Fernando Alonso (ESP) Aston Martin F1 Team. 20.07.2023. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 12, Hungarian Grand Prix, Budapest, Hungary, Preparation Day.
Fernando Alonso has hit out at critics of his previous career moves in Formula 1, arguing it shows the “lack of knowledge that everyone has at home”.
Alonso debuted with Minardi in 2001 and proceeded to become a works Renault driver in 2003, where he won two successive World Championships in 2005 and ‘06.
A pre-agreed switch to McLaren would follow, but Alonso would return to Renault after only one year following a tumultuous season spent alongside Lewis Hamilton.
Two uncompetitive seasons that failed to yield a championship charge saw Alonso take up the prized offering of potentially returning Ferrari to glory in 2010.
But despite being in contention at the final round on two occasions, Alonso was unable to deliver the title back to Maranello and as the relationship grew sour, the Spaniard embarked on a sensational return to McLaren, who were returning to Honda-power from 2015 onwards.
However, the Japanese manufacturer’s renewed partnership with McLaren would fail to repeat the huge success it had sustained in the late 1980s, with unreliability and poor performance failing to deliver a single podium before the agreement was terminated only three years in.
Although McLaren returned to Renault powertrains for 2018, the uncompetitive standing of the Woking side witnessed Alonso announce his retirement from F1, with the two-time champion progressing to win the Le Mans 24 hours on two occasions.
A return to F1, though, would beckon with the Renault-powered Alpine side before Alonso signed a deal to replace fellow multiple World Champion Sebastian Vettel with Aston Martin from 2023 onwards.
Although much criticism has been levied at Alonso for failing to build on his early F1 success through a plethora of poor team choices, the 41-year-old reveals he wouldn’t have changed a single thing.
“I would not change anything,” he declared. “I don’t regret anything. No one has a crystal ball to know what is the performance of the teams in the following year.
“When I left Renault, which was the first decision, I joined McLaren, and that season, we fought for the World Championships. So, in terms of how competitive we were, it was a good thing and a good move.
“Then I joined Ferrari, I don’t think any of the drivers will reject an offer from Ferrari and join that team. And we fought for three Championships of the five years that I was there.
Fernando Alonso (ESP), McLaren Honda 24.05.2015. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 6, Monaco Grand Prix, Monte Carlo, Monaco, Race Day.
“Then I joined McLaren-Honda, which was a project that we all thought that it could be interesting and powerful. It didn’t work – OK, that thing can happen in this sport.
“And then I stopped Formula 1 because I had too many things in my head and too many challenges that I wanted to try. And it was a wonderful time in my career to try the endurance racing and that car, and Indy, with quite good success as well. So happy for that.
“And then I came back to Formula One with what I always considered my family in Alpine, in Renault.
“And now the last decision which for everyone’s opinion was the worst one, to go for Aston Martin. It was the best one, arguably of my career. So that just shows the difficulty of choosing teams, and lack of knowledge that everyone has at home.”
Alonso’s move to Aston Martin coincided with the Silverstone outfit taking a substantial leap up the pecking order at the start of this campaign.
The two-time F1 title winner would register six podium finishes to sit third in the Drivers’ Championship, only behind the Red Bull pair.
However, the British marque’s recent performance regression has seen Alonso fail to stand on the rostrum in the past three races, with the Oviedo-born racer claiming after the Hungarian Grand Prix that Aston Martin now possesses the fifth-fastest car.
Keyword: Alonso hits out at criticism over F1 career moves