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Fernando Alonso set to script history by becoming the first F1 driver to achieve a massive feat in Mexico

Alonso is the only driver to achieve a historical feat in Formula 1 races. He debuted in the 2001 season and has been actively driving in F1 for 21 years.

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Venkata Krishnan
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Fernando Alonso 400

(Source: Fernando Alonso/Instagram)

Veteran Formula 1 driver and two-time world champion Fernando Alonso will be scripting history at the 2024 Mexican Grand Prix this week as he will become the first ever Formula 1 driver to be racing his 400th Grand Prix race. It is a great achievement for any driver and even Alonso can't believe he has come this far in his Formula 1 career. To celebrate the achievement Alonso will be racing with a special livery design helmet remembering all his best moments in F1. He drops a bombshell regarding his earlier retirement plans back in 2009. His passion for the sport has made him continue up this far.

 

A Long Road to 400

Alonso first entered Formula 1 in 2001 and raced for Minardi when Michael Schumacher was completely dominating the sport. In 2005 he won his first Formula 1 title for Renault which he repeated the next year with the same team. In 2007, he signed a 3-year deal with McLaren and drove alongside rookie Lewis Hamilton who was very impressive in his first season. Lewis Hamilton’s arrival and impressive performance, Fernando Alonso’s relationship started to fall with McLaren and in 2008 he again moved back to Renault.

Following this, he joined the Ferrari team in 2010 and was racing for them until 2015. After 2015 Alonso joined the McLaren squad and was there for four full seasons before announcing retirement in 2018. After 2 years of absence, he again returned in 2021 and joined the Alpine squad. After Sebastian Vettel's retirement in 2023, Alonso joined the Aston Martin F1 team.

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The long road led him to achieve this remarkable feat of 400 grand prix races which is the first ever by any driver in the history of the sport. Alonso is continuing his good run and feels he has got many left in his tank. Talking about his historic achievement Alonso said, “I was not thinking too much about the future. I didn't have a clear roadmap to my career. Every weekend was a new adventure.”

When asked about his earlier retirement from the sport Alonso said, “What I would say is that I won the championship in 2006 and then I joined McLaren, I had a three-year contract. I was 99% sure that 2009 would be my last season. That was my plan. I've already fulfilled my dream. So what else can I do here?”

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He was asked what the 19-year-old Alonso of the 2001 season would think of his 400 race achievements. He replied, “I don't think that the 19-year-old Minardi 2001 Fernando Alonso would think something strange about the 400 Grand Prix because I was not thinking too much about the future. But, 2007 for sure, this would be a surprise.”

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Formula 1 Fernando Alonso Mexican Grand Prix
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