners. Mercedes also experienced a resurgence, with their new car design making significant strides, allowing both George Russell and Lewis Hamilton to secure two victories each.

For a period, it appeared that at least four teams were in contention for wins, particularly as Ferrari made substantial progress with their car. This effort resulted in victories for Carlos Sainz in Melbourne and Charles Leclerc in Monaco, signaling Ferrari’s return to form.

However, one team that struggled to maintain its momentum was Aston Martin. Unlike the previous season, when Fernando Alonso had helped the team secure eight podium finishes, Aston Martin found themselves unable to replicate that success. Tensions mounted between Aston Martin’s engineers and team owner Lawrence Stroll, as mounting pressure for results became more intense.

Looking ahead to the 2025 season, Fernando Alonso has explained that Aston Martin is taking a new approach, having learned from the challenges faced by other top teams in the previous season. Speaking at the recent F1 75 live press conference, Fernando Alonso outlined his thoughts on the upcoming Formula 1 season.

While Ferrari’s team principal, Frederic Vasseur, has suggested that the competitive picture for the 2025 season will be largely determined by the early races, Fernando Alonso disagrees, expressing his belief that the season’s outcome will not be decided so quickly.

The former Ferrari driver expressed the belief that the tests at the 5.412-kilometre Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir and the first races of the season would be less significant than in previous years. He noted that, in the past two seasons, he had observed that the early stages of the season were not as predictive as they once seemed. He pointed out that, in earlier years, starting the season well often ensured continuity, but in the last two years, there had been major shifts, such as McLaren’s transformation in 2023, Mercedes’ improvements the following year, and now, Haas’ progress.

The two-time F1 world champion further emphasized that if a team managed to find the right setup by race nine, the long season provided plenty of time for adjustments and improvements all the way through race 24. Given this, Alonso indicated that he was taking a more relaxed approach to the preseason, noting that a successful year for his team would mean, at the very least, matching their achievements from the previous year. He recalled that his team had finished fifth in the Constructors’ standings, acknowledging that they may not have been the fastest of the fifth-place teams at the end of the season, but he believed they had to aim to return to and maintain those performance levels throughout the season.

Fernando Alonso’s primary issue with the Aston Martin car may finally be addressed in the 2025 season. Aston Martin found themselves in a challenging position in 2024, ultimately finishing as the fifth-best team of the year, largely due to the direction they took with their development approach.

The team spent much of the latter part of the season using the races as a testing ground, with both Alonso and Lance Stroll conducting back-to-back tests with different floor configurations. This experimental approach meant that many of the final races of the season became opportunities to test out various components rather than focusing on race performance.

Throughout the season, both Alonso and Stroll consistently expressed concerns regarding the cornering stability of their AMR24. Alonso, in particular, emphasized that the issue was a “fundamental” one that the team had to contend with. The lack of stability in corners became a recurring challenge that significantly affected their performance.

However, Aston Martin’s team principal, Andy Cowell, has expressed confidence that the stability problems which plagued the AMR24 have been resolved with their 2025 car. This optimism comes after a season in which Aston Martin finished a substantial 374 points behind Mercedes, and Cowell believes that the changes made for 2025 will put them in a much stronger position.

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He has been the main topic of discussion throughout 2024. He continues to be talked about and will remain a central figure for much of the new Formula 1 season. Hamilton and Ferrari represent a perfect combination, one that everyone hoped for but no one truly expected to happen. As the first Grand Prix of the season approaches, set for March 16 in Australia, the question arises: could Hamilton achieve what Alonso and Vettel did in their first year at Ferrari?

Expectations are high. A lot is expected from him. For the first time in years, one of the most decorated drivers in Formula 1 history, with seven world titles—equaling Michael Schumacher—returns to drive for one of the sport’s most iconic teams. Fans around the world are beginning to dream: a return to the top of Formula 1 after nearly two decades, with Lewis Hamilton leading the charge.

But things are very different. Despite his vast experience, the British driver will have to adapt to a completely different car from the one he drove for eleven years. Everything has changed for the #44: new team, new race engineer, new engine, and a completely different project compared to Mercedes.

