Words by GO! Dubai Press & Media

The champion, the challenger and his love for Dubai

Few names in Formula 1 carry the weight of Fernando Alonso. Two World Championships, 32 Grand Prix victories, more than 100 podiums and an extraordinary career spanning more than two decades have established the Spaniard as one of the sport’s greats.

Today, Alonso is still chasing speed and success with Aston Martin. But 2026 has been anything but easy. The team has struggled badly under the new regulations, and after the first 11 Grands Prix Alonso had collected just one point. Yet there is little sign of the veteran champion losing his appetite, his humour or his determination.

Between races, testing and the relentless Formula 1 travelling circus, Dubai remains an important part of Alonso’s life. He has previously described the city as an ideal base because of its central location and extraordinary international connectivity.

We caught up with the man behind the helmet to talk racing, resilience, Dubai and why, even after all these years, the desire to win remains stronger than ever.

GO!: Fernando, you have experienced almost everything Formula 1 can offer. What still motivates you?

Fernando Alonso: The competition. That’s the simple answer.

I love racing. I love the preparation, the engineering, the strategy and, of course, the moment when you put the helmet on and everything becomes about performance.

After so many years, you understand that every weekend is different. You can never assume anything. You have to keep learning and keep pushing.

That is what keeps me motivated.

GO!: 2026 has been a very difficult season for Aston Martin. How do you deal with a season when the car simply isn’t where you want it to be?

Fernando: Experience helps.

You cannot change the situation by becoming frustrated. You have to understand where you are losing performance, work with the engineers and try to improve every area.

We knew this new generation of regulations would create a huge challenge. Unfortunately, we started the season further behind than we wanted. But that doesn’t mean you stop believing.

I have been in difficult situations before. You keep working.

GO!: Is it difficult mentally when you know you have the ability to fight for victories, but the machinery doesn’t allow it?

Fernando: Of course you want to fight at the front. Every driver does.

But Formula 1 teaches you patience. There have been seasons in my career when everything looked perfect and seasons when nothing seemed to work.

You cannot allow one result, or even one season, to define you.

The important thing is what you do next.

GO!: Aston Martin now has Adrian Newey leading the team. Does that give you confidence for the future?

Fernando: Absolutely.

Adrian has enormous experience and understands what is required to build a competitive Formula 1 car. But nobody has a magic button.

A team needs time, people, data and hard work. Everyone has to move in the same direction.

I believe in the project. I have said that many times. Even when things are difficult, my commitment to Aston Martin remains strong.

GO!: You have also said that you never give up.

Fernando: I don’t know how to do that!

(Laughs.)

If you have followed my career, you know that I have had many difficult moments. I have changed teams, changed categories and raced different cars.

I even left Formula 1 for a while and competed at Le Mans and in other disciplines.

But I always came back because I love competition.

If someone thinks I will give up because we have a difficult season, they don’t know me very well.

GO!: And then there is Dubai. You have spent many years here. What does the city mean to you?

Fernando: Dubai is extremely convenient for my life.

I travel constantly, so being somewhere with one of the world’s great airports is a huge advantage. You can reach almost anywhere.

But it is also much more than the airport. I enjoy the lifestyle, the weather, the restaurants, the people and the energy.

Dubai is always changing. There is always something new happening.

When you spend your life travelling, you appreciate having somewhere where you can relax between races.

GO!: Do you consider Dubai home?

Fernando: I have lived in many places. Spain, England, Switzerland and Dubai.

For many years I said that I didn’t really have one home because Formula 1 was my life. Maybe home is simply wherever the people you care about are.

Dubai is certainly an important place for me.

GO!: You were born in Oviedo, Spain. Does your Spanish identity remain important?

Fernando: Of course. I am very proud to be Spanish.

But Formula 1 makes you a global person. You spend your life travelling and working with people from everywhere.

You learn that nationality is only one part of who you are.

GO!: As you look towards the final part of the 2026 season, the Gulf will again play an important role, with Qatar followed by Abu Dhabi. What do you enjoy about racing in this part of the world?

Fernando: The atmosphere is fantastic.

The facilities are incredible, the fans are very passionate and the races have become important events on the Formula 1 calendar.

Qatar at Lusail and then Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina will be a great way to finish the season.

And for me personally, finishing the season in this region is convenient because Dubai is so close.

GO!: Yas Marina has produced some unforgettable Formula 1 moments. Do you still get nervous before a race?

Fernando: I think nervous is the wrong word.

You feel the adrenaline. You feel the pressure.

But I like that feeling.

If one day you stand on the grid and don’t feel anything, maybe it is time to do something else.

GO!: After 438 Grand Prix starts and 32 victories, what does Fernando Alonso still want?

Fernando: More.

(Laughs.)

I still want to win. I still want to have a competitive car. I still want to fight the best drivers in the world.

I don’t think that changes because you get older.

Maybe you appreciate things differently, but when the lights go out, you are still a racing driver.

GO!: Finally, what would you tell the young driver dreaming of becoming the next Fernando Alonso?

Fernando: Don’t try to become the next Fernando Alonso.

Become yourself.

Work hard. Listen. Learn from your mistakes. Don’t expect everything to happen immediately.

And most importantly, enjoy racing.

Because if you don’t love it, the sacrifices are too big.

If you do love it, then even the difficult days become part of the journey.

THE CHAMPION STILL CHASING THE NEXT VICTORY

There is something distinctly Fernando Alonso about the way he approaches adversity. The statistics may tell the story of a frustrating 2026 campaign — one point after 11 races and a car struggling for competitiveness — but they do not tell the whole story.

The man himself remains focused on the bigger picture.

For Aston Martin, the challenge is enormous. For Alonso, however, difficult seasons are simply another chapter in a career built on resilience.

And as the Formula 1 circus eventually heads towards Qatar’s Lusail International Circuit and the season finale at Abu Dhabi’s spectacular Yas Marina Circuit, the veteran champion will be doing what he has done throughout his extraordinary career:

putting on the helmet, starting the engine and refusing to give up.

For Alonso, the next victory is always the one that matters most.