Fernando Alonso It is living history of motoring. One of the few drivers who can switch classes and get good results. Formula 1, resistance, oval even in the rally world. The Spaniard, at 41, is still as fresh as his F1 title-winning seasons, which will see him become the one who has played the most Grands Prix in the history of the category.
In the 2022 Italian GP, Fernando Alonso will equal Kimi Raikkonen with 350 races and will overtake the Finn at the next meeting in Singapore with 351. A number that will continue to expand until at least 2024 after the two-time world champion signed with Aston Martin. In such a way that Asturias he could leave his record at the time of retirement with 400 Grands Prix behind hima peak that will be very difficult to even approach.
The numbers in Formula 1 don’t always tell the whole story, especially when the class calendar has gradually increased its dates over the past decade. Furthermore, it is a discipline in which the machine matters more than who is behind the wheel, as reflected by the decline in the careers of names such as Jenson Button, Michael Schumacher or David Coulthard. Therefore, it is difficult to evaluate a driver in the right measure and context with statistics alone, even more so if they only focus on the top positions.
For this reason, it is time to check how Fernando Alonso compares to the drivers who have competed in the most Formula 1 Grands Prix.
Fernando Alonso’s record against his “rivals”.
The first thing that is going to be put on the table when it comes to nominating any pilot will be what they have achieved throughout their career. In the case of those who raced longer, these records are unclear due to the length of their Formula 1 careers. Apart from the exceptions of Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacherwhose excellence in steering and skill in equipment selection enabled them to always remain in the race for victory, four other competitors who overcame it 300 Grand Prix is in the background.
His statistical brilliance Kaiser and Hamilton places them in a position of relevance and superiority in relation to the rest and any comparison in this category would be a useless effort, in such a way that It’s in a different league.
Apart from this, it is noteworthy that Fernando Alonso, despite the fact that it had seasons as terrible as 2015, 2016, 2017 or 2018, where he had almost more DNFs than races finished, he ranks above the rest in terms of percentage. The Spaniard beats Button, Barrichello and Raikkonen to the pole positions and wins and just give in to Finnish in platforms Because of the time it was in Ferrari, while Alonso languishes at McLaren.
On the other hand, in average points per game a clarification needs to be made. Barrichello he raced almost all his time in F1 with a different system (10-6-4-3-2-1), while Button, Raikkonen and Alonso they mixed the previous model (10-8-6-4-3-2-1) with the current one which awards 25 to the winner. Even so, the two-time champion is ahead of the Brits and Finns.
| Pilot | Big prizes | pole positions | victories | platforms | Grade point average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kimi Raikkonen | 350 | 18 (5.1%) | 21 (6%) | 103 (29.4%) | 5.35 |
| Fernando Alonso* | 349 | 22 (6.3%) | 32 (9.1%) | 98 (28%) | 5.84 |
| Rubens Barrichello | 323 | 14 (4.3%) | 11 (3.4%) | 68 (21%) | 2.04** |
| Michael Schumacher | 307 | 68 (22.1%) | 91 (29.6%) | 155 (50.4%) | 5.10** |
| Jenson Button | 306 | 8 (2.6%) | 15 (4.9%) | 50 (16.3%) | 4.04 |
| Lewis Hamilton* | 303 | 103 (33.9%) | 103 (33.9%) | 188 (62%) | 14.27 |
* Active
** Different points system for most of his career
Clearing up the differences in relation to the statistical elite and the divisions where Alonso has surpassed the oldest in F1, it is worth pointing out one category where the Spaniard’s level really shows. A metric that reflects skill behind the wheel and not so much the level of the car: the races he finished in the points.
| Pilot | Big prizes are contested | Big rewards in points | % of routes in points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kimi Raikkonen | 350 | 219 | 62.57% |
| Fernando Alonso | 349 | 228 | 65.33% |
| Rubens Barrichello | 323 | 140 | 43.34% |
| Michael Schumacher | 307 | 221 | 71.99% |
| Jenson Button | 306 | 162 | 52.94% |
| Lewis Hamilton | 303 | 262 | 86.47% |
Two aspects again stand out in this table.
The first, how could it be otherwise, its brilliance Hamilton and Schumacher, especially in the case of the Brit who he has not scored in a ridiculous 41 Grands Prix.
Second, its great pace Alonso manage to finish in the points in most of the races he has competed in. Bearing in mind that the Spaniard has given up on 20.34% of the events that are played out, that leaves in just 50 matches (14.3%) he has seen the checkered flag he has not scored any points.
A number that leaves no one indifferent despite the likes and dislikes in Spanish.
Level above the car
Fernando Alonso is a talent without equal, able to put the car in positions where, a priori, it shouldn’t. The mistake made by the Spaniard in 2014 to leave Ferrari in favor of a McLaren-Honda that never worked has ended up leaving a very interesting scenario. While the machine was unable to finish in relative positions, the two-time world champion managed to turn the situation around.
Another interesting statistic to check Fernando Alonso’s performance compared to the drivers who have competed in most Grand Prix is to compare his starting position against his finishing position. Here it is multiple factors such as car performance, pace, tire management or even qualifying speed.
| Pilot | Average starting position | Average arrival position | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kimi Raikkonen | 7.76 |
6.24 |
+1.54 places |
| Fernando Alonso | 8.68 | 6.21 | +2.47 places |
| Rubens Barrichello | 8.91 | 7.06 | +1.85 places |
| Michael Schumacher | 4.87 | 3.70 | +1.17 places |
| Jenson Button | 10 | 7.45 | +2.55 places |
| Lewis Hamilton | 3.84 | 3.31 | +0.53 places |
Essentially tied to Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso is the second driver among those who have competed in more than 300 GPs most used to improving his starting position in a race. Throughout his time in F1, the current Alpine driver has dazzled with his superb standing starts, a trait that has been honed over time and which doesn’t always translate to a positive result due to the car’s performance, but this is an example of it.
In a recent interview with Diario AS, Alonso revealed that one of the goals he set for himself from Saturday to Sunday was to improve on the result expected by his team. A sign that there are people in Formula 1 capable of outperforming the machine.
“A lot of times you go to the strategy meeting on Sundays, before the race, and from all the simulations that are done on the night, they give you a prediction for ninth place”said the 41-year-old pilot. “Then to do a seventh or a sixth in that race is a small personal achievement that you do. I’m always the most demanding of myself.”
When it comes to analyzing a career as extensive and nuanced as Fernando Alonso’s, there’s a danger of overstating his achievements or just the opposite because of the moments that happened. Therefore, it is always necessary to go to the root and analyze this data, in such a way that accompanied by a frame and a volume as a whole which they explain why his time in Formula 1 is so impressive.
Few in F1 history have achieved this retire on your own terms and before time burdens his legacy. Fernando Alonso is one of them.
