Aston Martin had a better start to the season than it could’ve imagined. With the second-best car on the grid (at least in the early stages of 2023), Fernando Alonso was maximizing the AMR23’s potential. Racking up podium after podium (and good finishing positions when podiums weren’t possible), Alonso was on a roll. As the season progressed, though, top-five finishes got less frequent, but Alonso didn’t say anything. That was until the Singapore GP. 

Last weekend was the first time he outwardly said anything negative about the car, calling it “undrivable.” His complaints continued into this weekend at the Japanese GP. But after lashing out at his team for its poor strategy at his favorite circuit, Alonso had a completely different outlook on the race after it ended.

Fernando Alonso had only appreciation for Aston Martin after the Japanese GP

Until the Singapore GP, Alonso was one of only three drivers who scored points in every race this season. With that streak ending in Marina Bay, it looked like Suzuka would add to his non-points-finishing streak. Qualifying in P10, the Spaniard started on the soft tires, unlike the mediums of most of the drivers in the top 10. Considering he was on soft tires, coupled with Suzuka’s unusually high tire degradation this year, he had to pit early for hard tires.

When he rejoined the race, he was stuck behind Esteban Ocon’s Alpine. Although he got close to overtaking him more than once, the Alpine pulled away on the straights. One by one, drivers who pitted after him started overtaking him. He wasn’t happy and lashed out, saying, “You’ve thrown me to the lion by stopping that early. Unbelievable.” Because he was making no headway, Aston Martin pitted him for another set of hard tires that worked much better. In the end, he finished a respectable P8.

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In a post-race interview, Alonso seemed much calmer than he was during the race. Happy with his performance, he said, “It was a good race today. A mega start moved us up to sixth, and the car felt good despite a lack of performance yesterday. Having started on the softs, we pitted a little earlier than those around us, and we struggled a bit once we switched to the hard tire. On the second set of hards, we were quite competitive. So, we were able to push and keep the Alpines behind at the end. Everyone is working flat out at the track and the AMRTC. So, we will keep pushing and look forward to Qatar.” 

“I Never Fear Anything”: Fernando Alonso Channels His Inner Samurai to Reclaim the Honor Lost to Lewis Hamilton

There’s no doubt the Spaniard pushes himself as much as he can every race weekend. Doesn’t that make you wonder if—as a 42-year-old—he will retire anytime soon?

Is Fernando Alonso giving retirement even a little thought?

Fernando Alonso is a fighter through and through. The Japanese GP was proof enough of the fact. When he hit a snag in the second stint of the race, he found a solution. He pitted again and achieved the result he could. Just seeing him drive gives this feeling that this is where he’s meant to be—in F1, competing against 19 other drivers, some of whom are close to half his age. But seeing him, we also can’t ignore the fact that he’s in his 20th season in a sport that’s so demanding physically and mentally. Despite being 42, though, he isn’t done with F1 yet.

As reported by Formula Passion, Alonso revealed, “Every race I start, even if we are not strong enough to fight for victory, there is a 1% of me that, when I lower the visor, hopes that it will be the day I win again. 99% of the time, you fail. Life is more about failures than successes. You have to deal with it and become stronger. But the one time you win is worth the wait and all the hard work. The desire to win is always present. I had it from day one, and I still have it now. I won’t stop anytime soon.” 

When do you think Fernando Alonso will finally decide to deprive F1 of his presence?

WATCH THIS STORY | Does Fernando Alonso Believe He Can be a 3-time World Champion?