Alonso 'still dreaming' of third world title

Fernando Alonso is considering his past, contiguous and aboriginal successful Formula 1 - and astir of each his thoughts connected his prospects of winning a 3rd satellite drivers' title, adjacent though helium is 43 and it's 18 years since his last.

"I inactive dream," Alonso says. "Why not? I cognize 2026 is astir apt my lone accidental due to the fact that 2025 is highly difficult, but I americium inactive dreaming.

"F1 is for dreamers, probably, due to the fact that thing tin happen. Let's see."

It's a remark that says a batch astir Alonso. It talks to his axenic emotion of what helium does, and his unwavering content that, contempt the experiences of the past decennary 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 fractional since a promising commencement to 2023 meant helium re-emerged arsenic a regular frontrunner successful his Aston Martin, and enactment unneurotic a drawstring of podium finishes - adjacent astir extremity that agelong drought - earlier his team's signifier faded.

And astatine the extremity of the longest play successful history, his aboriginal hopes person again been dashed against the acold hard world of F1 results.

Yet present is Alonso, inactive believing much wins, and adjacent different title to adhd to the 2 helium won with Renault successful 2005 and 2006, could beryllium conscionable astir the corner.

It mightiness not dependable similar it, but his content is founded connected rationality. Three months ago, Aston Martin shook F1 erstwhile they announced the signing of Adrian Newey - the top decorator successful the sport's history.

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

"Expectations volition beryllium precocious due to the fact that it is simply a caller car, alteration of regulations, car made by Adrian," Alonso said.

"Probably - oregon astatine slightest to commencement - it volition beryllium my past play successful F1. Because my declaration 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 with Newey astatine past is simply a bittersweet moment, not slightest due to the fact that helium knows earlier it starts their clip unneurotic volition beryllium short.

The brace person travel adjacent to moving unneurotic a fig of times implicit the years. Now, Alonso yet gets the accidental to contention 1 of Newey's cars, but it volition beryllium erstwhile helium is 44, coming up for 45. Even Alonso cannot support going forever.

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

"Destiny," Alonso says. "It seems similar destiny ever I was missing the opportunity. But helium came present astatine the extremity of my vocation and I volition inactive bask arsenic overmuch arsenic I can, effort to larn from him.

"We person this communal respect. We exchanged immoderate messages and spoke from clip to clip and it seems similar we connected always. We ne'er worked unneurotic but we were ever successful the aforesaid frequence 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 with Aston Martin past outpouring that volition support him with the squad until helium is moving into the 2nd fractional of his 40s - helium volition crook 45 successful July 2026.

He does not similar to speech astir this, and has said a fig of times helium 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, helium would accidental 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 precise explanation of the word, extraordinary, and yet the bonzer happening is helium doesn't look recognise it arsenic such.

"No, I don't," helium 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 similar I was 25 oregon 30 and I support racing successful F1.

"I don't consciousness it. I consciousness motivated, I consciousness fresh, I consciousness acceptable to thrust and to bash the aforesaid grooming I was doing for 20 years now, due to the fact that it is the aforesaid regular much oregon less."

So wherefore does helium deliberation helium has been capable to bash this, and no-one else, yet, has been able, oregon offered the opportunity, to bash the same?

"I deliberation due to the fact that my subject of moving and grooming 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 league oregon immoderate debrief oregon immoderate mill clip oregon training. I person ne'er been retired oregon partying excessively much.

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

As drivers age, what usually slows them down is that they suffer the tendency to bash it. It ceases to substance 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 enactment it erstwhile helium retired for the archetypal clip mid-race play successful 1979 - diminishes. So excessively does the tendency to marque the galore required sacrifices, successful presumption of carnal commitment, successful presumption of clip distant from family.

With Alonso, though, the occurrence of emotion and tendency is inactive burning strong. Why?

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

"That play I realised however fantastic it could beryllium to person a dominating car successful F1 arsenic well, due to the fact that you could execute truthful galore results and thrust arsenic you wish.

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

"And past successful 2006, they were precise 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 similar I am] driving successful circles due to the fact that each twelvemonth I inactive person the anticipation that volition beryllium the play I could person a accelerated car."

Does helium interest different radical mightiness look astatine his property and suffer religion helium tin bash the occupation earlier helium does?

"Not worry," helium says. "I cognize it is happening and it volition 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 contention oregon they spell conscionable by the results.

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

Is helium inactive driving arsenic good arsenic ever, arsenic helium insists? It's hard to beryllium definite erstwhile a driver's team-mate is not adjacent to his level, arsenic Lance Stroll is not with Alonso.

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

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

Yet Alonso has inactive finished the play arsenic the highest operator successful the title extracurricular the apical 4 teams. And helium has astir doubly arsenic galore title points arsenic the adjacent operator successful a midfield team.

"My self-confidence volition ever beryllium determination until determination is 1 time that I don't consciousness comfy successful the car. If I consciousness - arsenic you interaction connected - slower than my team-mates, oregon slower than what I deliberation is imaginable with the car, if that day arrives, astir apt I volition rise my manus and halt racing, due to the fact that I volition not bask immoderate more."

All of which begs different question. The 2026 Aston Martin volition beryllium designed by Newey and the squad of large names proprietor Lawrence Stroll has collected to enactment with 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 anticipation it volition be, mightiness helium privation to enactment connected longer?

"If 2026 is moving smoothly and we are having a bully clip and determination is simply a anticipation to contention 1 much year, I volition beryllium unfastened [to it] for sure," helium says.

"I volition not adjacent the doorway beforehand. But I volition not commencement reasoning that and I volition instrumentality each contention arsenic if it is my past contention and I volition bask each second."