The announcement of Fernando Alonso's move from Alpine to Aston Martin for the start of the 2023 Formula One season ensured that the senior statesman of the grid would race on for at least another year.
As he approaches his 21st year of involvement in F1, hugely popular Alonso is the oldest driver competing by some distance.
The man who once broke the records for the youngest driver to claim a pole position and win a race made history again at the 2022 Singapore Grand Prix by making his 350th start, the most ever by a driver.
What age is the Spaniard, how old are some of his rivals and where does he rank alongside the oldest racers of all time? Here are the details.
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How old is Fernando Alonso?
Alonso was born on July 29, 1981 in Oviedo, meaning he will be 41 at the start of the 2023 F1 season in Bahrain in March.
In an episode of Netflix F1 series 'Drive to Survive', Alonso was shown being thrown a 41st birthday party during the 2022 season by his former team.
ESPN described Alonso's look as "sheepish" at a party that was "slightly awkward". According to the outlet, Alonso had already been contacted by and met with Aston Martin about a 2023 contract at that point.
Oldest F1 drivers in history: Where does Fernando Alonso rank?
If Alonso is feeling his age at all, he can take inspiration from the top 10 oldest drivers ever to have entered a race, with the youngest on that list more than a decade older than him.
Oldest drivers to enter an F1 race
| Driver | Age | Finishing place | Race |
| Louis Chiron | 58 years, 277 days | DNQ | 1958 Monaco Grand Prix |
| Luigi Plate | 56 years, 0 days | DNA | 1950 Italian Grand Prix |
| Philippe Etancelin | 55 years, 191 days | 8th | 1952 French Grand Prix |
| Arthur Legat | 54 years, 232 days | Retired | 1953 Belgian Grand Prix |
| Kurt Kuhnke | 53 years, 96 days | DNQ | 1963 German Grand Prix |
| Luigi Fagioli | 53 years, 22 days | 1st | 1951 French Grand Prix |
| Piero Dusio | 52 years, 330 days | DNQ | 1952 Italian Grand Prix |
| Adolf Brudes | 52 years, 293 days | Retired | 1952 German Grand Prix |
| Hans Stuck | 52 years, 260 days | 14th | 1953 Italian Grand Prix |
| Jack Ensley | 52 years, 225 days | DNQ | 1959 Indianapolis 500 |
Age of F1 drivers: Oldest current Formula One racers
Alonso is the only current driver in his 40s, with seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton and former Aston Martin reserve driver Nico Hulkenberg the only competitors over 35.
Here's the top 11 by age for the 2023 F1 season.
| Driver | Team | Age |
| Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 41 |
| Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 38 |
| Nico Hulkenberg | Haas | 35 |
| Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo | 33 |
| Sergio Perez | Red Bull | 33 |
| Kevin Magnussen | Haas | 30 |
| Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 28 |
| Nyck de Vries | AlphaTauri | 28 |
| Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 27 |
| Alex Albon | Williams | 26 |
| Esteban Ocon | Alpine | 26 |
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Oldest F1 drivers to start a race
Evergreen Alonso will need to start a race after his 50th birthday to become one of the 10 oldest drivers ever to have appeared on the starting grid, who we've listed here.
Oldest F1 drivers to start a race
| Driver | Age | Finishing place | Race |
| Louis Chiron | 55 years, 292 days | 6th | 1955 Monaco Grand Prix |
| Philippe Etancelin | 55 years, 191 days | 8th | 1952 French Grand Prix |
| Arthur Legat | 54 years, 232 days | Retired | 1953 Belgian Grand Prix |
| Luigi Fagioli | 53 years, 22 days | 1st | 1951 French Grand Prix |
| Adolf Brudes | 52 years, 293 days | Retired | 1952 German Grand Prix |
| Hans Stuck | 52 years, 260 days | 14th | 1953 Italian Grand Prix |
| Bill Aston | 52 years, 127 days | Retired | 1952 German Grand Prix |
| Clemente Biondetti | 52 years, 16 days | Retired | 1950 Italian Grand Prix |
| Louis Rosier | 50 years, 274 days | 5th | 1956 German Grand Prix |
| Rudolf Schoeller | 50 years, 98 days | Retired | 1952 German Grand Prix |