Fernando Alonso teases 'moment of truth' after slide to F1 'anonymity'

Fernando Alonso says he is "at peace" with his current 'anonymity' in F1 and teased that Aston Martin is "preparing ourselves for a moment of truth."

The two-time F1 champion announced on Tuesday that he would be returning for the 2027 season, ending months of speculation over whether he would call time on a grand prix career which has yielded two drivers' titles, in 2005 and 2006, 32 wins, and 106 podiums. 

By the end of the 2027 season, in which he will become the first 46-year-old to compete in F1 since Maurice Trintignant at the 1964 French GP, Alonso is on course to rack up 472 grand prix starts - or a remarkable 39.46% of all 1,196 grands prix up to, and including, the 2027 Abu Dhabi GP. 

Given the uncompetitive nature of his Aston Martin-Honda package in 2026, Alonso has only been able to score points twice, in Monaco and in the Netherlands, as the team looks to work through its issues and return to competitiveness. 

As the team has slid to the rear of the field, it therefore does not earn as much TV time on the world broadcast feed, as opposed to battles for the lead or podium places, something Alonso says he has made "peace with."

"At the moment, I feel it was not the time because I'm better than that guy. I'm better than that other guy. I will think like that. And I cannot stop racing if I still think like that," he told BBC Sport.

"You only prove to people when you are on the podium, or you are on TV. That's where eyes are open, and people remember suddenly that you're still on the grid.

"So now I'm at peace with this period of time that I'm anonymous, and no one knows that we're still there and we're still fast.

"We are preparing ourselves for the moment of truth, and that will be a surprise for everybody again."

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Alonso still feels better than rivals

Explaining how he compared himself to rivals, Alonso described how he still felt he had the competitive edge over some drivers - and when he lost that, is when he would decide to "watch the race from my living room."

"When I jump in the car, in free practice, I will see some people braking late in a corner, locking up the front tyres here or there, making mistakes there," he continued.

"I feel that I'm OK. Or, I'm faster than them.

"So when I get changed, and I go back home, even if I'm P18, in a way I feel some satisfaction and pride inside, even if it should not be the case because we are not competitive.

"How will I be in the living room, watching TV, thinking that I can do better? That will be my feeling now. When that changes, if I see that I lost abilities, I lost speed, I lost reflexes, I lost something, then I will be happy to watch the race from my living room.