Alonso 'still dreaming' of third world title

Fernando Alonso is considering his past, coming and early successful Formula 1 - and astir of each his thoughts connected his prospects of winning a 3rd world drivers' title, moreover though he is 43 and it's 18 years since his last.

"I still dream," Alonso says. "Why not? I cognize 2026 is astir apt my only chance because 2025 is highly difficult, but I americium still dreaming.

"F1 is for dreamers, probably, because thing tin happen. Let's see."

It's a remark that says a batch astir Alonso. It talks to his axenic emotion of what he does, and his unwavering belief that, contempt the experiences of the past decade and much of his career, caller occurrence could beryllium conscionable astir the corner.

It's 11 years and counting since Alonso secured the past of his 32 grands prix victories. It's a twelvemonth and a half since a promising commencement to 2023 meant he re-emerged arsenic a regular frontrunner successful his Aston Martin, and put together a drawstring of podium finishes - moreover almost extremity that agelong drought - earlier his team's shape faded.

And astatine the extremity of the longest play successful history, his early hopes person again been dashed against the acold difficult reality of F1 results.

Yet present is Alonso, still believing much wins, and moreover different title to adhd to the 2 he won pinch Renault successful 2005 and 2006, could beryllium conscionable astir the corner.

It mightiness not sound for illustration it, but his belief is founded connected rationality. Three months ago, Aston Martin shook F1 erstwhile they announced the signing of Adrian Newey - the top designer successful the sport's history.

The 65-year-old, who announced successful May he was leaving Red Bull aft 18 years, starts activity pinch his caller squad successful March 2025. The dream - no, anticipation - is Newey tin activity his magic connected the car Aston Martin creation for the new rules coming into unit successful 2026, and they tin leap to the front.

"Expectations will beryllium precocious because it is simply a caller car, alteration of regulations, car made by Adrian," Alonso said.

"Probably - aliases astatine slightest to commencement - it will beryllium my past play successful F1. Because my statement finishes astatine the extremity of 2026. It is the clip of delivering and the clip of truth. High expectations."

For Alonso, Aston Martin joining forces pinch Newey astatine past is simply a bittersweet moment, not slightest because he knows earlier it starts their clip together will beryllium short.

The brace person travel adjacent to moving together a number of times complete the years. Now, Alonso yet gets the chance to title 1 of Newey's cars, but it will beryllium erstwhile he is 44, coming up for 45. Even Alonso cannot support going forever.

After deciding not to subordinate Red Bull astatine the extremity of 2007, past not reaching a woody to subordinate them erstwhile they had further talks successful 2013, why does he deliberation he and Newey person yet travel together now?

"Destiny," Alonso says. "It seems for illustration destiny ever I was missing the opportunity. But he came now astatine the extremity of my profession and I will still bask arsenic overmuch arsenic I can, effort to study from him.

"We person this communal respect. We exchanged immoderate messages and said from clip to clip and it seems for illustration we connected always. We ne'er worked together but we were ever successful the aforesaid wave erstwhile we talked successful the past. I americium looking forward.

"And for Aston Martin it is simply a large thing."

Alonso signed a caller contract pinch Aston Martin past outpouring that will support him pinch the squad until he is moving into the 2nd half of his 40s - he will move 45 successful July 2026.

He does not for illustration to talk astir this, and has said a number of times he feels it's not applicable - that much downforce connected an F1 car is simply a overmuch much important effect connected its thigh clip than age.

Of course, he would opportunity that. But it is worthy talking about. He is doing thing that has not been done since the 1950s - driving an F1 car competitively into his mid-40s.

It is, by the very meaning of the word, extraordinary, and yet the bonzer point is he doesn't look recognise it arsenic such.

"No, I don't," he says. "I'm not reasoning excessively overmuch connected that. Media reminds maine from clip to clip immoderate of the stats and immoderate of the numbers but for maine I consciousness for illustration I was 25 aliases 30 and I support racing successful F1.

"I don't consciousness it. I consciousness motivated, I consciousness fresh, I consciousness fresh to thrust and to do the aforesaid training I was doing for 20 years now, because it is the aforesaid regular much aliases less."

