Why has Fernando Alonso gone so long without F1 success?
![Fernando Alonso in the Alpine garage. Spain May 2022.](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.planetsport.com%2Fimage-library%2Fland%2F700%2Ff%2Ffernando-alonso-spanish-gp-garage-may-2022.webp&w=3840&q=75)
For someone like Fernando Alonso, widely regarded as one of Formula 1’s greatest ever drivers, to go nine full years without a race win feels completely baffling – but here we are.
The two-time World Champion (although, with eight extra points combined over three seasons, we'd be talking about a five-time champion, but that's immaterial), heads back home to Spain at the weekend knowing that almost a decade has passed since his 32nd and most recent Formula 1 race win, at the same venue.
But with Alonso, there still feels like there's a lingering sense of what might have been for the Spaniard - despite the success.
F1 car trouble
It's not like he lost his competitive edge in that time, either.
McLaren's former No. 1 mechanic has claimed team staff were "squabbling" about wanting to work on Fernando Alonso's car in 2007, instead of Lewis Hamilton's in his rookie year. #F1https://t.co/Q5nzz341aI pic.twitter.com/dFCDKPZ0Wr
— PlanetF1 (@Planet_F1) May 18, 2022
"This is the nature of the sport," Alonso recently told the BBC when speaking about how your car shapes your chances in Formula 1.
"Lewis (Hamilton) is driving as good as he has been the last eight years. He was dominating the sport and breaking all the records and 100-and-something pole positions. And now he is doing a mega lap - as he said in Australia or somewhere like that - and he is one second behind. So, yeah - welcome."
Where next for Alonso?
Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari have both drivers contracted beyond this year, and Red Bull look increasingly likely to keep Sergio Perez alongside Max Verstappen - with Christian Horner recently pretty much shutting down any hope of a Red Bull super-team next season.
The man himself seems pretty chilled out about the situation when he looks back at his win drought.
Mercedes' dominance meant that even if his car was competitive in the turbo hybrid era, he would have been unlikely to compete anyway, admitting that he'd never had conversations over a move to the Brackley-based team.
Alonso off the podium top step
Home kit hits different 😎🇪🇸#SpanishGP @alo_oficial @KappaFrance pic.twitter.com/qwhO21cii1
— BWT Alpine F1 Team (@AlpineF1Team) May 19, 2022
Alonso is looking as quick as ever, despite his horrendous bad luck so far this year, and he said previously he's keen to carry on for another couple of years.