Fernando Alonso is on the way to achieving something that nobody was able to achieve before him in the 74-year-long history of Formula 1.
Aston Martin's F1 driver, Fernando Alonso, is currently the oldest driver on the grid. The Spanish matador will turn 43 during the upcoming season. While there have been much older drivers, none have achieved what the Spaniard could in 2024.
The double World Champion has already reached an unbelievable milestone in 2023. Last year, he completed his 20th season in Formula 1, which is more than anyone has done before.
Alonso is valued amongst drivers and team principals for the massive amount of experience he amassed over the 20 years in the sport.
To put it into perspective, the youngest driver in Formula is currently Oscar Piastri, who is 22 years old. Alonso has almost raced for a longer time than the Australian driver has been in this world.
That is hard to comprehend. What's more, the 22-year-old started 22 Grand Prix races so far in his career. Could you guess how many Grand Prix starts the Spanish Matafor has ahead of the 2024 season?
It is whooping 377. And now, we are reaching the milestone that Alonso could achieve this year. With the 2024 season consisting of 24 Grand Prix Races, Alonso has a chance to break the magical barrier of 400 Grand Prix starts.
Lewis Hamilton is the second driver with the most Grand Prix starts currently on the grid. The Briton is overall the third person in history with most Grand Prix starts, and he is currently at number 332.
If there have been much older drivers before, how is it possible that Alonso has the most starts already at age 42? In the past, the calendar used to include much fewer races.
It depends on what period we talk about, but at the beginning of the sport, the Formula 1 calendar used to consist of eight races. The number has gradually grown over the years with the increasing popularity of the sport.
The 2024 season could be the first season in F1 that will feature more than 22 races as the schedule includes 24 Grand Prix weekends.
POPULAR NEWS
Jos Verstappen Encourages Max's Critics: 'Max Only Gets Better From Unjustified Criticism'
Ferrari Needs To Take Lesson From Verstappen Says Vasseur
Jos Verstappen Thinks Max-Lando Friendship Might Suffer More In Future
F1 Drivers Pick Top 10 Among Themselves: Vertsappen Wins Again
Verstappen Receives Response From Ferrari Team Principal After Making Bold Claim
