Fernando Alonso to Miss Mexico GP Media Day Due to Illness as He Nears His 400th F1 Entry

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Veteran driver Fernando Alonso will miss his media day duties for the Mexico City Grand Prix due to illness but remains focused on recovering in time to participate in Friday’s practice session. This race weekend is a special one for the two-time world champion, as it marks his 400th race entry in Formula 1—a milestone few drivers have reached.

Alonso’s Absence in Mexico: Aiming for Full Recovery by Friday

Alonso’s absence on media day was confirmed by Aston Martin, who noted that the driver was feeling unwell. Despite his illness, the team is optimistic about his return to the cockpit for Free Practice 2 on Friday. Aston Martin issued a statement, saying:

“Fernando Alonso is feeling unwell and will therefore not attend media day at the Mexico City Grand Prix. Fernando is focused on feeling 100% for Friday and his planned return to the AMR24 for Free Practice 2.”

The illness doesn’t affect Alonso’s Friday race preparation too heavily, as the team had already planned for Felipe Drugovich, Aston Martin’s reserve driver, to take over in FP1. This arrangement was in place to fulfill the FIA’s mandate for teams to give young drivers track time during at least two practice sessions each season.

A Historic Milestone: 400 F1 Race Entries

While Alonso is poised to reach 400 Grand Prix entries this weekend, his official 400th race start will not be celebrated until the Qatar Grand Prix, owing to three prior race weekends where he was listed as an entry but did not start. These include the 2001 Belgian Grand Prix, the notorious 2005 US Grand Prix (where all Michelin tire cars retired), and the 2017 Russian Grand Prix.

Reflecting on his achievement, Alonso expressed pride in his longevity in the sport. He acknowledged the importance of his title wins but also emphasized the dedication and discipline required to stay competitive for over two decades. Alonso said:

“It’s nice to achieve. Obviously, championships and race wins are what matter most to us as drivers but, at the same time, it shows my love for the sport and the discipline I’ve had to perform at a very high level for more than 20 years.”

Alonso’s Passion for F1

Since making his debut in 2001, Alonso has experienced the highs and lows of Formula 1, racing against some of the sport’s greatest drivers on iconic circuits worldwide. With this milestone, he joins an elite group, surpassing the records of Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton, and Rubens Barrichello, each of whom previously held the record for race entries.

Alonso’s achievements demonstrate not only his passion but also the adaptability and resilience required to maintain peak performance year after year.

Looking ahead, Alonso downplayed the possibility of reaching another 400 entries, instead aiming for 40 to 50 more races over the next few years:

“I don’t think I’ll be adding another 400 to my total, but hopefully I’ve got at least another 40 or 50 more races to come in the next couple of years.”