How box office Alonso is still proving his star quality in F1
Fernando Alonso's return to Formula 1 in 2021 with Alpine has so far not reached the heights that made him a legend, but there's no doubting his status and ultimate target. After his outstanding exploits away from the grand prix scene, the Spaniard opens up on his driving performance level, F1's future and how he's really viewing his comeback - and in doing so reveals just what he really brings to motorsport's top tier
Formula 1 is better off having Fernando Alonso involved. The double world champion has still got it. And his legend continues, after a period of years in which he has added sporting tales that few of his grand prix racing peers can match.
Yes, Alonso is still a driver worth listening to. Thanks to his time racing IndyCars, sportscars and off-road machines, he’s perhaps uniquely placed to comment on modern motorsport – which, of course, he’s not afraid to do.
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Alex Kalinauckas is Autosport's Grand Prix Editor, covering every Formula 1 race since the start of 2020. After completing a master's degree in journalism at Goldsmiths College University of London in 2014, he worked for a range of motorsport and technology publications while covering national racing as an Autosport freelancer.
A lifelong motorsport fan - no one in his family can explain quite how or why such a development first occurred - Alex joined the Autosport staff in April 2017 as the magazine’s Assistant Editor covering Formula 2 and GP3, before being made Formula E correspondent and Autosport.com’s Plus Editor in March 2018. He lives in north-east London and is constantly frustrated by the Central Line.
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