Oliver Oakes praises 2-time F1 champion Fernando Alonso’s modesty - “He always comes to say goodbye to us"

Alpine F1 team principal Oliver Oakes was full of praise for two-time F1 world champion Fernando Alonso's modesty and claimed that the Spanish driver always greets him before leaving the paddock. The 43-year-old will enter his third year with the Aston Martin F1 team in the 2025 season after making his comeback in the sport with the Enstone-based outfit in 2021.

The Spaniard played a pivotal role in the French team finishing P4 in the Constructors' Championship in 2022 before he left them for the British team. Oakes, who joined as the team principal in the middle of 2024, spoke about his encounters with Alonso and talked highly about the Spanish driver.

The two are connected by Flavio Briatore, Executive Advisor at Alpine, and also Fernando Alonso's manager. While appearing on James Allen on the F1 podcast, Oakes spoke of the 32-time race winner:

"I think it's exciting to see all these young drivers fighting against Fernando, because he's still the benchmark . I've gotten to know him a little bit now that I'm working with Flavio and I laugh.

"He's always at the track late, he always comes to say goodbye to us. He's so impressive as a young driver because of the commitment and hunger he still has. It's impressive."

Fernando Alonso signed a new two-year contract with Aston Martin in 2024 and termed it the final one of his career in the sport.

Fernando Alonso gives his prediction of the team to watch out for in 2026

Fernando Alonso surprised many when he picked Williams F1 over Aston Martin as the team to watch out for in the new regulations next year. Speaking with DAZN, the Spanish driver explained his logic and said:

“If I were a journalist, or watching Formula 1 at home in front of the television, I would mostly see Williams as a team to be reckoned with. Then it’s quite normal that Aston Martin is seen that way too. But we are all incredibly excited!

“In 2026, of course, we get new regulations and Adrian Newey joins our project from April [March] this year. So we should actually be excited for a good year, where we might even win a World Championship. Those are big words, but expectations are high."

The Silverstone-based outfit has many influential people in its team who have been hired to take the team to a championship-contending outfit in the new regulations. Adrian Newey will begin his tenure as the Managing Technical Partner of Aston Martin in March 2025 and will be a key influence in 2026 with Honda as the team's exclusive engine supplier.