Fernando Alonso: from plan to mission

“Renault wants to return to the podium. Me too”He said Fernando Alonso a July 8, 2020. His return to Formula 1 was made official by the team where he touched the sky in 2005 and 2006. After leaving the ‘Great Circus’ at the end of 2018, the Spaniard is ready, after two years of testing with great success other more disciplines, to fight again for important milestones in Formula 1.

Because that was meant to be the goal. “The team wants and has a way to get back on the podium, like me”, said in Asturian. Both Renault and Alonso have the 2022 season in mind, where a change in Formula 1 regulations has opened a window for distances where the dominant teams will be reduced.

However, it hasn’t been a good bet for Alonso, who has made it to the podium just once in the more than a season and a half he’s done so far. It was in Qatar at the end of last year. Perhaps this situation also had an influence in pushing Alonso to search a new challenge to Aston Martin for 2023.

“The Aston Martin team is putting all the energy and desire to win. I still have the hunger and ambition to fight to be at the front”Alonso pointed this Monday after his arrival in the British team became official. Alonso did not talk about specific goals such as returning to a drawer, but only time will tell if Aston Martin will give him enough means to extend some legendary numbers that, however, have not moved for a long time his counter.

Last win: 2013 Spanish Grand Prix

The goal of winning is Alonso’s main goal on his return, but the truth is that Alpine seems far from achieving it at the moment. The Spaniard has a fifth place in Great Britain as his best result this year and, in a year and a half with the team, he has added just three top-5s.

So, his last success started almost a decade ago. This was with Ferrari at the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix, the last of the eleven victories he won with the ‘Scuderia’. Neither at McLaren between 2015 and 2018 nor at Alpine in these two seasons did he have the tools to fight for positions of honor. In fact, since his time at Ferrari ended in 2014, he has only been in the early stages of a race in the opening stages of Hungary 2021.

Last podium finish: 2021 Qatar Grand Prix

Despite this, Alonso managed to break his podium drought at the end of last year. He managed to finish third in the Qatar Grand Prix, the penultimate appointment on the calendar, to cut a distance box that separates him from the road to Formula 1. Now he has 98. Of course, this is the only joy added to now .

That podium in Qatar also broke a long streak without stepping on the podium, again since his Ferrari days. Alonso bid farewell to the Italian team in 2014 with third place in China and second in Hungary. Together with Losail they are the last three achievements of the Asturian.

Last pole: 2012 German Grand Prix

The furthest record for Alonso is the pole position, as the last one he achieved was from Germany in 2012, at Hockenheim and with the Ferrari team. However, beyond that podium finish, the drought has come closest to being broken in recent times: he started second this year in Canada, although he was more than six tenths behind Max Verstappen.

It remains to be seen if Alonso can fight this year to return to the top of the starting grids. That aspect will also be decisive to see the potential that Alonso and Aston Martin can aim for in 2023.

Last fastest lap: 2017 Hungarian Grand Prix

The Alpine’s top speed is not one of its strengths, which did not allow Alonso to enjoy the fastest lap sections. Since the end of his time at Ferrari, he has achieved two, both at McLaren in Italy 2016 and in Hungary 2017. This could also be a good incentive in his new phase at Aston Martin.