Looking back, many will remember two drivers who, as soon as they got into a Ferrari, immediately found themselves at ease and won races right away. First, in 2010, that driver was Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard arrived after two difficult years with Renault following the McLaren controversy, but his debut was unforgettable.

In the season opener in Bahrain, Alonso put Ferrari back on the top step of the podium, where it had been absent since the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix. Fans immediately embraced their new driver. The same thing happened with another world champion, Sebastian Vettel. After joining Maranello in 2015, he won at the second race in Sepang. Such quick adaptation to a new team has been seen only a few times in the sport.

Can Lewis Hamilton replicate that success? “I don’t know,” Lewis Hamilton told Motorsport Week. “Those two guys did an incredible job. I have immense respect for both of them because, when you join a new team, the work required to settle in is immense, and achieving those results makes it even more remarkable.” – the British driver pointed out.

“Now, unfortunately, testing is much more limited, but despite that, I have spent a lot of time in the car and am continuing to adapt. It took me six months to get my first win with Mercedes, but I’m doing everything I can to be ready from the first race.”

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Charles Leclerc also enters the new season with immense expectations, particularly after what many consider to be his best season in Formula 1 yet, despite finishing third in the championship standings. There is growing sentiment that a Lewis Hamilton – Charles Leclerc partnership could represent Ferrari’s strongest driver pairing in decades, though it is difficult to overlook the legendary figures of Schumacher and Fernando Alonso, who set the modern standard for Ferrari drivers.

In a recent interview on *The Red Flags Podcast*, Rob Smedley offered an apology to Fernando Alonso, expressing regret that the team was never able to provide him with a car capable of winning the championship, even when he was at the peak of his career. During his tenure as a race engineer at Ferrari, Rob Smedley reflected on what set the German and the Spaniard apart from other drivers he worked with, highlighting the exceptional performance data that both drivers delivered while racing for the Scuderia.

The driving data from both Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso during their time at Ferrari was described as “otherworldly,” underscoring their unmatched ability to extract every bit of performance from the car.

Rob Smedley was asked about the German driver’s telemetry during his time at Ferrari and explained that it was important to map what should be expected in a driver’s data, identifying where certain performance levels should appear and how they should look. He noted that both Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso were exceptional in their ability to drive the car, highlighting how close they could push it to its limit. However, this was not always the case, as it was typically a special occasion when they could reach the edge of adhesion. The former Ferrari race engineer mentioned that in some instances, telemetry would reveal that drivers still had more grip available and could go faster, but this was usually due to the natural margin drivers maintain, considering the high speeds at which they were driving, where even a small mistake could have catastrophic consequences. Smedley emphasized that both Schumacher and Alonso often drove on the very limit of grip, with any slight mistake leading to a significant loss of control. He praised Michael Schumacher’s exceptional hand-feet coordination and his remarkable feel for the car, describing his abilities as “otherworldly” at times.

Fernando Alonso is determined to secure one final Formula 1 championship victory before he hangs up his helmet for good. While his record with Ferrari may not match the extraordinary achievements of Michael Schumacher, there is little doubt that Alonso was one of the fastest drivers on the grid between 2010 and 2013.

During those years, the Spaniard finished as runner-up to Sebastian Vettel three times, showcasing his speed and skill, though ultimately falling short of the title. Afterward, he moved to McLaren for a second stint, which unfortunately proved to be another disappointing campaign with the team.

At the age of 44, Alonso will enter the 2025 F1 season, but he remains realistic about his chances of adding to his impressive tally of 32 race victories. However, Aston Martin, with whom he has teamed up, have their sights set on a more promising future. The team is particularly optimistic about their prospects for 2026, when major regulatory changes will reshape the sport, and the strategic decisions they have made—including the signings of renowned figures like Adrian Newey, Enrico Cardile, and the partnership with Honda as their exclusive power unit supplier—are expected to bring significant benefits.

Fernando Alonso may well choose to retire at the end of the 2026 season, giving him just one more year to chase a third world championship to add to his two titles. Should he remain at the front of the grid, his vast experience will undoubtedly play a pivotal role, especially if Aston Martin can provide him with a competitive car capable of challenging for race wins.

