Fernando Alonso uses WEC title to counter ‘darkest tunnel’ career theory

While it has been almost a decade since Fernando Alonso won in Formula 1, he pointed out that motorsport is about more than just F1 as he defended his career productivity.

12 May, 2013. That is the last time that Alonso tasted grand prix victory in Formula 1, taking the chequered flag in front of his home crowd at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya at the wheel for Ferrari.

From there it was a very tricky period in Alonso’s F1 career, the failed McLaren-Honda reunion being the final straw as he headed on a sabbatical after the 2018 campaign, ultimately returning to the series in 2021.

However, for the perception among many in the F1 paddock that Alonso’s career has not yet yielded the kind of success which it should have, Alonso pointed towards his F1 break as reference for why he has not been in a “dark tunnel for decades”.

Alonso raced to back-to-back 24 Hours of Le Mans titles alongside Sébastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima in those years away from F1, also winning the 2018-19 World Endurance Championship title with that duo.

Now back in F1 with the Aston Martin team, having made the switch from Alpine, Alonso has claimed a trio of P3 finishes to start F1 2023, and while admitting that it is winning which satisfies his competitive streak, he said his WEC successes provide plenty of light for the dark tunnel which some perceive his career to have become.

“It hasn’t been that long [since I had a chance of winning races on merit],” said Alonso, as per Motorsport.com.

“I know that people always think that I’ve been in the darkest tunnel for decades [but] I’ve been world champion four years ago [in the WEC].

“I know it’s not F1, but our world is not about only F1, there are many beautiful things in motorsport.

“I’d been winning and dominating in WEC just four years ago. I’ve been fighting for podiums for the last two years with Alpine [in F1]. I’ve been fighting for even pole positions in Australia last year, first row on the grid in Canada like eight months ago.

“I never felt that I was out of Q1 for 10 years, and now suddenly I became alive.

“I’ve been always competitive and hopefully now I’m a little bit more so. But until you win, it doesn’t change much, to finish seventh or to finish third, or to finish second, or to finish 11th. It doesn’t change that – you win or you lose.”

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Alonso’s 2005 and 2006 titles remain his only crowns in Formula 1, despite him being regarded as one of F1’s great all-round racers.

But, while some feared that leaving Alpine for Aston Martin could have been another questionable team swap for the Spaniard, instead it is looking like a masterstroke at this stage, with Alonso boasting a 100 percent podium attendance record so far in F1 2023.

To his point, winning is his ultimate aim, but considering how Aston Martin have leapt from a P7 finish in last year’s Constructors’ standings to now sitting P2 early on, to say the team will not go on to the future title success which they crave would be a very risky prediction to make.

For Alonso then, a driver who twice tasted ultimate success in Formula 1 and reminding everyone that he can still get the job done with the right car, he now has the chance to close out his F1 story with a chapter that will dispel any chatter of what could have been.