Former F1 team owner Jordan claims Alonso’s thirst for money cost him titles

The Spaniard last tasted championship success back in 2006 with Renault.

Since then, he’s had multiple near-misses with McLaren (2007) and Ferrari (2010 and 2012).

Many have criticised Alonso for over the years for his poor team choices, such as leaving Ferrari for McLaren in 2015, or falling out with the Woking outfit in 2007, for his lack of title triumphs.

Speaking on the latest episode of the Formula Success podcast, Jordan was critical of Alonso’s choices of joining teams that offered him more money, rather than one with better championship prospects.

“You can never look backwards,” Jordan said. “He has to ask himself and he has to ask Flavio - his manager Flavio Briatore and I still are good friends - but you have to remember, Fernando Alonso chased the money.

“He went to teams where he was getting more money than what he would have got in another team that probably had a better chance of him winning the world title.

“He probably now regrets that because he’s got so much money. Sometimes when you look back, you think that was a mistake. And, if I was to say to Fernando if he was sitting there opposite me, I think Fernando, you made a mistake.

“You’ve still got a great legacy, twice World Champion. But you, in your heart, know it could have been an easy five or six.”

At 41, Alonso is comfortably the oldest driver on the F1 2023 grid.

David Coulthard - who co-hosts the podcast with Jordan - explained why Alonso is still performing so close to his best with Aston Martin.

“Why I think Fernando is so strong is he’s angry,” Coulthard added. "He’s angry that he’s only got two world championships, and that anger is what drives him to still have the need.

“That’s the key thing. You don’t lose the speed – you lose the need. He still has the need.”