Fernando Alonso is approaching 25 years of Formula 1 service in 2026, and he remarkably shows no signs of slowing down.
The Spaniard has driven for five teams, winning two drivers’ championships and making the most race starts in the sport’s history along the way.
One of the most turbulent periods of his career came back in 2007, while driving for a McLaren team that he found difficult to fuse with.
Unfortunately, Alonso would fall short of a remarkable third consecutive title at the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix by just one point.
Hamilton is ‘now realising’ Alonso was right about not being the favourite of his team, much like the two-time champion had to encounter in 2007. His start to life at Ferrari hasn’t been easy.
However, Alonso ‘damaged’ his F1 reputation in 2007 by purposefully holding Hamilton up in the pitlane at Hungary. The FIA and his team were not happy about it.
Photo credit should read DAMIEN MEYER/AFP via Getty ImagesMcLaren staff privately welcomed Fernando Alonso warmly with Lewis Hamilton in 2006
McLaren received a £50 million fine and were disqualified from the constructors’ championship as a result of the ‘Spygate’ scandal, but their drivers were allowed to compete for the drivers’ title still.
The two drivers didn’t get on well, but would avoid clashing with each other much on track. They kept their personal battles clean as they fought Ferrari.
Before relationships soured, and Alonso opted to leave the team after just one year to return to Renault for 2008, the team were excited to have him.
In an old ITV documentary called F1: Chasing The Dream, which followed McLaren during the 2007 season, some behind-the-scenes footage from the year prior revealed Alonso’s McLaren welcome.
Arriving in Woking on December 12, 2006, his new team welcomed him with open arms and a warm applause. They were excited to get to work with a driver of his calibre.
How Fernando Alonso managed to do something at McLaren that no driver could in 2025
Modern standards in Formula 1 have come a long way over the last 20 years, and with a longer 24-race calendar, schedules are tighter than ever.
As a result, one thing Alonso was able to do when he joined McLaren back in 2006 wouldn’t be common practice by today’s standards.
He got to work with McLaren on December 12, which was over a month and a half after the season had ended on October 22.
Nowadays, that’s mere days after the Abu Dhabi season-ender, and contracts typically run right up until New Year’s Eve now.
Unless an exception is made, drivers aren’t allowed to start work with their new teams until that date. Hamilton, for example, had to wait to drive a Ferrari until January, because he was still under contract with Mercedes at the post-season test last December.