On the very weekend in which he celebrates a historic milestone – 400 Grands Prix in Formula 1 – Fernando Alonso had to withdraw from the Mexico City GP Media Day due to illness. Aston Martin has announced that the Spaniard is not in perfect physical condition, which is why he will not take part in Thursday's activities. However, the team is confident that Alonso will recover in time to take to the track during FP2 on Friday.
A historic milestone for Alonso
The Mexican GP is a special milestone in Fernando Alonso's career. The Spanish double world champion will reach the milestone of 400 Grand Prix starts, an impressive number that testifies to the driver's longevity and competitiveness. To celebrate the occasion, Alonso will wear a special helmet that will tell the story of the most important moments of his career, from his world titles in 2005 and 2006 to his recent successes with Aston Martin.
Despite the record achieved, Alonso does not seem to be willing to stop, still aiming for victories and aiming for the dream of winning the world title with Aston Martin.
Aston Martin hopes to recover Alonso for FP2
Despite the Media Day forfeit, Aston Martin confirmed that Alonso will focus on recovery to be 100% fit for the race weekend.
"Fernando Alonso is not feeling well and therefore will not attend the Mexico City GP media day. Fernando is focused on recovering 100% of his form for Friday and for his return to the AMR24 scheduled for FP2".
The Spaniard would not have taken part in the first free practice session, however, as the team has already planned to field reserve driver Felipe Drugovich to comply with the rules requiring a rookie to compete in at least two FP1 sessions during the season.
Aston Martin hopes to have Alonso back behind the wheel of the AMR24 in FP2 on Friday evening, which will also be an important opportunity to test Pirelli’s 2025 tyres in an extended 90-minute session.
Alonso: a career without limits
With 32 wins, 106 podiums and two world titles, Alonso has proven to be one of the most determined and enduring drivers in the history of Formula 1. At 43 years old, he has not lost his desire to compete at the highest level and, indeed, continues to push the limits. “Winning a Grand Prix and the championship remain my priority”, he recently declared while answering questions from fans.
The Mexican weekend will be a great celebration to mark his achievement, but also an opportunity to once again demonstrate his competitiveness on the track. The fans and the Aston Martin team hope to see him at his best from FP2, to continue a season that, with ups and downs, has seen the Spaniard confirm his status as a Formula 1 legend.
