The Alonso-Schumacher rivalry is one of the most memorable for fans.
Fernando Alonso had one of his greatest rivals in Michael Schumacher during his career, and now the Spaniard is closing in on surpassing the German in a Formula 1 record. Despite not having his best season due to the poor performance of his AMR25, he remains by far the leading driver at Aston Martin.
Alonso is over 40 years old, and his retirement seems closer every day, so it's unlikely the two-time world champion will match or surpass Schumacher's record of seven Formula 1 titles, which is tied with Lewis Hamilton. However, there are other records that the Spaniard could equal or improve before finally retiring from the top flight.
Following the results of the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship, Alonso is only 21 qualifying appearances away from becoming the driver who has most often outperformed his teammate in qualifying. The current record is held by Schumacher with 36 during his time with Ferrari, which marked one of the most brutal dominations in the category.
This new achievement would be a new record for Fernando, who, despite having only two world championships, is considered one of the best drivers in Formula 1 history for his skill behind the wheel.
When did Fernando Alonso make his Formula 1 debut?
Fernando Alonso made his Formula 1 debut with Minardi in 2001, before moving to Renault, where he became the youngest Grand Prix winner in 2003. However, this record was broken in 2016 by the current Drivers' Championship winner in 2021, 2022, 2024, and 2024, Max Verstappen. Fernando won two world titles with the French team in 2005 and 2006.
He then enjoyed considerable success with Ferrari from 2010 to 2014. Honda returned to Formula 1 and became McLaren's engine supplier from 2015. Alonso moved to McLaren, but it was not worth it. The Honda power unit had relatively little power and was incredibly unreliable.
After four disappointing seasons, the Spaniard decided to retire from Formula 1. He won the 24 Hours of Daytona and the Le Mans 24 Hours, and was crowned FIA WEC world champion with Toyota. He also focused on the Indianapolis 500.
The Asturian returned to Formula 1 in 2021 after his break from the sport and, after two seasons with Alpine, achieved eight podium finishes with Aston Martin in 2023, proving to be an unexpected rival for Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez in the early races of the campaign.