Fernando Alonso 'faster' than in his first Chinese GP in 2004

Oliver Bearman, Gabriel Bortoleto, Kimi Antonelli… In addition to starting their first season as starters in Formula 1, these young men have the common feature of not having experienced the first Chinese Grand Prix in history, because they were not born at the time. When Shanghai hosted the premier class of motorsport for the first time in 2004, Fernando Alonso was already 20 years old.

The Spaniard was then competing in his third season in F1, the second with Renault, a manufacturer with whom he subsequently achieved success and two world titles. More than twenty years later, the Oviedo native is chasing a third crown, still with the same appetite and now at the wheel of a Aston Martin.

“It’s a privilege to continue racing and doing what I love, which is driving race cars.” assured Fernando Alonso on Thursday in the Shanghai paddock, where he was associated in a press conference with the very young Gabriel Bortoleto (20 years old) and Oliver Bearman (19 years old). I've been fortunate enough to race and experience many different eras of the sport, and I'm still here. I still feel competitive, motivated, and fresh enough to travel the world and race these cars. The most important thing is that I still feel competitive. If one day I feel like I'm not fast enough or I'm struggling to keep up, I'll be the first to say I'm not enjoying it anymore. I'm an ultra-competitive person. That's what matters most to me."

ALSO READ > Alonso praises his protégé Bortoleto: "The best of the new generation"

Alonso chases 33rd win

"I made my debut in 2001. I raced in the very first Chinese Grand Prix here in 2004, and now, in 2025, I'm still here, and I'm as fast as I was in 2004." continues Alonso. "It's What I feel. Or even faster today. Maybe because we have better tools and more opportunities for us, drivers, to improve our performance and correct some weaknesses in our career. But yes, I feel privileged to still be here."

In Shanghai, Fernando Alonso returns to a circuit where he won twice, first in 2005 and then in 2013, which remains his penultimate Formula 1 victory before the one he achieved in Spain the same year. Having been searching for a victory for twelve years, the two-time world champion is eagerly awaiting the new regulations for 2026 and the promise of returning to the top with the highly ambitious Aston Martin. If he manages to win in 2026 or later, Alonso would become the oldest Grand Prix winner since the 1950s.

ALSO READ > A return of V10s to Formula 1? Fernando Alonso not convinced