At the start of the 2021 season, Alpine had announced that Fernando Alonso would be joining the team. The news brought relief to the Formula One community, as Alonso was not just a talented driver, but a 2-time world champion.

However, Alonso isn’t the only driver to make a return to the sport; the likes of Michael Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen have all made a return to the grid after leaving F1 for a brief period of time.

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The Alpine driver has stated it was a luxury to return to the sport; something that not all drivers can afford. Furthermore, he is thankful to the Enstone-based squad for giving him this opportunity.

Fernando Alonso feels fortunate

The 2x World Champion is perhaps one of the few drivers to return to the grid after leaving it for a short period of time. Naturally, Alonso is extremely grateful for this opportunity..

In a recent interview, the 40-YO told GPFans, “On track and off track, I did enjoy the time with the team in this comeback so I was super happy. I had the luxury to come back to the sport. When I decided I stop, when I decided I came back, this is a very high luxury, because normally it is a very small group of drivers that can drive a Formula 1 [car] and it’s not easy to have these kinds of possibilities, so I feel thankful for this.”

How did the Spanish driver perform in 2021?

After a two-year break, the 2005/06 world champion returned to the Formula One grid. He signed with Alpine, now known as Renault; a team where he won his two world titles.

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Many people were suspicious of Alonso’s performance. But to everyone’s surprise, the Spaniard hadn’t missed a beat. The highlight of his 2021 camping was his third-place finish at the Qatar Grand Prix. Alonso ended the 2021 season with 81 points and was 10th in the drivers’ standings.

What are your predictions for Alonso as he prepares to face the challenges of the forthcoming season? Please let us know in the comments section below.