Unearth Your Greatness: Fernando reflects on the mindset that keeps him chasing perfection

Together with our Principal Partner, Maaden, our exclusive six-part series deep-dives into the aspirations, motivations and challenges of key members of our team and explores how those factors allow them to unearth their greatness.

In the first episode of the series, Fernando Alonso reveals the secrets to unearthing his greatness, explores his motivations and delves into some of the most successful and challenging moments of his career.

Watch the the gripping interview below as Fernando reflects on the highs, the lows and the mindset that keeps him chasing greatness, and keep scrolling for six key learnings from the two-time World Champion.

Unearth Your Greatness

Episode one: Fernando

In the first episode of our new six-part series in collaboration with Maaden, Fernando Alonso delves into the mindset that allows him to continue unlocking his potential and unearthing his greatness.

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1 | If you want to be the best, you have to enjoy the process

In the ultra-competitive world of Formula One, pressure comes from many places; there is nowhere to hide. Fernando opens up about those pressures and explains how he deals with them.

"You cannot show any weakness in this sport. There are a lot of eyes on us and a lot of attention on everything we do," he says. "It is demanding, but all jobs are demanding if you do them to perfection. If you want to be the best at the thing you do, it is demanding and you have to accept that and enjoy the process of finding perfection."

"You need to lead by example. You have to dedicate the necessary hours to perform at your best. You have to deliver the result on Sundays when it's possible. You have to be sharp and be motivated every day throughout the season to do the job every day despite better days and worse days."

2 | Time heals disappointments

"It's a very narrow line between greatness and big disappointments," says Fernando. "In 2010, we were very close to winning the championship in Abu Dhabi, but we didn't manage it. It's one of those moments you would love to go back 24 hours in time and do things differently. It's a big opportunity to win a championship and then you lose it in an hour and a half."

"In the moment, you think it's the end of the world, but the sun comes and it's a new day. It's difficult to understand why it happened, but with time, with days, with weeks or with months, you will understand that it had to happen to find yourself in a new situation."

I think all the decisions I made, all the mistakes and good things, had to happen. They were there for a reason.

3 | Things happen for a reason

Regrets are inevitable in sport, but the way you handle them defines your path. Every decision, every mistake and every triumph has shaped Fernando's career and, ultimately, his greatness.

"You have to enjoy the journey. I tried the 24 Hours of Le Mans, I tried the Indy 500, I went to Dakar and Daytona. All those challenges made me grow as a driver but also as a person. I went out of my comfort zone. I had to learn from the best how to drive those cars. It was very different from a Formula One car.

"If I changed something, I would not be who I am now," Fernando explains. "If you had a crystal ball and you go back in time and do things differently, in Formula One it's easy to chose different teams. Maybe you'll win more championships or you are in a different position. But I am happy. I think all the decisions I made, all the mistakes and good things, had to happen. They were there for a reason."

4 | Success is a collective effort

"Greatness can only be achieved if you constantly search for the next success," says Fernando. "To make a difference in an ultra competitive sport, you need to do something extraordinary and something that's never been done before. You need to be in a constant mood of sacrificing everything for the next success, and that's very difficult to do in life."

Fernando also credits the people around him as a crucial ingredient for success, recognising that collective strength underpins every result on track.

"At Aston Martin Aramco, the great facilities that we have, the great people that joined the team as well, I feel very proud to be part of the organisation. It keeps me in the best shape possible because I know I have a responsibility over my shoulders. We have 900 people here, and everyone has a key role in the performance of the car.

"You have to trust the team and the people that we have in the factory. What I've found as a team and a leadership, we are never happy until we win."

I hate losing. I will try everything before stopping.

5 | Not every legendary performance results in a step on the podium

Fernando recalls the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix, which was special to him because of every ounce of focus he had to extract to finish the race.

"Around halfway through the race, I tried to downshift through Turn One, and from seventh gear, I went to only fifth instead of second. I did Turn One in fifth and lost time. I realised in the following corner that there was a problem.

"Out of desperation, I tried to bleed the throttle on a downshift just because, if not, I would have to retire the car that lap. I bled the throttle and the downshift went in, so at the next braking point, I bled the throttle four times and four downshifts went down. I did 30 laps like that.

"The engineers said, 'I don't know how you came up with that solution that fast. You did it in 13 or 14 seconds,' and I said, 'I hate losing. I hate retiring the car. I will try everything before stopping.'"

"I finished fifth or something. Completely anonymous. No one will remember that race, but the level of energy, focus and concentration that I had to put in that race, I think it was a race to remember."

6 | Hard work and greatness are part of each other

For Fernando, victory is not just about trophies. It's about the preparation and mindset needed to approach every race with the same level of focus, whether it's aiming for first place or battling for points.

"Hard work and greatness are part of each other. You will not get one without the other," says Fernando. "When I go into a championship or I go into a race, I do believe that I'm the best prepared. That kind of preparation and knowledge makes me a winner before I even start the race.

"I understand the limitation of the package and the speed, but I go into the race full of optimism, confidence and determination to achieve the best result that Sunday. Sometimes it's seventh, sometimes ninth, sometimes a podium. If a podium is in our hands, I will not finish eighth. I'm sure of that."

Stand by for upcoming episodes in the 'Unearth your Greatness' series with Maaden, featuring Lance Stroll, Andy Cowell and more.