Fernando Alonso, who recently turned 44 years old, made it clear in a recent interview that the criticism from a younger generation of Formula 1 fans regarding his continued presence on the grid does not affect him. The Spanish driver, who celebrated his 44th birthday less than a month ago, continues to add new chapters to the history of the sport. Despite being the oldest driver on the current grid, Alonso is still capable of delivering strong and convincing performances, proving that age has not diminished his ability behind the wheel. For this reason, he remains unfazed by negative opinions from fans who only started following Formula 1 in more recent years.
The two-time world champion, now driving for Aston Martin, stressed that he feels no pressure to win over the approval of younger fans who never saw him race at his peak in the early 2000s. Alonso said: “Honestly, neither I nor Nico [Hulkenberg] care much about what the new generation of fans think. We just try to win races, to work with our team in the best possible way, and to deliver performances. The fans and those watching on television don’t have a full picture of everything that happens or of the performance differences between the cars.”
Fernando Alonso went on to explain that if, in the future, he and Hulkenberg were to find themselves in race-winning machinery, public perception would change very quickly. He continued: “If next year we win eight races in a row, people will say that we did something different over the winter. But the reality is that we train, we travel, and we work every single day to improve ourselves together with our teams.”
He underlined that while results are naturally celebrated with the global fanbase, the primary focus always remains on the work within the team and the technical side of the sport. “When the result comes, we just try to share it with the fans all around the world — but they are not our main priority. I don’t want it to sound disrespectful — we love the fans — but we don’t spend time thinking whether they realize how well or how badly we are driving. This is more about the team and the technical aspect of Formula 1.”
Fernando Alonso made his Formula 1 debut in 2001 and became a global star after defeating Michael Schumacher to win back-to-back world championships with Renault in 2005 and 2006. Although he has not won a Grand Prix since 2013, when he drove for Ferrari, he remains motivated and competitive. With the major regulation changes coming in 2026 and the Aston Martin-Honda project on the horizon, there is still a possibility that Alonso could return to the fight at the very front of the grid.
Alongside him, another experienced driver, Nico Hulkenberg, is also enjoying a career revival. The German, now 37 years old, secured his first ever Formula 1 podium this season at Silverstone — a milestone that had eluded him throughout his long career. Despite the special moment, Hulkenberg is determined to stay realistic about his and the team’s chances. He explained: “Everything depends on the performance of the car and on how the weekend develops. At Silverstone things went well, but the next time it can be completely different. You just have to maximize what you have, exactly as Fernando says.”
Both Fernando Alonso and Nico Hulkenberg show that age does not necessarily define success in Formula 1. With determination, experience, and the right machinery, veteran drivers can still play a decisive role in the sport and challenge the perception of the younger generation of fans who may underestimate them.
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