McLaren boss rues missed opportunity of providing Fernando Alonso a competitive car during their tenure together

F1 Grand Prix of Monaco - Qualifying - Source: Getty
Fernando Alonso during the 2018 F1 Monaco Grand Prix. (Photo by Xavier Bonilla/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

McLaren team boss Zak Brown recently expressed his regret for not giving Fernando Alonso a competitive car when he was in the British team. Brown also praised Alonso for his exceptional talent and stamina to continue driving in F1.

Alonso has been in F1 ever since 2001 and has driven for many teams like Minardi, Ferrari, McLaren, Renault, and Aston Martin. Alonso had two stints with McLaren: one from 2007 to 2009, and the next one from 2015 to 2019. He was unable to clinch any championships with the British team and only won four races with them.

During Fernando Alonso's poor second stint with McLaren, Zak Brown was at the helm of the team.

Speaking to DAZN Spain after the 2024 F1 Belgian GP, Brown explained that if he had to replace Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri with a driver, he would pick Alonso. He praised the Spaniard for his talent and said that he has a great relationship with the 43-year-old.

McLaren's CEO was disappointed that the team was unable to offer him a competitive car back then.

"If I put aside Lando [Norris] and Oscar [Piastri], because obviously I’m biased, I’d say Fernando Alonso is a pretty special talent. I have a great relationship with Fernando. It’s a shame that we didn’t have a better car when he was racing with us," Brown said.
"It’s awesome to watch him race, he’s very smart. And to see him still performing at the level he is performing the older he is, he’s great and he’s a great friend," he added.

Zak Brown praises Fernando Alonso's continuing dedication to racing

McLaren team boss recently hailed Fernando Alonso's neverending dedication to racing despite being one of the oldest drivers in the current F1 grid.

Speaking on the Drive to Wynn podcast, Brown explained how performing at a high level after a certain age can be challenging, but only legends of certain sports can do so. He then praised Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton's work ethic, then focused on the Spaniard to laud him even further.

The McLaren CEO explained how he knows Alonso well and how the F1 driver does not care about anything apart from various kinds of motorsports.

“I think it’s definitely not easy but you see it in other sports and it only happens with the legends. They have a work ethic second to none, they’ve got a focus, a mindset. I mean Fernando is so impressive. He’s not slowing down at all, his racecraft is awesome and I know Fernando well, he doesn’t care about anything other than racing," Brown said (at 45:03)

After the 2024 F1 Belgian GP, Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso stands in ninth place with 49 points.

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Edited by Vaishnavi Iyer
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