Ranking every Fernando Alonso season

It's time to rank every season of the man that has the most races and seasons in F1 history, Fernando Alonso. This is going to be a tough one - there's probably around 5+ seasons that all have an argument for his best!

21. 2001

There's not much to really say here. It's not his fault - he was one of the youngest rookies ever in the slowest car at the poorest team Minardi. But he had some good performances still! Like at Germany where he finished 10th from 21st on the grid. He scored no points though (would have 1 under the modern system) and he was technically beaten by his teammate (I mean Marques wasn't better but he got a higher finish at Brazil). Again not really a bad season but someone had to go last.

20. 2015

Once again this is completely McLaren's fault. This car was disgustingly bad, the Honda engine was woefully underpowered and unreliable. Fernando also had a massive crash in pre-season (great conspiracies about it) and missed the first race of the season. He only scored 11 points and came 17th in the WDC. He was also outscored by Jenson Button. But he still showed his class like a great drive at Hungary to finish P5(!) from 15th on the grid. And also snatching a point at Silverstone. Once again a bad season but Fernando wasn't to blame.

19. 2017

McLaren. That's all I have to say. 2016 (we'll talk about later) actually looked like progress for them. And then they deliver another dog of a car with the new regulations in 2017. Once again the worst two things any F1 car can be at the same time - slow and unreliable. But it ranks higher than 2015 because the quali pace was better, he got more points finishes (P6 at Hungary was amazing) and 3 consecutive points finishes to end the season was very good. And he also destroyed his teammate Vandoorne. But 15th in the WDC and 17 points... not good. These McLaren years were a real waste of Fernando's career and talent.

18. 2024

Last year was not great for Aston Martin as a whole. They failed to deliver on the promise they showed in 2023 and the car became horrendously slow at the end, probably the slowest by the second half of the season. But still, 6 points finishes to start the year was very good and races like Baku, Saudi and Canada were all solid points finishes. And the early quali pace was excellent in Saudi and China. All in all not a bad year for Fernando, but just a mediocre one in a underperforming car. 9th in the WDC and 70 points is a big step up though.

17. 2021

Fernando's comeback year. And again this was not a bad season. 81 points and 10th in the WDC was a very good return in the 6th fastest car, and he even managed to get a podium in Qatar. And of course Hungary was a classic drive. He finished P4 but basically won the race for Alpine and Ocon by keeping Lewis behind for so long. This was also his first year back after a 2 year absence - and he was delivering at such a high level. This was a good season, just compared to his others it falls short.

16. 2009

This season was another one where Fernando could not control his team. Renault brought one of the worst cars on the 2009 grid. Like it was ridiculously bad. Probably overall the 8th fastest and at times even the slowest car. (And it was ugly as hell lol.) But Fernando still found a way to cook. 26 points and 9th in the WDC was great in that car when his teammates scored nothing, and his podium at Singapore was excellent. But his quali was really good too. P2 in China and of course how can we forget that Hungary pole? Renault had to ruin his race with a dodgy pitstop but still. I really like this season for Fernando. Australia, Spain and Monza were all good points too. Miracle work right here.

15. 2018

Again another great season of Fernando cooking in a terrible car. To be fair to McLaren the car was much better in 2018 with the Renault engine. Pace was still slow but the improves reliability meant Fernando could show his ability much better. Australia's P5 (now we can fight) was amazing and 5 consecutive points finishes to start the season was really good. And Baku too. Three-wheeling to the pit on lap one and then finishing 7th was crazy. And he once again destroyed his teammate Vandoorne. 50 points and P11 in the WDC was very good for the tools he had at his disposal.

14. 2022

This is a really underrated season from Alonso. The Alpine didn't really improve under the new regulations but the consistency from Alonso was incredible. 10 consecutive points finishes from Spain to Zandvoort was amazing, and his P5 at Silverstone was great (sidenote - what a race Silverstone 2022 was). The other P5s at Spa and Interlagos were great drives. And qualifying on the front row in Canada was magic. But once again Fernando was failed by the car. His Alpine had 4 mechanical DNF's and he also had to retire at Imola through no fault of his own. 81 points and 9th in the WDC was very good, but if it wasn't for the reliability issues it would have been much better. Once again not his fault.

13. 2004

This was a really good year for Fernando. 59 points, P4 in the WDC and 4 podiums, plus at pole at Magny-Cours was all great. But no win means that it can't really be put much higher on the list. But once again the overall pace was great and he helped Renault to beat Williams and McLaren in the constructors to P3 (forgot how good Honda was in 2004!). He also beat his teammate Trulli despite the fact that Jarno won in Monaco! Not much to really say here - just a very solid season.

12. 2016

I know he won no races or scored no podiums this year. But what a year it was. McLaren made small steps forward in 2016 from their 2015 disaster, but reliability was still horrible and the car was still slow. But enter Fernando Alonso. 54 points and P10 in the WDC in this thing is a genuine work of art. And he handily beat Jenson too. He somehow made it look like a decent midfield car! Quali pace was good with regular Q3 appearances and 9 points finishes were all very good. P5 at Monaco and USA were my two favourites. Honestly this season maybe doesn't get the appreciation it deserves, but I thought it was brilliant!

11. 2008

A really great season in his return to Renault. The car wasn't great, but it improved through the season and so did Fernando's performances. P4 in Hungary, Belgium and Monza at the end of the season were all stellar results. So was the P2 in Brazil in the season finale. (also qualified on the front row in Spain). His win at Fuji was a masterpiece. Singapore... a win is a win right? But seriously, this was a magic season once again from Alonso. 5th in the WDC with 61 points and 3 podium finishes after the struggles Renault had at the start of the year was amazing. And he completely crushed Piquet Jr. But I have to take points away for Crashgate, even if Fernando didn't know.

