Fernando Alonso is currently the oldest driver on the grid and is showing no signs of slowing down. He made his F1 debut way back in 2001, during the dominant years of Michael Schumacher and Ferrari. He became the driver to end that dominance when he won 2 back-to-back titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006. Speaking in the High Performance podcast, he mentioned how he never thought he was slower than Michael.
Alonso’s start in F1 during Schumacher dominance
Fernando Alonso made his F1 debut for Minardi way back in 2001. Those were the days when everything was going only one way, the way of Michael Schumacher and Ferrari. Alonso quickly found his feet in the sport and started putting in miraculous drives for the struggling backmarkers.
Fernando Alonso took a reserve driver role at Renault in 2002, before making his F1 return with them in 2003. Once he got a competitive car, he was immediately making headlines. He got his first win in the same season and proved he was here to stay.
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Ending the Ferrari era
Fernando Alonso was ultimately the one to end Ferrari’s dominance after McLaren came close a couple of times. He clinched the title with Renault in both 2005 and 2006, cementing his legacy as one of the sport’s best. He became famous for his fast starts, race awareness, and steely defense.
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“I just never felt like I was slower than him.”
Fernando Alonso recently explained how he never felt he was slower than the great Michael Schumacher. When he came in as a rookie, Michael was winning everything there was to win. Yet, for a rookie to think he was just as quick shows how strong a mentality Fernando has.
Michael Schumacher retired from F1 at the end of 2006, before making a short-lived comeback for a nascent Mercedes team. Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso found himself at the right team but at the wrong time for the rest of his career. He is currently enjoying life at Aston Martin, which has jumped up the pecking order to become a podium challenger.
