At 42 years old and with 387 Grand Prix under his belt, Fernando Alonso is undeniably a veteran of the sport. Despite his age, the Spanish driver has postponed his retirement. He recently extended his contract with Aston Martin, ensuring his presence on the grid until he’s 45. Former driver Pedro de la Rosa hails Alonso as the sport’s only true ‘superman’.
De La Rosa, who himself competed in Formula 1 for nine seasons and is now an ambassador for Aston Martin, has had many opportunities to spar with Alonso throughout his motorsport career. “He’s taken excellent care of himself his entire life,” De la Rosa recently said about his compatriot. “His life revolves around racing. He sleeps, eats, and breathes motorsport, and that ultimately makes the difference. You can’t compete in Formula 1 into your 40s if you don’t take incredibly good care of yourself.”
Alonso himself has hinted that his definitive farewell from the sport is fast approaching. However, De la Rosa believes that retirement for Fernando Alonso is still a long way off. “He’ll be 45 when his contract expires,” said De la Rosa. “But honestly, I don’t see an end in sight.”
Pedro de la Rosa (53) himself raced in the premier class until he was 41 – his last season was with HRT in 2012. Alonso once asked him what changes when you pass 40. “‘Your vision is the first to decline,’ I replied,” De la Rosa recalled. “But he recently told me he had his eyes tested – he scored above 100%. ‘This guy is superman,’ I thought about Alonso.”
