The Cult: Fernando Alonso

Ahead of the new F1 season, we're inducting a modern grand prix great into The Cult. But with his career nearing its conclusion, Fernando Alonso's haul of two world titles feels like scant reward for a man of such extensive talents. You can read previous entries here.

You do not need me to tell you that Formula 1 is as much about the car as it is the driver. Ever was it thus. There is sometimes a rose-tinted belief that this is a modern evil, but Jackie Stewart did not win his world championships in an ice cream van. You could raise similar accusations against cycling – that powerful teams with high-tech equipment count as much as the riders – but they have enough problems at the moment, so let's leave them be and conclude that F1 is, at best, a dual challenge of man and machine.

Nevertheless, it would be wrong to suggest that grand prix racing is a predominantly mechanical endeavour where magnificent machinery allows average drivers to win multiple world titles. Team bosses know who the best racers are, and those guys tend to manoeuvre themselves, or be manoeuvred, into the best seats. Put simply, the cream rises. Lewis Hamilton is not driving for the best team by chance, just like Schumacher, Senna and Prost before him.

READ MORE: The Cult – Juan Pablo Montoyta

It is not an exact science, however. Fernando Alonso is one of the best drivers currently competing in the sport and, in the eyes of some experienced observers, an all-time great. But he does not drive one of the best cars – he hasn't done for years, if he ever did – and barring a minor miracle he will never win another grand prix.

By normal standards, Alonso's career in the sport has been a tremendous success. The Spaniard has two world titles to his name and 32 race wins; of the 822 drivers to enter a grand prix, only five have stood on the top step of the podium more times than Alonso. He has driven for the two most famous teams active in the sport, commands a huge salary, and I bet his mum is bloody proud of him, too.

But with the exception of that maternal pride, this is not enough for a man of Alonso's abilities. Success is not a universal concept – it is relative to the talents you have at your disposal. And if we are to judge him thus, Alonso's career has been something of a disappointment.

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