F1 champion claims Fernando Alonso has lost nothing despite being the oldest driver in over 50 years

Fernando Alonso has been backed to still be capable of fighting at the front of the pack despite being the oldest F1 driver in over 50 years.

The 44-year-old was ready to come back fighting in 2026, but thanks to a disaster start for Aston Martin and their new power unit provider Honda, questions around the Spaniard's future continue to swirl.

Alonso was even seen having to take his hands off the steering wheel whilst competing in last weekend's Chinese Grand Prix just to find some momentary relief from the pain he was experiencing from the vibrations of the Honda PU.

But his former team-mate Jenson Button has reaffirmed that Alonso is more than capable of continuing to compete in the pinnacle of motorsport, that is if his new AMR26 can ever make it through a full-length grand prix.

Having both dealt with Honda engines at McLaren in the past, Button and Alonso were reunited at the same team once again as the retired racer joined Aston Martin as an ambassador for 2026.

But despite being Alonso's senior by just two years, Button recently admitted that he wouldn't be able to deal with a 24-race calendar, though he had no doubt that Alonso certainly hasn't lost his touch.

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Of course, the 2026 campaign will now see Alonso and his 21 competitors take to the track for only 22 race weekends in total following the confirmation from F1, FOM and the FIA that next months' Bahrain and Saudi Arabian grands prix will no longer take place due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

But even with a testing campaign ahead, Button has maintained that Alonso's work ethic and ability to rise to the challenge hasn't changed.

In the first edition of the 2009 champion's 'Jenson's Journal' with Aston Martin, Button said: "I really would jump at the chance to drive one of Adrian's cars. A demo run perhaps? But 24 races in a season... I'm too old for that.

“Fernando though...

"I raced alongside him for a couple of years, and although they weren't the easiest years in the sport for both of us, the one thing I had, the one true benchmark, if you like, was Fernando as my team-mate.

"Trying to go out there and beat someone like Fernando in equal machinery was a real challenge – and I loved that challenge. Seeing his work ethic, but also how he had fun out of the car – he's a really good character. 10 years later, none of that has changed about Fernando."

Who is the oldest driver on the F1 2026 grid?

Alonso was born on July 29, 1981, making him 44 years old at the start of the 2026 championship.

When the two-time champion confirmed his decision to extend his contract with Aston Martin in 2024 to race with the team until at least the end of 2026, he solidified his fate of becoming the oldest F1 driver in over 50 years.

His current contract is set to see him race beyond his 45th birthday, making him the oldest driver to race in F1 since Graham Hill.

Hill was 45 when he drove for Lola Ford at the 1975 Brazilian Grand Prix, the last race of his career that he managed to qualify for.

At 44 years old, Alonso is currently the oldest driver on the F1 2026 grid, and three years Lewis Hamilton’s senior, who is the second oldest to still be competing.

Who is the oldest F1 driver in history?

Monegasque driver Louis Chiron remains the oldest driver to ever race in F1 history.

He was 55 years and 292 days old when he raced around the iconic streets of Monte Carlo for the final time at his home race, crossing the line in P6 with Lancia at the 1955 Monaco GP.

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Written by

Kerry Violet - F1 News Editor

Having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a 2:1 in Journalism in 2022, Kerry continued her pursuit of finding a full-time position in motorsport through work with the F1 Arcade in London, where she got to meet true fans of the sport and make a live grand prix watch party memorable for them. It was here that she confirmed her dream of combining her background in journalism and love of motorsport, going on to volunteer with the female-led platform Empoword Journalism. Having completed stints as a screen editor and sports editor, Kerry landed her first F1-specific editorial role with GPFans and has thoroughly enjoyed continuing to work closely with the sport ever since. The access GPFans offers Kerry has allowed her to interview big names such as Naomi Schiff and David Coulthard and given her experiences she could only have dreamt of as a young F1 fan.

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