Fernando Alonso’s Record At The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Fernando Alonso is a titan of the sport currently contesting in his twenty second Formula 1 season. This isn’t just a passage of time, it’s a milestone that would earn the envy of the staunchest MotorSport critics who, besides basing opinion on numbers, often establish careers in pinning down actual talents. 

But truth be told, the man from Asturias, has no full stops in his career; rather a body of work riddled with exemplary performances that have only furthered his legend. 

The younger drivers watching the great double world champion can learn more by simply observing his relentlessness on the track than any inspiring lecture delivered off it by a former great. 

Alonso, who has driven in the eras of the V6s and the V8s and isn’t done yet, has been a symbol of perpetuity and of the meaning behind the symbol ‘v’ that one struts upon winning a Grand Prix. 

Victorious. Vigilant. Valiant. 

The former Renault and McLaren driver first raced at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2009, a time where he was teammates with Romain Grosjean driving a Renault. 

Back in those classic Red Bull versus Mercedes days with Brawn GP playing its part, if only on occasions, Alonso could do little to dominate the front row. Sixteen years back in the day, Sebastian Vettel with his sheer brilliance and unfettered excellence reigned supreme at the maiden running of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (first announced in 2007).

Even noted talents such as Kimi Raikkonen and Jenson Button could do little in their recalcitrant machines to make heads turn. 

Back then, F1 was utterly dominated by Red Bull who found little or no competition from the likes of Ferrari and McLaren. 

How were Fernando Alonso’s performances at Abu Dhabi in his Ferrari years? 

Starting 2010, in stark comparison to his low key outing at the inaugural Abu Dhabi GP, the man from Oviedo with as many fans as there are lakes in Finland, would experience a slight change in fortunes where it came to competing at the Yas Marina. He’d claim a decent, if not special, seventh in 2010. 

A year later, he’d capture his maiden podium in 2011, in a race in which Hamilton and Vettel dominated the proceedings. 

Despite the German driver claiming pole position, a remarkable 1:38:481, the race was aced by Sir Lewis Hamilton. 

The Spaniard who began from fifth on the grid would claim a fighting second finishing ahead of Jenson Button, the Briton then from McLaren-Mercedes. 

In that very contest even the great Michael Schumacher, though competing in his twilight years and no longer a force that he once was in Ferrari, finished seventh with Mercedes. 

As a matter of factly, the Spanish knight’s own teammate at Ferrari, Felipe Massa finished fifth. 

The 2012 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 

In what was Kimi Raikkonen’s phenomenal win at the Yas Marina under bright lights and in the year of his comeback to the sport after a two year hiatus, the phlegmatic Finn was warned over the team radio in the final laps about a certain Fernando Alonso catching up. 

While Kimi kept his cool to take his maiden win with Lotus thus prompting Eric Boullier to sport perhaps the biggest smile the Frenchman has ever shown in F1, Alonso battled hard for Ferrari and ended up on the podium. 

And what a remarkable podium that was with Sebastian Vettel rounding up the final spot in a Lotus, Ferrari and Red Bull-driven narrative, in that order. 

Fernando Alonso over the years at Abu Dhabi

During periods of his titanic tussles with Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel, circa 2010-14, the Spanish Knight would appear increasingly close to clinching a third driver’s title despite contesting in a car that was close enough, but not quite capable in the end to take the WDC. 

While on his part, Alonso was excellent, on the edge and nearly invincible, he was proven to be battle hardened at the end of the day by a certain Sebastian Vettel. 

And though it often became evidently clear as to who among Alonso and Massa shepherded Ferrari’s charge, as seen particularly in 2012 and 2013, years in which  the Spaniard would claim second and fifth at the Yas Marina, respectively, Sebastian Vettel in a Red Bull was, to put it mildly, in a league of his own. 

2014 wasn’t, for instance, a great year- neither for Ferrari or for Alonso. But even then, Alonso would hang Kimi Raikkonen out to dry despite competing in a modest, very tractor-esque Ferrari F14T.

While the Iceman, still Ferrari’s last world champion,  scored 55 points in 2014- let that sink in- Fernando Alonso driving the very same machine scored 161 points that very year. He would score a ninth at Abu Dhabi in 2014, finishing ahead of the likes of Nico Rosberg, Kamui Kobayashi and others (not in that order). 

And even though Raikkonen did beat his 2014 teammate to take seventh during qualifying at Abu Dhabi, Alonso, who began from eighth, improved in the race result. His ninth was a position ahead of the Finn’s P10. 

Fernando Alonso at Abu Dhabi in McLaren years 

Despite having a car that was barely race worthy and often barely drivable, the 44-year-old proved in those years of struggle at McLaren that aligning sheer race craft and pure talent could still fetch something notable, if not particularly exciting. 

In a car that someone like Niki Lauda would have called a crapbox, as seen in the movie Rush, Alonso gathered from 2015-18, two top ten finishes. 

Back then, McLaren were the exact opposite of how they are today in the top flight of MotorRacing. And yet, Fernando Alonso’s P10 in 2016 and P9 a year later salvaged some joy for what was largely a lost cause. That’s how bad McLaren were in that era. 

Following that, Alonso drove at Abu Dhabi in an Alpine and Aston Martin 

While Alonso collected a P8 in his maiden drive at the venue with Alpine, his seventh or P7 (circa 2023) with Aston Martin at the Yas Marina has further lent credibility to his craft. 

How? 

These are anything but top drives or great performances. 

But for a driver who isn’t getting any younger and is yet managing to beat a teammate several years younger (perceptibly contesting with better reflexes), the man from Spain deserves our respect for his ability to constantly extract the potential of his car and push himself for the cause of his team. 

An afterword/ a humble observation

A team owned by a wealthy entrepreneur, perhaps driven by as much passion as the unwillingness to admit that nepotism cannot mask a lack of talent (not enthusiasm) that could even stand up to counter the limitless reserves of energy and sheer drive that Fernando Alonso drives his Aston Martin car with. 

May more power and better race results greet the talented Lance Stroll in times to come. But just imagine how much better would the famous British team have looked on the Constructors’ table had its preferred driver, the son of billionaire Lawrence Stroll, too could raise his game? 

Talent without performance is as about as relevant as an electric car sans a high performant battery. 

Saying ill to Lance Stroll, whose surname also rhymes with the phrase troll, the worth of F1’s keyboard warriors, doesn’t help. 

And let it be clear that it’s not something that’s been done here. But imagine how many youngsters get a chance as is the case with the affable Canadian to learn from a titan of the sport who’s actually driving in his father’s team? Such an opportunity, a rarity in itself, is about as special as the spectacular night safari nestled in the desert called the Yas Marina. The home to what’s often been an action packed, dramatic and a fantastic F1 Grand Prix! 

Fernando Alonso’s race results at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, as on date:

Fernando Alonso Fact file

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