At 45, Alonso does what no driver has achieved since 1974 in Formula 1

A ninth place rarely goes down in history. Fernando Alonso’s at Zandvoort did. By crossing the finish line of the Dutch Grand Prix on August 23, the Spaniard became, at the age of 45 years and 25 days, the first driver aged 45 and over to score points in Formula 1 in 52 years.

The last one had been Graham Hill, sixth place in the 1974 Swedish GP, at the age of 45 years, 3 months and 25 days, at the wheel of the Lola-Ford of his own team, Embassy Hill. After that, no one else came close. In this century, the closest record is that of Michael Schumacher, who scored for the last time at the age of 43, at the 2012 Brazilian GP.

The feat has more merit than the placement suggests. Alonso started 18th, recovered nine positions over the 71 laps and still held off Pierre Gasly in the final corners to secure the two points. It was Aston Martin’s best result of the season, and the team’s second in 2026.

Aston Martin finally got out of place

Until Zandvoort, the Silverstone team had a single point in the year, also won by Alonso, in Monaco. The Dutch race marked the debut of Honda’s new power unit specification, with changes in combustion, lubrication, friction and reliability, added to the chassis package that Adrian Newey took to Hungary before the holidays.

Alonso himself, however, divided the assessment. “Another step forward, especially on the chassis side,” said the driver, who brought another four or five new components to the Netherlands. About the engine, he was cautious: he said it was not possible to nail down if there is more power available and estimated that the team and Honda will need two or three more races to understand the package. Lance Stroll, the other Aston Martin driver, retired on lap 45.

How far the Spaniard can go

With the result, Alonso became the 14th oldest driver to score points in the history of the category. Among the world champions, he is behind only Giuseppe Farina, who scored at the age of 48 in 1955, Juan Manuel Fangio, at 47 in 1958, and Hill himself. The absolute record remains held by Frenchman Philippe Étancelin, who scored points at the age of 53 at the 1950 Italian Grand Prix. Between Hill and Alonso, the closest name is Maurice Trintignant, fifth at the Nürburgring in 1964, at the age of 46.

There is also a detail that has gone almost unnoticed: the Asturian is the only driver to score points in every edition of the Dutch GP since Zandvoort returned to the calendar in 2021.

His future in the category remains open. Alonso’s contract with Aston Martin expires at the end of 2026, and the Spaniard said at Zandvoort that he still needs to talk to Lawrence Stroll and Adrian Newey before deciding. A renewal would put him in front of marks that have not been beaten since the days of Fangio and Farina.