So why does he deliberation he has been capable to do this, and no-one else, yet, has been able, aliases offered the opportunity, to do the same?

"I deliberation because my subject of moving and training and dedicating myself to F1 has been rather extreme," Alonso says, "and the results possibly are paying off.

"I person ne'er been missing immoderate trial convention aliases immoderate debrief aliases immoderate mill clip aliases training. I person ne'er been retired aliases partying excessively much.

"Maybe the results are coming now successful my 40s, but the starting constituent was astatine 20s aliases 30s, erstwhile you request to dedicate yourself to F1 for a agelong play of clip to execute immoderate results later on."

As drivers age, what usually slows them down is that they suffer the desire to do it. It ceases to matter truthful much.

Time passes and the value of shaving the past milliseconds disconnected a thigh clip - of driving astir successful circles, arsenic Niki Lauda famously put it erstwhile he retired for the first clip mid-race play successful 1979 - diminishes. So excessively does the desire to make the galore required sacrifices, successful position of beingness commitment, successful position of clip distant from family.

With Alonso, though, the occurrence of emotion and desire is still burning strong. Why?

"Because I ne'er had a bully car that I could predominate something, isolated from my play pinch the world endurance title pinch Toyota [in 2019-20].

"That play I realised really awesome it could beryllium to person a dominating car successful F1 arsenic well, because you could execute truthful galore results and thrust arsenic you wish.

"All my profession I person been driving cars that were possibly not the champion successful that moment, moreover my 2 World Championships. In 2005, the McLaren was the fastest car but their reliability was bad truthful we compensated pinch that and won the championship.

"And past successful 2006, they were very akin but the Ferrari and Michael [Schumacher] had a small spot excessively galore DNFs, particularly successful Japan astatine the extremity of the year, and I won the championship.

"I support delivering and motivated and I americium not [feeling for illustration I am] driving successful circles because each twelvemonth I still person the dream that will beryllium the play I could person a accelerated car."

Does he interest different group mightiness look astatine his property and suffer religion he tin do the occupation earlier he does?

"Not worry," he says. "I cognize it is happening and it will happen. There is simply a younger procreation of fans and followers who are conscionable into F1 and they don't cognize overmuch astir maine and they ne'er saw maine winning a title aliases they spell conscionable by the results.

"But I still person the dream I tin beryllium them incorrect and person a accelerated car successful 2026."

Is he still driving arsenic good arsenic ever, arsenic he insists? It's difficult to beryllium judge erstwhile a driver's team-mate is not adjacent to his level, arsenic Lance Stroll is not pinch Alonso.

But the underlying indicators are successful Alonso's favour. He scored the bulk of his points successful the first fewer races of the season, erstwhile he was qualifying regularly successful the apical six.

On average, the Aston Martin has been the 5th fastest car - and they person vanished 5th successful the constructors' championship. But complete the 2nd half of the season, their shape has tailed disconnected to the grade the car has been the 3rd slowest connected the grid.

Yet Alonso has still vanished the play arsenic the highest driver successful the title extracurricular the apical 4 teams. And he has astir doubly arsenic galore title points arsenic the adjacent driver successful a midfield team.

"My self-confidence will ever beryllium location until location is 1 time that I don't consciousness comfortable successful the car. If I consciousness - arsenic you touch connected - slower than my team-mates, aliases slower than what I deliberation is imaginable pinch the car, if that day arrives, astir apt I will raise my manus and extremity racing, because I will not bask immoderate more."

All of which begs different question. The 2026 Aston Martin will beryllium designed by Newey and the squad of large names proprietor Lawrence Stroll has collected to activity pinch him, and designed and built successful the caller mill and upwind passageway successful which the Canadian billionaire has invested successful caller years.

If it is arsenic competitory arsenic the squad dream it will be, mightiness he want to enactment connected longer?

"If 2026 is moving smoothly and we are having a bully clip and location is simply a anticipation to title 1 much year, I will beryllium unfastened [to it] for sure," he says.

"I will not adjacent the doorway beforehand. But I will not commencement reasoning that and I will return each title arsenic if it is my past title and I will bask each second."