5 records Fernando Alonso will break if he wins the 2026 F1 championship

Fernando Alonso won his two F1 titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006 as he put a stop to Michael Schumacher and Ferrari's early 2000s dominance. Ever since, it's been a case of almost becoming a third-time champion on multiple occasions.

With Aston Martin partnering with Honda for the 2026 season, the engine manufacturer that gave Max Verstappen the four consecutive titles from 2021 to 2024, the all-new state-of-the-art factory & wind tunnel becoming fully functional & Adrian Newey taking over as the team boss, there is a good chance that Fernando Alonso will challenge for the title.

The nearly two-decade wait will finally be over if Fernando Alonso wins the 2026 title, and he will likely retire after the season, as he suggested during an interview in 2025. The Spaniard will break multiple records if he wins the title in 2026. Let's have a look at five records that the Aston Martin star could break.

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#1 The longest gap between two F1 titles

Niki Lauda currently holds the record for the longest gap between F1 titles at seven years, as he became the 1984 champion with McLaren after his 1977 triumph with Ferrari. However, if Fernando Alonso wins the 2025 title, he will shatter the record with a 20-year gap between two titles, as his last title came in 2006.

F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi - Source: Getty

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#2 Fernando Alonso will become the oldest driver to win the F1 title in nearly 70 years: second oldest of all time

Juan Manuel Fangio currently holds the record for the oldest F1 driver to win the title, as he won the 1957 F1 championship at the age of 46. Giuseppe Farina, who won the first season of the F1 championship, was 43 years and 10 months old when he won the title. Fernando Alonso will turn 45 years old in July 2026. If the Spaniard wins the 2026 title, he will become the second-oldest F1 champion and the oldest F1 champion in nearly 70 years.

#3 First F1 champion for Aston Martin Racing and the Silverstone-based team

Aston Martin Racing made its F1 debut in 1959 but failed to score any points in the debut season. After another disappointing season in 1960, the British team exited the sport. Aston Martin made a return to F1 after 70 years, as Racing Point was renamed to Aston Martin after a commercial rebranding in 2021.

Four-time F1 champion Sebastian Vettel signed with the team ahead of the 2021 season and retired at the end of the 2022 season. Fernando Alonso was signed as the replacement. If the Spaniard wins the title in 2026, he will become the first F1 champion for Aston Martin.

F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi - Source: Getty

However, he will also become the first champion for the Silverstone-based squad, which has been renamed multiple times. It began as the Jordan Grand Prix in 1991 until it was sold in 2005 and renamed to Midland in 2006. It was sold again in 2007 and became Spykar before becoming Force India in 2008. Lawrence Stroll acquired the team in 2018 and renamed it to Racing Point before it finally became Aston Martin.

Since the inception of the team in 1991, multiple notable drivers have driven for the Silverstone-based squad, including the likes of Michael Schumacher, Damon Hill, and Rubens Barrichello, but none won the title.

#4 Longest gap between F1 wins

An F1 championship challenge consists of a driver winning the championship. While it's not impossible to win a title without winning a race, with the current points system, where the race winner gets 7 more points than P2, it is highly unlikely for the championship winner to go the whole season without a win.

Riccardo Patrese currently holds the record for the longest gap without wins at 6 years, 6 months, and 28 days. If Fernando Alonso wins a race in the 2026 season, he will have give or take a few months (depending on which race he wins), 13 years between race wins, with the last one coming at the 2013 Spanish GP.

#5 Winning the F1 with different teams

For the majority of the F1 drivers who win multiple championships, they usually come within the same decade during the prime years, generally with the same constructor who dominates that era, or by moving to a team that takes over as the dominant force.

F1 Grand Prix Of Abu Dhabi - Qualifying - Source: Getty

Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen, and Lewis Hamilton won the bulk of their titles with the same constructor. Going back to Michael Schumacher, he rebuilt Ferrari in the late 90s, along with Ross Brawn and Jean Todt, to deliver the five consecutive titles in the 2000s after winning with Benetton.

If Fernando Alonso wins the 2026 F1 title with Aston Martin, he will become the 10th driver to win the championship with different teams. Eight drivers, including Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher, have won titles with two teams, whereas Juan Manuel Fangio is the only driver to win with four different teams: Alfa Romeo, Mercedes, Ferrari, and Maserati.

Edited by Pranay Bhagi