When was the last time Fernando Alonso won a race or finished on the podium?

With the 2024 Formula 1 season about to kick off in Bahrain, we’re looking at one of the best drivers of the modern era, the man they call ‘Teflonso.’ At 42 years old, Fernando Alonso is a veteran of the sport, but a legend. That being said, it’s been difficult over the last decade for the Spaniard, with just one win in that time, but when and where was it? Let’s find out.

When did Fernando Alonso last win an F1 race?

If you follow Formula 1, it’s highly unlikely that you don’t know the name of Fernando Alonso. Indeed, the 42-year-old Spaniard became a household name in 2005 and 2006 when he won two consecutive titles with Renault. To date, he’s got 32 wins to his name, placing him sixth on the all-time list, with the last one coming in 2013 at the Spanish Grand Prix, the same year he finished as runner-up in the championship while driving with Ferrari. He would move to Mclaren in 2015, but the move, which involved a partnership with Honda, resulted in disaster. Following his three-year debacle, he would actually leave Formula 1 at the end of the 2018 season for almost three years. During that time, he won the Le Mans 24 Hours twice and competed in the Dakar Rally and the Indianapolis 500.

When was the last time Fernando Alonso took the podium?

That would be just last season and there were three of them to boot. The first came in his Aston Martin debut at the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix. Following a first-lap contact with his teammate Lance Stroll - there was no damage - Alonso went on to finish in 3rd place, securing a podium finish and Aston Martin’s first since Sebastian Vettel’s podium at the 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Things would get even better at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix of that year when he finished third once again. It was his 100th podium, a feat that made him just one of 6 drivers to secure 100 podiums in their career. His last podium would come at the Australian Grand Prix when he finished third once again in a race that was filled with chaos.

That, however, is the past. Where the present is concerned, Alonso conceded after qualifying that it was a “massive surprise” to qualify alongside the likes of Ferrari, McLaren, and Mercedes, following an impressive showing by Aston Martin. This of course follows on from the above-mentioned success at the Bahrain Grand Prix last year which drew attention, to say the least. That said, the team struggled during testing earlier this week which understandably drew concern.

“Extremely, I think it was a nice surprise to find ourselves comPetitive,” Alonso told media including RacingNews365. “After winter testing, we had some doubts in terms of one-lap pace. ...Free Practice was a different car this weekend, we felt more comPetitive. But normally we run maybe more engine or less fuel or whatever, and we find reality sometimes in qualifying. So we were very cautious into qualifying about our possibilities. And we found ourselves quite comPetitive in Q1 and Q2 and then in Q3. Now we are in the mix. We are together with a Ferrari, in front of Hamilton, together with the McLarens, so it’s a massive surprise and extremely happy.”