Fernando Alonso thinks that he’ll be physically capable of racing Formula One’s 1000-horsepower hybrid monsters until he’s 50 years old. The 42-year-old, currently racing with Aston Martin, made his F1 debut in 2001 with Minardi. Alonso’s move to Aston last year immediately led to an uptick in form, with the Spaniard finishing on the podium six times in his first eight races. It was a feat that Alonso was nowhere near for a decade. However, it’s been nearly 50 years since anyone has started an F1 race past their 45th birthday.
Alonso had retired from F1 once before in 2018, after his lackluster stint with McLaren. The two-time F1 champion spent two years on other ventures before returning with Alpine. During his hiatus, he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice and the FIA World Endurance Championship with Toyota. He also infamously failed to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 two years after his first attempt went awry. In 2017, Alonso was running 7th at Indy when his Honda engine failed with 21 laps to go. During his comeback, Alonso proved that he can still compete in Formula 1 if his cars are up to the task.
According to Motorsport.com, Alonso cited his extensive physical conditioning changing his perspective on what F1’s age ceiling is:
“A few years ago, I would say that maybe 40 to 41 was the limit. Now, after I saw myself last year, motivated and performing well, I was thinking maybe that I can keep racing a few more years.”
“This winter, I’ve been exceeding a little bit the expectations in terms of all the physical tests and everything that I did, so I will say that if you are motivated, and if you want to commit, you can drive maybe until 48 or 49, or whatever, or even 50.”
“I can keep doing it for a few more years. But I don’t know if I will be racing until 50, with such a demanding calendar and things like that. Not for the abilities, but because there are other things in life that I’m curious about.”
Alonso has been taking better care of himself overall. He adopted a plant-heavy diet. The Spaniard is also dedicating more time to rest and committing to fewer promotional events.
Alonso is already close to rarified air in terms of longevity in F1. Graham Hill was the most recent driver to start an F1 race at 45 or older when he lined up for the 1975 Brazilian Grand Prix. Michael Schumacher was the only driver to come close to the triple crown winner. The seven-time world champion retired from Mercedes in 2013 at 43 years old. The 1950s were the last time anyone started a Grand Prix in their 50s.