Formula 1 drivers usually stop racing as they get closer to their 40s, with the average age being around 37 years-old. Fernando Alonso has surpassed that milestone and is continuing to be competitive at the age of 41, having achieved four podiums so far with Aston Martin in 2023. But what makes him competitive at that age? Teams have already spoken about the 'freakish' nature of Alonso and his ability to be self-critical as one of the reasons why he is ahead of the rest of the grid. Former F1 driver David Coulthard, who stopped racing at 37 years-old, also puts it down to his "uninterrupted" racing career. "When he stepped away from F1 for the first time, he went straight into sports cars, IndyCar, he did the Dakar, he's got a kart track, and you see him out testing these cars at his facility in Spain," he said on the Formula for Success podcast. "So [it's] the uninterrupted mode of being a racing driver, and all of the things that that keep sharp in your mind." Coulthard compares Alonso to Michael Schumacher, who retired from F1 first in 2006 then came back in 2010 but only achieved a single podium at the 2012 European Grand Prix. "In comparison to Michael, who stopped and was no longer was racing, then came back to F1 three years after he'd originally stopped, he could still do go through the motions," said Coulthard. "He was still an incredible individual, but he just wasn't as good as he had been before. He was in his 40s and the clock had moved."
Coulthard: You don't lose your speed
Coulthard also believes that Alonso is still "angry" that he has not achieved more than two world titles in his F1 career, which is why he has continued to race. In contrast to his career, which ended at the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix, Coulthard says drivers often lose the "need" to win races - something Alonso still has the motivation to achieve. "He's angry. He's angry that he's only got two world championships and that anger is what drives him to still have the need. "That's the key thing. You don't lose the speed, you lose the need. He still has the need."
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