Fernando Alonso’s former Formula 1 boss just dropped a spicy behind-the-scenes detail about why the two-time champion walked away from Alpine—and it says everything about his competitive fire.
Otmar Szafnauer, who ran Alpine when Alonso returned to F1 in 2021, recalled the moment the Spaniard made his exit decision crystal clear.
“We were celebrating finishing fourth at Alpine,” Szafnauer said on the High Performance podcast. “And when he left, he said ‘I don’t want to drive for a team that celebrates finishing fourth.’ That’s the competitor that he is.
‘I want to be world champion.'”
Alonso spent two seasons with Alpine before jumping to Aston Martin in 2023, a move that initially paid off with eight podiums. But the team has since hit a rough patch, scoring only one point in the first 10 races of 2026 despite hiring design legend Adrian Newey.
Now at 44 years old and without a contract for next season, Alonso faces a huge crossroads. He could stay with Aston Martin in hopes of a turnaround, chase a seat higher up the grid, or hang up his helmet for good.
Szafnauer even weighed in on rumors of a possible Alonso return to Alpine, hinting the motivation might not be purely competitive. “If that move does happen, he’ll probably be going for 20 million other reasons,” he said.
Alonso has kept a positive outlook publicly, but with his track record of chasing wins over everything else—what do you think his next move will be?
