Pedro de la Rosa believes a third World Drivers’ Championship for Fernando Alonso would be a fitting way for the Spanish veteran to retire from the FIA Formula 1 World Championship.
Alonso has begun his 2023 season with two consecutive third place finishes in the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and currently sits third in the Drivers’ Championship behind the two Oracle Red Bull Racing drivers.
His podium in Saudi Arabia was also the one hundredth top three finish of a career than begun in 2001 and saw him take consecutive World Drivers’ Championships in 2005 and 2006.
De la Rosa, who is an ambassador with the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula 1 Team that Alonso now drives for, says his countryman has not lost his edge despite spending years not racing with a competitive car, and it would be a dream to see him take a third title before his career ends.
“There are many world champions who lose their edge when they no longer have a competitive car,” de la Rosa is quoted as saying by Racer.com. “Fernando is not like that.
“He’s maintained his level and his motivation. To have achieved as many F1 podiums as he has and to still have that same hunger as when he first started, despite not having a competitive car for so many years, is something I really admire about him.
“It would be a dream come true to see Fernando crowned world champion again. He deserves it. Anything you do in life, if you give your best, sooner or later you will be rewarded – and Fernando has given his best for decades.
“When you consider the journey he’s been on, everything he’s put in and everything he’s been through, winning the world championship again would be a fitting finale to a remarkable F1 career.”
