Fernando Alonso showing ‘energy of a 22-year-old’ after ‘outstanding’ 2023

Fernando Alonso has been described as having the “energy of a 22-year-old” following another impressive year in the sport for the Spaniard.

With his helmet on, you would find it difficult to tell that Alonso is 42 and more than a decade older than the majority of the other F1 drivers given his continued high performances.

2023 was an excellent year for the Spaniard, who returned to his best form at Aston Martin, and he has been sought out for praise by a former driver.

Karun Chandok praises key Fernando Alonso trait

Karun Chandhok, who now works as an F1 pundit for Sky sports, described Alonso as having the “energy of a 22-year-old” and went on to describe the Aston Martin driver’s 2023 as “outstanding.”

“When I try and rank these drivers, it is all about maximising their package,” Chandhok said on Sky Sports F1’s podcast. “So, for me, I think that’s where Fernando scores. He absolutely maximises the potential of that car.

“They started the season very strongly. On average, in the first part of the year until Spain, the Aston was about .5 of a percent away from the Red Bull and that’s a huge gain.”

But even as Aston Martin’s performance fell away, Chandhok was quick to point out that Alonso’s did not.

“But Fernando was the one who was maximising that potential,” he continued. “They lost performance relative to the opposition from Spain onwards.

PlanetF1.com recommends

F1 2023: Head-to-head qualifying and race stats between team-mates

F1 2025 driver line-up: Who is already confirmed for the 2025 grid?

“There’s lots of conversations around the front wing regulations and things like that maybe having affected them, I don’t know, but certainly if you look at the stats from Spain onwards, average qualifying data slips to .867%.

“So there’s a substantial shift, pre Spain versus post Spain, but still Fernando had races like in Holland, for example, when the rain came down, and this is a sniff of an opportunity for some creative thinking and strategic thinking and just having your wits about you. He was there on the podium.

“The result in Brazil, that battle with Checo, he outfoxed Checo.

“I think those drives just show he’s still got the energy of a 22-year-old not a 42-year-old. For me. It was an outstanding season.”

Read next: Ranked: Which team has the most efficient academy for finding F1 talent?