How old is Fernando Alonso? Where Aston Martin veteran ranks among oldest F1 drivers

The announcement of Fernando Alonso's move from Alpine to Aston Martin for the start of the 2023 Formula One season ensured that the senior statesman of the grid would race on for at least another year.

As he approaches his 21st year of involvement in F1, hugely popular Alonso is the oldest driver competing by some distance.

The man who once broke the records for the youngest driver to claim a pole position and win a race made history again at the 2022 Singapore Grand Prix by making his 350th start, the most ever by a driver.

What age is the Spaniard, how old are some of his rivals and where does he rank alongside the oldest racers of all time? Here are the details.

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How old is Fernando Alonso?

Alonso was born on July 29, 1981 in Oviedo, meaning he will be 41 at the start of the 2023 F1 season in Bahrain in March.

In an episode of Netflix F1 series 'Drive to Survive', Alonso was shown being thrown a 41st birthday party during the 2022 season by his former team.

ESPN described Alonso's look as "sheepish" at a party that was "slightly awkward". According to the outlet, Alonso had already been contacted by and met with Aston Martin about a 2023 contract at that point.

I feel like Alpine and Otmar really thought it was going to be impossible for Alonso to leave the team if they celebrated his birthday https://t.co/xidnyRljJd

— Logan (F1 Guy) (@logansuspence) February 27, 2023

Oldest F1 drivers in history: Where does Fernando Alonso rank?

If Alonso is feeling his age at all, he can take inspiration from the top 10 oldest drivers ever to have entered a race, with the youngest on that list more than a decade older than him.

Oldest drivers to enter an F1 race

Age of F1 drivers: Oldest current Formula One racers

Alonso is the only current driver in his 40s, with seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton and former Aston Martin reserve driver Nico Hulkenberg the only competitors over 35.

Here's the top 11 by age for the 2023 F1 season.

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Oldest F1 drivers to start a race

Evergreen Alonso will need to start a race after his 50th birthday to become one of the 10 oldest drivers ever to have appeared on the starting grid, who we've listed here.

Oldest F1 drivers to start a race