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Looking ahead to the 2026 Formula 1 season, Fernando Alonso’s vast experience could give Aston Martin a significant edge as they aim to master the new regulations and mount a serious challenge for the Drivers’ Championship. While Fernando Alonso wouldn’t become the oldest champion in F1 history if he were to claim the title in 2026, he could still do so in 2027. Juan Manuel Fangio’s record of winning the championship at 46 years old in 1957 remains the benchmark for now.

During his time with Ferrari, Alonso faced moments of frustration, notably when the team signed Kimi Raikkonen, a move that left him feeling sidelined. Robert Kubica, who had a contract to replace Felipe Massa starting in the 2012 season, believed that he could have outperformed Alonso at Ferrari. However, Robert Kubica‘s career was nearly cut short by a life-threatening rally crash, allowing the Brazilian to stay on for a while longer before being replaced by Kimi Raikkonen ahead of the 2014 season.

The Spanish driver had voiced concerns about the team’s performance up until that point, but he was particularly frustrated by the decision to replace his teammate Massa, with whom he had a strong working relationship. Reflecting on the move in 2013, F1 legend Mario Andretti suggested that Alonso’s outspoken criticisms of Ferrari were likely a factor in the team’s decision to replace Felipe Massa Massa with the Finnish driver.

Mario Andretti told F1GrandPrix.it that, in his view, the Spanish driver had grown frustrated during the season, and his remarks had offended the Italian side. He added that the team would not have hired someone capable of challenging and potentially defeating Alonso otherwise.

Did Fernando Alonso Make the Right Call by Leaving Ferrari After 2014?
Fernando Alonso’s departure from Ferrari at the end of 2014 remains a heavily debated decision in Formula 1 circles. His final season with the team saw him far outperform new teammate Kimi Raikkonen, scoring 161 points compared to the Finn’s 55—a near threefold margin. However, Alonso’s frustrations with Ferrari’s lack of competitiveness at the time led him to seek opportunities elsewhere.

Since Fernando Alonso’s exit, Scuderia Ferrari has managed to win at least one race in all but three seasons, though they have yet to secure a championship. In hindsight, staying with the Scuderia might have been a better option, as his subsequent move to McLaren proved disastrous. The team’s uncompetitive cars and unreliable engines left Alonso without a single podium finish across four seasons, a stark contrast to his earlier success.

After briefly retiring from Formula 1, Fernando Alonso returned with Alpine and later joined Aston Martin, but he has struggled to recapture the magic of his early career. Despite flashes of brilliance, the consistent form that defined his championship-winning years remains elusive.

Looking ahead, the 2026 regulations offer the Spaniard one last realistic shot at adding to his legacy in Formula 1. With Aston Martin’s ambitious plans and the arrival of Adrian Newey, the new rules could align perfectly with Alonso’s wealth of experience. If Aston Martin delivers a championship-contending car, Fernando Alonso’s choice to leave Ferrari might ultimately pay off—though it has been a long and challenging road to get to this point.

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After Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel also arrived at Maranello in subsequent years, but only Schumacher hit the ultimate target. Kimi Raikkonen’s case was different; he joined Ferrari in 2007 and won his sole championship with the Maranello team, only to leave at the end of 2009 before returning for a second stint from 2014 to 2018. But how did the debut races of those who joined Ferrari as champions with the challenging task of replicating their past success fare?

Michael Schumacher – 1996 Australian GP, retired
Ironically, the only driver to not even see the checkered flag in their Ferrari debut was the one who would thrill Ferrari fans for years. Schumacher arrived at Maranello as the absolute reference point in Formula 1, with two titles won at Benetton in the previous two seasons. However, his first weekend was underwhelming: in Melbourne, the German was surprisingly outqualified by another Ferrari debutant, Eddie Irvine. Michael Schumacher started fourth, one spot behind his teammate—a position he would never occupy again that season. His race ended early, retiring on lap 32 while running third behind the untouchable Williams cars of Jacques Villeneuve and Damon Hill. Success, however, would come later in his debut season, with three victories at the wheel of the less-than-competitive F310.

