Alonso Believes He Could Race In Formula One Until 50

Tuesday, 13 February 2024 at 05:00

Fernando Alonso broke many records during his career, and he may add some more due to his unique longevity.

In the past, we have seen many drivers extend their racing careers to the point where it seems impossible to perform at peak levels. Louis Chiron is the oldest driver who has ever entered an F1 race when he started the 1955 Monaco Grand Prix at the age of 55 years and 292 days.

Although that was relatively "normal" back in 1950s and 1960s, in the recent history, we have not seen too many drivers, who would drive past their 40s. Specifically, there were only 11 of them since 1976.

Alonso is one of them, and since 1976, he has been the fifth oldest driver to enter a Formula One race. Should he finish the 2024 season, he would jump into second place, only behind the legendary Michael Schumacher.

The legendary German competed at the age of 43 years 10 months and 22 days in 2012, a record that the Spanish driver could surpass during the 2025 season.

Read also

Ecclestone Reportedly Advises Horner To Resign From Position Of Red Bull's Team Principal

After the launch of the new Aston Martin car, Alonso spoke about his aspirations, and when the 42-year-old was asked by BBC about how long he could possibly drive, he surprised by saying it would be possible to race even until 50.

"Maybe I would have said 41 or 42 before. Now I can think maybe I can race for a few more years. So I would say if you are motivated and want to commit, you can drive until 48 or 49 or maybe even 50."

Previously, Alonso's answer would be 41 or 42, but now, he has proved that he can race even longer. At the same time, the two-time World Champion reminded that F1 is an incredibly demanding sport, and even though he could race until 50, he probably won't.

"But at the same time, you have to give up everything in life. F1 needs total dedication - I gave my life for this. I am happy with that and I can keep going for a few more years but I don't know if I will be racing until 50 with such a demanding calendar as that - not for the abilities but because there are other things in life I am curious [about]."