Fernando Alonso’s career turned the most heads when he drove for Renault in 2005, de-throning Michael Schumacher from 5-year-long Ferrari dominance. Challenging the 7-time champion on track for two years, the pair went head to head with Alonso beating him to claim two world championships.
However, Alonso is not simply focused on Formula 1, but has plans to set foot in every field of motorsport. The driver during his two-year abstinence from F1, tried his hand at Indycar as well. More recently, the Spaniard has spoken out on his ambitions beyond Formula 1.
Alonso’s F1 legacy inspires quest beyond the traditional circuit
Fernando Alonso is most renowned for his achievements in Formula 1, but the Spaniard has been outspoken about his other ambitions in the world of racing. Apart from Formula 1, the Spaniard has had his name recorded at Le Mans, the Indy 500 and even rally racing. He actually won Le Mans in 2018!
Having participated in the Dakar Rally in 2020, the Spaniard recently spoke about his plans to participate in Dakar rally again, with hopes of taking home the race win.
Speaking about his racing priorities, he said, “I’m going to try the Dakar again, 99% , but that doesn’t mean that the third title is less of a priority. It’s a priority, but winning the Dakar is a big priority for me too.”
“If I win in endurance, in Formula 1 and in the Dakar, that would be something very special for me as a driver and as a person,” he continued in an interview with SoyMotor.
How long has Fernando Alonso driven in F1?
Fernando Alonso’s Formula 1 debut dates back to the 2001 Australian Grand Prix with Minardi. He moved to Renault in 2002 as test driver, and became a full-time driver in 2003. In 2005 and 2006, he went head-to-head with Michael Schumacher, clinching his only two world championships in Formula 1.
Moving to Mclaren in 2007, the Spaniard’s career saw little success. Jumping back to Renault for a couple more mediocre seasons, Alonso claimed his seat at Ferrari in 2010, where he stayed until 2014, almost clinching the 2012 championship.
In 2015, he moved back to Mclaren, where he stayed until 2018. After 3 horrible seasons with Mclaren, Alonso announced his retirement.
However, following a 3-year hiatus from F1, Alonso returned with Alpine for the 2021 season, moving to Aston Martin in 2023 after Sebastian Vettel’s retirement.
While he may not have insane number of championships like Vettel or Hamilton, Alonso holds the record for most starts and has accumulated 32 wins in his Formula 1 career. Recently, after a strong start to the 2023 season, the 42-year old is currently sat at P3 in the standings.
Do you think Alonso could ever see success beyond F1? Can he even see that success in F1 anymore? Comment what you think down below!
