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SEPANG – Fernando Alonso may be one of Formula 1’s oldest drivers, but the two-time world champion showed at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia that his racecraft remains very much alive.
Just days after confirming he will continue racing into the 2027 season, Alonso produced a battling drive at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) on Sunday to finish eighth and claim four crucial points for Aston Martin.
It was a result that required patience, opportunism and some typically stubborn defending from the 45-year-old.
Aston Martin's race began on the back foot after the team opted for dry tyres rather than intermediates in wet conditions. Alonso consequently lost ground early on, but a Safety Car on Lap 9 opened the door for the Spaniard to recover.
He spent the next phase of the race behind team-mate Lance Stroll before extending his stint by two laps and switching to hard tyres.
The gamble immediately began to pay off. Alonso emerged around four seconds behind Stroll but overtook his team-mate just four laps later to move into 12th. He then dispatched former team-mate Esteban Ocon before setting his sights on Arvid Lindblad.
The veteran eventually made his move on Lap 41 when Lindblad struggled to accelerate out of a corner, allowing Alonso to sweep past and claim 10th.
With the race approaching its conclusion, another Safety Car dramatically changed the order.
After the field pitted for fresh tyres, Alonso found himself in eighth following George Russell's late retirement from third and Lando Norris running off the circuit.
But the Aston Martin driver still had work to do. Norris, the reigning world champion, restarted 11th with four laps remaining and quickly fought his way through to ninth. That left Alonso with a four-lap battle to protect eighth from a much faster McLaren.
Norris closed in and eventually launched a final attempt at Turn 15 on the last lap. Alonso, however, covered the inside line and held his position to the chequered flag.
The result was particularly impressive given Aston Martin had entered the race with just three points this season.
“It's been a difficult race, man,” Alonso told his team over the radio on the cooldown lap. “In the beginning, it was so hard… we did our best today everyone, great job.”
The four points more than doubled Aston Martin's season tally to seven and lifted Alonso to 17th in the Drivers' Championship.
More importantly, the result showed why Alonso remains a formidable presence despite his age. Having recently committed to another season in F1, the Spaniard now has another result to justify his decision to keep racing.
His Sepang drive was not built on outright pace alone. It was about reading changing conditions, stretching tyre strategies, taking opportunities when they appeared and, when necessary, putting his car exactly where it needed to be.
That was perhaps most evident in the closing laps.
With Norris bearing down on him in a significantly more competitive car, Alonso used every ounce of experience to deny the reigning champion.
One final lunge was not enough. Alonso closed the inside, controlled the exit of the corner and crossed the line eighth.
For Aston Martin, the result also provides a timely boost in a season that has offered precious little. The team now sits on seven points, while Cadillac remains scoreless.
The remaining seven races may not naturally favour Aston Martin or its Honda power unit, but Sepang showed what can happen when opportunity, strategy and Alonso's experience converge.
If the chaos continues, the veteran may yet have more surprises in store.
