Fernando Alonso’s ninth-place finish at Zandvoort carried a lot of significance. The most important being that Aston Martin’s upgrades are working. But there is something that will remain forever in the history: Alonso is the first driver over 45 to score points in a Formula 1 race since 1974.
Alonso has matched a longevity record that no one had managed to reach since Graham Hill, but the greatest challenge now lies ahead. If he seals a renewal with Aston Martin, he could surpass milestones in Formula 1 that have not been reached since the 1950s of the previous century, and they are well within reach.
Alonso is the first driver over 45 to score in Formula 1 since 1974
The 1974 Swedish Grand Prix. That was the last time the legendary Graham Hill scored in Formula 1. The only driver to win the sport’s triple crown finished sixth that afternoon in Anderstorp at 45 years, 3 months, and 25 days. Since then, no one over 45 had scored in Formula 1, until Alonso arrived.
At 45 years and 25 days, Alonso finished ninth in Zandvoort, adding a couple of points that push him into legend. The driver who set precocity records in his early years in Formula 1 is now setting longevity marks. Alonso is already the fourteenth-oldest driver to have scored in Formula 1, and he has room to climb many spots on that list.
This very year he could even surpass Hill himself if he scores in one of the season’s closing races, the final dates of which are still uncertain because Qatar and Abu Dhabi are at serious risk due to the Middle East conflict, so they will almost certainly be replaced by more conventional European races.
The key lies in whether Alonso renews with Aston Martin. In fact, the latest rumors point to a new contract that could span two seasons, presumably secured for Alonso but with a 1+1 format that would allow the Asturian to hang up his helmet at the end of 2027 if he is not motivated by the project.
If Alonso competes for those two extra years, and if he scores in the second half of the second season, which would be 2028, he could become the first driver over 47 to score in Formula 1 since Juan Manuel Fangio in 1958. To get to someone scoring over 46, you also have to go back to 1964, Maurice Trintignant.
Alonso is beginning to break records dating back to Formula 1’s paleolithic era, and he’s achieving it with a level of driving that continues to verge on perfection despite his age.
Images | Formula 1