10. 2003

This was the first time the F1 world saw Fernando in a competitive car after he took a year out in 2002 to be a test driver. And what a season he had! 4 podium finishes and of course becoming at the time the youngest F1 race winner at Hungary from pole was truly amazing. He also got a pole at Malaysia and qualified P3 in Spain before getting a P2 finish. All in all a really competitive season, great consistency from such a young driver, a really good set of results and he handily beat his teammate Jarno Trulli! What more could you want from a young driver? (forgot he also lapped Trulli in Hungary lol)

9. 2013

This was another class year from Alonso. 9 podiums and 2 wins was impressive in a Ferrari that was the 3rd or even 4th fastest car at points in the year. And his win at Spain was a total masterclass as he did a 4 stop race. It's crazy that that was his last win almost 12 years ago now! But overall the pace was just less and the results were worse than the previous years as Mercedes and even Lotus caught up to Ferrari. Still a very decent season to take P2 in the WDC, but lacking compared to some of his best in the second half of the year.

8. 2011

This might be Fernando's most underrated season imo. The Ferrari this year was a total shambles (as seen by Massa scoring no podiums) but yet Fernando was able to wrangle 10 podiums and even a win at Silverstone out of the clear 3rd best car. (and we know how good Red Bull was at Silverstone in this era). He was amazingly consistent in qualifying and the races too, often getting podiums where the pace just wasn't there. A really good season in a terrible Ferrari.

7. 2010

Basically any season from here on out has a case to be his best. Starting with 2010. Alonso was really the class of the field in a very tight championship fight here. 10 podiums and 5 wins is incredible, but obviously is marred a bit by Germany and the team orders. Plus Bahrain was probably only won because of Vettel's reliability issue. I would say that's why this season might be lower ranked than you think. (Also Belgium mistake) But obviously wins from pole at Monza and Singapore (such a close and tense battle for the lead) were superb, and the win at Korea really had us believing... then Abu Dhabi came(Ferrari strategy am I right?)

6. 2007

I feel like people don't talk about this season enough as one of Fernando's best. 12 podiums and 4 wins in such a close battle with 3 other drivers is really good. And especially in such a hostile team environment as 2007 McLaren with it basically being two teams in one! His Monza weekend was so dominant and his win despite damage in the European Grand Prix was really good. But sadly a few bad performances like Canada (finishing behind a Super Aguri) and France meant that he couldn't win the title. But still a great season.

5. 2014

This is one of those seasons you could just talk about all day. When people talk about a driver's prime this is what they mean. Every race he finished was in the points. The two DNFs he experienced were mechanical failures not driver errors. Two podiums seems low compared to the other seasons in this list but he was doing all of this in a Ferrari that was understeering and oversteering at the same time. Probably the worst Ferrari since 1980 and yet Fernando still managed to shine. Excellent performances in Australia, Bahrain, Austria, Silverstone and Singapore. A fantastic P3 in China. And of course that masterclass in Hungary (great race to rewatch BTW). I'm still devastated that he didn't win but that P2 will always live on in the memory of F1 fans. This was one of those mythical seasons that makes Fernando the legend he is.

4. 2023

Another legendary season from Alonso. He left Alpine for Aston Martin and many people were confused by the move. They said he moved there for the money. But 8 podiums proved them wrong. That podium at Bahrain is still one of the biggest surprises in recent F1 history, and it was a masterclass in overtaking from Fernando. He followed it up with 4 more podiums in the next 5 races, including a fantastic drive at Monaco where he should have won but not for a strategy mistake. Sadly Aston Martin could not develop the car and maintain it's early season form, but Alonso still managed to deliver two more podiums in Zandvoort (great race) and an epic fight with Sergio Perez at the end of the Brazilian GP to finish 3rd. This season showed us all that Fernando can still fight for championships into his 40s, he just needs the car. (Come on Aston for 2026!!!)

3. 2005

The first championship season for Fernando. 15 podiums and 7 wins was sensational on route to winning the WDC. How can we forget the awesome race at Imola where he kept off Michael to take the win? The dominant wins from pole in Malaysia and Bahrain? More great performances in France, China and Germany (shoutout Montoya 19th to 2nd). This season was just pure performance from Fernando, one of the best car - driver combinations with that R25. He held off the surging McLaren of Raikkonen to seal his first world title. Great season.

2. 2006

He followed his first championship season up with another classic the following year. 14 podiums and 7 wins was amazing, but even more so in a close championship fight with a resurgent Ferrari and Michael Schumacher. The fact that he came either first or second in the first 9 races showed his dominance, and he held off Ferrari even at the end when they had caught up to Renault. An amazing show of dominance and consistency in a very high pressure title fight makes this season slightly above 2005 in my opinion, although it's not by much.

1. 2012

This was a completely incredible season from Fernando. 13 podiums and 3 wins in a car that was at time the 4th or even 5th fastest car was a truly incredible achievement. He deserved the title fully this year. It was a true masterclass in driving in changeable conditions at Malaysia to win from 9th on the grid. But the Valencia race... wow. Ferrari were clearly very slow at that race, but to win from 11th on the grid in such a crazy race was unbelieveable. Finishing on the podium at 7 out of the last 8 races despite not having the fastest car was sensational. This season was just prime Alonso completely carrying Ferrari and dragging a car that shouldn't have had a sniff of a title to just a handful of points away. A special season and one of the best in the sport's history.