Fernando Alonso, F1’s oldest warrior, has long been painted as a tough nut to crack in the paddock. But according to Flavio Briatore – the man who guided him to two world titles and still manages his career today – that narrative is pure fiction.
At 44, Alonso is a grizzled veteran of 22 F1 seasons, with two titles and 32 race wins to his name. Both championships came under Briatore’s watch at Renault, forging a bond that’s lasted decades.
Now, as the Spaniard races for Aston Martin, Briatore insists his former protégé’s reputation as a challenging driver to handle is a petty fabrication.
“Sometimes people put out in the news that Fernando was difficult to manage,” Briatore told ESPN. “But this is a lot of rubbish, really. I am completely upset whenever I hear this.”
A Team Player with a Rottweiler’s Bite
Briatore paints a vivid picture of Alonso’s true character.
“Fernando is always a teammate. He’s always making everyone work together. The demonstration is now at Aston Martin,” he said.
Far from being a diva, Alonso is a unifying force, rallying his team with relentless drive. That drive is what makes Alonso a standout, even in a less competitive car.
“The car is not competitive, but he’s always there, pushing,” Briatore noted. “Everyone knows what they need. He’s like a Rottweiler. He’s there all the time.
“You go in one place, and the Rottweiler bites you all the time. That’s Fernando. That’s how he wants to win.”
Alonso: No win in F1 since 2013 'doesn't sound right'
Alonso’s last win came in 2013 at the Spanish Grand Prix, a distant memory for a driver who’s outlasted most of his peers. Now with Aston Martin, he’s part of a team on the rise, backed by billionaire Lawrence Stroll and bolstered by a new factory and wind tunnel.
But Alonso admits that the wait for a 33rd win in Formula 1 has lasted way longer than he cares to remember.
"Good luck, bad luck, I think 50-50 to be honest,” he contends. “The thing is that when you do 400-plus races, there are a lot of races with good luck and a lot of races with bad luck, but I think everything compensated," Alonso said.
“But yeah, probably over 20 years, I think, or maybe more than 10 years that I won my last F1 grand prix. It doesn't sound right to me."
For Briatore, the myth of Alonso as a divisive force misses the point entirely: the veteran’s hunger, loyalty, and determination remain just as sharp as when he first burst onto the scene – and that, he says, is what makes Alonso invaluable.
Read also: Alonso sees edge in 2026 shake-up, but F1 future is on the line
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