Fernando Alonso – 2010 Bahrain GP, 1st
After Michael Schumacher’s era of triumphs and the Kimi Raikkonen years, Ferrari once again bet on an already accomplished driver: Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard’s time at Maranello would be as epic as it was unlucky, with two titles lost in the final race and a shared realization that he was never given a car worthy of his talent. However, his debut was extraordinary: Alonso won in Bahrain, leading a Ferrari one-two with Felipe Massa in second. Qualifying third, just behind Massa, the two-time champion benefited from reliability issues with Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull, which finished fourth after leading for 33 of the race’s 49 laps. Alonso’s debut remains special—he is the last driver to win in his first Ferrari race.

Sebastian Vettel – 2015 Australian GP, 3rd
The last driver before Hamilton to join Ferrari with world titles in hand was Sebastian Vettel. The German came off a dominant 2010–2013 streak but also a disastrous 2014 season—his first winless campaign in the hybrid era. Like Alonso, Vettel would not clinch another championship at Ferrari, but his debut was promising. He finished third in the 2015 Australian GP, behind the dominant Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. His first win, however, came just two weeks later in Malaysia, proving his smooth adaptation to the team. Despite never winning the title in Ferrari colors, Vettel remains the third most successful driver in Ferrari history, with 14 wins and 55 podiums.

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Since then, Fernando Alonso has gained a wealth of experience, including victories in the WEC (two 24 Hours of Le Mans and a drivers’ title), participation in the Dakar Rally, the Indianapolis 500, and a return to Formula 1 with Renault and later Aston Martin.

For Alonso, Abu Dhabi 2010 has always been a dark chapter in his career due to the title that slipped away. However, for someone else, it became an opportunity for redemption. That person is Andrea Stella, Fernando Alonso’s race engineer at the time and now McLaren’s team principal, who just led the team to a Constructors’ Championship victory at Yas Marina.

“Fantastic. I’m a good friend of Zak and a great friend of Andrea. In some way, I brought Andrea to McLaren when I joined the team. Before the race, I told him: ‘What Abu Dhabi took from us in 2010, I hope it gives back to you today.’ And that’s exactly what happened, so I’m really happy for him. He deserves it. He’s a great guy, and McLaren is now a role model for many teams,” said Alonso at the end of the 2024 season.

“Zak is truly a close friend of mine. We’ll spend a few days together in the coming weeks, having fun with some track sessions.”

“The biggest change McLaren made came last year. They hadn’t managed much in 2019, 2020, 2021, or 2022. They didn’t achieve much in 2023 either until the Austrian Grand Prix, where they finally got on the podium.”

Turning his attention to Aston Martin, the Spaniard highlighted what the Silverstone-based team must do to achieve success: follow McLaren’s example from mid-2023 onward.

“In Austria, they introduced a package that gained them six or seven-tenths, and that was the start of a series of upgrades that turned the McLarens into the fastest cars on the grid.”

“At Aston Martin, we need to work on developing our own ‘Austria package.’ We have to aim for that kind of breakthrough and make a similar leap forward.”

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It seems that in 2009, Fernando Alonso seriously contemplated retiring from the top category of motorsport to focus on other things in life. Considering that he ended up joining Ferrari the following year, one might think that we would not have seen the Spaniard in Maranello.

His initial plan, as revealed in a recent interview for digital portal Soymotor, was to retire at the end of his contract with McLaren. After winning two Formula 1 world titles and experiencing the glorious moment with Renault, the Spaniard moved to Woking with McLaren. However, after just one year, he returned to the French team that had made him world champion.

In 2009, Fernando Alonso considered retiring from Formula 1.
“When I won the championship in 2006 and arrived at McLaren, I had a three-year contract: 2007, 2008, and 2009. I was 99% sure that 2009 would be my last Formula 1 season. That was my plan, a very clear plan in my mind. I won the championship in 2005 and 2006, signed with McLaren for three years, and that was my last contract in my mind,” the Spaniard revealed to Soymotor.

He added, “I won the championship twice. Being a Formula 1 champion went beyond my wildest imagination. So what else could I do here? When I signed this contract with McLaren, I expected to win more races and championships. Then at some point, I thought I wanted a family and wanted to do normal things, have normal days.” – he pointed out.

And how does he feel about reaching his 400th Grand Prix? “I don’t think the Fernando of 2001 thinks anything strange about the 400th Grand Prix, because he didn’t think too much about the future. But for the Fernando of 2007, it would certainly be a surprise,” the Spaniard concluded.

Source: f1ingenerale

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