Fernando Alonso: "Racing with Less

Fernando Alonso reflects on a career shaped by challenges, overcoming limitations, and adapting to lesser equipment throughout his racing journey.

Fernando Alonso stated that finding himself with “inferior” equipment has been “the story of his life.”

This remark comes after the two-time world champion admitted he would likely retire from Formula 1 at the end of the 2026 season if Aston Martin fails to show promising competitiveness under the new regulations.

The 2025 season will mark the 20th anniversary of Alonso’s first title with Renault, with a third world championship eluding the Spaniard for two decades. He also remains without a win since his penultimate season with Ferrari in 2013.

“When I was a child, I only had a modest kart. In Asturias, it rains a lot, and when it rained, all the kids would use wet-weather tires, but I raced on slicks because we couldn’t afford wet tires.”

“And that continues even today.”

“Here, we have all the resources for wet-weather tires, but we don’t have the wings Ferrari has, or the floors McLaren has, or anything like that.”

“It’s been the story of my life—racing with slightly inferior tools compared to others and adapting to what I could.”

Even today, Alonso claims to have “just as much hunger for success,” with the goal of at least returning to victory, something he hopes to achieve with Aston Martin and Adrian Newey.

“Even after twenty years without a title, if I do karting and check the timing board, and I’m second, one-tenth or half a tenth behind the leader, I feel the same inner rage, the same frustration, the same anger—and I might even skip dinner that night.”

“In F1, I don’t get into that same state because so much depends on the machine you have. But my hunger for success remains the same.”