WATCH: Throwback to Fernando Alonso's near-death crash in Australian Grand Prix

The most experienced driver on the Formula 1 2025 grid is Fernando Alonso. Which also makes him the only driver to have survived the most with accidents and near-death experiences in F1. Alonso is not a crasher or an insane driver who drives madly and crashes into his opponents. The Spaniard wouldn't have survived in F1, often crashing. But as we are heading up to the Australian Grand Prix, we remember one crash that gave Fernando a near-death experience. 

Fernando Alonso moved to the McLaren F1 team after leaving Ferrari at the end of the 2014 season. He hoped to win another F1 title with McLaren as they partnered with one of their most successful engine partners, Honda. But it was the most disastrous years of Fernando’s life, as the Honda engine didn't provide any power or reliability and was the slowest on the grid. 

Alonso got fed up with the engine, and his dream of winning another title with McLaren was shattered. His stint at McLaren made him lose the motivation to continue in Formula 1, and he announced his retirement at the end of the 2019 season.  He again returned to F1 in 2022 with Alpine and later moved to Aston Martin in the 2023 season. 

WATCH: Near-death crash of Fernando Alonso

Alonso & Gutierrez Crash - 2016 Australian Grand Prix 🇦🇺#F1#Formula1#Alonso#McLaren#Haas#AusGPpic.twitter.com/1fMjCeKZx5

— MotorSphere (@motor_sphere) March 4, 2025

Even during the 2016 season, when he faced all the issues with Honda engines, Alonso still scored some points for the team. During the 2016 season opener in Australia, Fernando had a near-death crash after he collided with Haas F1 driver Esteban Gutierrez.

As Alonso approached turn 3 on lap 18, he clipped on the Haas F1 car's rear left, roll-barreled and hit the wall at the end of the gravel. This was a huge crash; even Fernando Alonso said he was scared to death during the incident.

Alonso said, “It was a scary moment, a scary crash. You see the sky, the ground, the sky; you want to stop. My mum will watch TV so I want to be out quickly and say I’m okay. But yeah, it was quite a big one. I'm thankful to be here, especially to the FIA and continual safety; I'm probably alive because of that."

Gutirrezz immediately climbed out of his car and ran to check on Fernando Alonso. It was a heartfelt gesture by the Mexican driver, who had a very short stint in F1. This still remains one of the biggest crash incidents in F1 history.

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