A boy named Fernando Alonso: “This winter I have exceeded my expectations”

On July 29, Fernando Alonso will turn 43 years old, ten years younger than Luigi Fagioli was when he won the 1951 French Grand Prix in an Alfa Romeo.

That is the angle from which the Asturian has approached his competition in the Formula 1 World Championship since he returned to it in 2021, with Alpine, and in which he continues dressed in that green so characteristic of James Bond's racing cars.

Aston Martin circulates dedicated to its main claim, that in its first season with the Silverstone team (Great Britain) it swore eternal love for the brand and that months later, when the time approaches to sit down to evaluate the renewal options, it plays with the steering wheels that may be left without an owner as a result of the explosive signing of Lewis Hamilton by Ferrari with a view to 2025.

If we are guided by the three days of preseason that were held this week in Bahrain, where the World Cup will begin rolling next Saturday - the start of Ramadan on March 10 has caused the first two races, the second in Saudi Arabia, are celebrated a day earlier than usual, to avoid doing so on that holiday—the third crown that Alonso is pursuing is nothing short of an entelechy.

Not so much because more than 15 years have passed since the second one was held, with Renault, (2006), but because the data and the impression left by the winter tests invite us to think about an almighty Red Bull.

This 2024, Verstappen (and company) could even be able to exploit an increase in the performance of his car compared to those of the competition.

A notable feat if we take into account that the RB19, the car with which he celebrated his two-time championship, took all the wins except one (Singapore), and that it destroyed most of the established records, some of them in force since the times by Michael Schumacher in Ferrari.

“On this grid there are already 19 drivers [out of 20, in total] who we think are not going to win the World Championship.

This discipline is that brutal,” Alonso said in Sakhir, at the end of the last preseason training session, the best for him in terms of speed, even though he finished eight tenths behind the fastest (Charles Leclerc).

“Max is the champion and Red Bull dominates the scene.

They have even surprised with the design of this year's car.

We can only admire them and take our hats off,” added the man from Oviedo, who in 2024 will face his 21st season in the great F-1 circus.

More information

Aston Martin presents AMR24, Fernando Alonso's new car

Last year, in his first experience wearing the Aston Martin suit, the rearmament carried out by the structure commanded by Lance Stroll caught several of the big boys on the wrong foot.

This allowed the Spaniard to flirt with the long-awaited 33rd victory of his record, the one he has been pursuing for a decade, when he climbed to the highest step of the podium, in Montmeló (2013), in front of his people and when he was defending the Ferrari red.

In 2023 he had it very close in Monaco, in Canada and in Holland, where he made Red Bull tremble, although in the end the muscle of the red buffalo troop and the talent of Mad Max prevailed.

Without the surprise factor in his favor, and with the theoretical revitalization that Mercedes and Ferrari have hinted at, Alonso will have an even more difficult time.

“After seeing the car,” he said in reference to the Red Bull;

“I think there will be fewer opportunities to win a race this year.

That's how things are".

As one gets older, the goals and driving force change.

In his first stage at Renault, the only thing the driver needed to do was win, win, win.

Now, almost 20 years later and as he faces the twilight of his time in Formula 1, he enjoys the journey much more than then.

“Probably, if there is something I would change about my past, it is the little margin I gave myself to enjoy the good moments, all the successes,” acknowledges Alonso, who does not think of hanging up his helmet at the end of the year. .

He has already made it clear that Aston Martin has priority, but that he is by no means ruling out other destinations.

In that sense, Hamilton's departure from Mercedes and the debate surrounding Checo Pérez since he competes for Red Bull, anticipate some busy months from a market point of view.

The issues surrounding the drop in the performance of every athlete when they exceed a certain age are a constant in their appearances before the press.

To address this debate, the oldest member of the grid – the average age is 27 years, he is 42 – claims to have scientific arguments that support his belief that he is in better physical shape than ever.

As he has been doing for a long time, Alonso completes the first part of his winter physical preparation in the high mountains, on the Italian side of the Alps.

There he carries out a series of effort routines of one, two and five kilometers, as well as tests of reaction speed and strength, with weights, in the gym.

Changes in diet

“In some tests in the last five or six years there was a drop in performance, although it was minimal, especially in muscle mass.

That's because, starting at age 30 or 35, you lose muscle.

This year, however, I have recovered maximum levels.

That, in part, is due to a change in diet that I have implemented,” he reveals in statements made to Autosport.

Fourth place in the last World Cup, Alonso works today with the Aston Martin nutritionist.

“Now there is much more information, which will surely help you understand the benefits of a diet, for example, around elements derived from plants,” he elaborates.

In the same way that medicine and health care have been instrumental in extending people's life expectancy, he believes that knowledge, study and technology applied to high performance will also allow us to see older pilots, at least in your case.

“A few years ago I would have said that the border was around 40 or 41 years.

Now, after having been as motivated as I was last year, and because of how I performed, I think I will be able to continue competing for a few more years,” he warns, before emphasizing: “This winter I exceeded expectations regarding physical preparation.

So I would dare say that if you are motivated and want to commit, you can even run until you are 48, 49 or even 50 years old.”

You can follow EL PAÍS Deportes on

Facebook

and

X

, or sign up here to receive

our weekly newsletter

.

Subscribe to continue reading

Read without limits

Keep reading

I am already a subscriber

_