Former F1 driver Marc Surer stated that after the 2024 Australian Grand Prix, he believed Fernando Alonso was losing speed with his increasing age.
During the most recent F1 race at Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne, Fernando Alonso got outqualified by his teammate Lance Stroll for the first time this season.
The Spanish Matador put in a time that was 0,48 seconds slower than one of his teammate and was only fast enough for P10.
On the one hand, Alonso's lap was probably influenced by the fact that he damaged the floor of his car on the penultimate run. On the other hand, Marc Surer suggests he is becoming slower with his increasing age. He told Formula1.de:
"As you get older, you simply lose speed. You can’t deny that. I think he’s lost a bit of speed, simply because of age."
"There’s nothing you can do about that. And, of course, that has an impact, especially in the qualification."
The former F1 driver went as far as to say that the double World Champion is no longer one of the top drivers on the grid.
"I think you’ll feel that more and more in the future. That’s why he’s no longer one of the absolute top drivers."
On the contrary, Alonso is believed to be one of the most attractive drivers on the market for the 2025 season. He is connected with top teams like Mercedes and Red Bull, so team principals still see the 42-year-old as a very strong driver.
Concerning the most recent qualifying session, Surer added that he didn't believe that Stroll would suddenly start beating the Spanish Matador, who still has a pace advantage over the Canadian driver.
"The next race will look completely different. I think Lance just has his good ones days. But he doesn’t always have them. Alonso had a bad weekend."
"He couldn’t handle the car or the set-up. He made a lot more mistakes than normal and underperformed, at least in qualifying and practice. That’s why I don’t think there’s any sudden danger of Stroll getting in his way."
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