Fernando Alonso, now 44, recently made history as the oldest Formula 1 driver on the current grid — and the first since Graham Hill in 1975 to race beyond that age. With 415 race starts, he also holds the record as the most experienced driver in F1 history. Yet, despite his legendary status, Alonso hasn’t stood on the top step of the podium since the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix, or claimed a world title since 2006.
This means a whole generation of newer fans has never seen the two-time world champion win a race — or a title.
The conversation around veteran drivers was reignited at the British Grand Prix, where Nico Hulkenberg — with 241 starts under his belt — finally secured his first F1 podium after 239 attempts. The moment coincided with the release of F1, the Hollywood blockbuster starring Brad Pitt as fictional veteran driver Sonny Hayes, who makes a dramatic return to the grid and wins his first grand prix.
The film has shattered box office records and now stands as the highest-grossing movie of Pitt’s career. But Alonso isn’t buying into the idea that a fictional win by an older driver has softened fans’ perspectives on real-life veterans like himself and Hulkenberg.
“I don’t think Nico or I care too much about what the next-generation fans think,” Alonso told media, including RacingNews365.
“We only try to win races, work with our team the best we can, and deliver performance. Fans and people watching on TV don’t have the full picture of what’s happening or the performance differences between cars.”
Alonso emphasized that results don’t come from cinematic narratives or sudden inspiration — but from relentless hard work.
“If next year Nico and I have a winning car and we win eight consecutive races, they’ll think we did something special over the winter — like changed our diet or learned how to drive again,” he said. “That’s not the reality. We train, eat, travel, and work in the simulator every single day. We’re always striving to improve with our teams.”
And while Alonso made it clear that he appreciates fan support, he was unapologetic about where his focus lies.
“When we achieve results, we share that joy with the fans — but they’re not our priority. That might sound harsh, but it’s the truth. We love the fans, but our concern isn’t whether they know how well or badly we drove. That’s something for the team.”
As for Hulkenberg, he echoed a similar sentiment, brushing aside any perceived connection between the film’s storyline and recent results.
“There’s no correlation,” he said. “The link between experienced drivers and the timing of these results is purely circumstantial.”
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