Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko has named Fernando Alonso as his surprise of the year in 2022, following the Spaniard run of strong performances.
Alonso returned to the sport at the start of the 2021 campaign with Alpine, and scored a podium result at last year’s Qatar Grand Prix.
Despite recently turning 41 years of age, Alonso has showed no sign of relinquishing speed, and recently signed a multi-year deal to race for Aston Martin from 2023 onward.
Speaking to Austrian newspaper Osterreich, Marko was full of praise for the two-time World Champion.
![Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri [McLaren] celebrate their 1-2 finish at the 2025 F1 Austrian GP](https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Lando-Norris-Oscar-Piastri-McLaren-F1-2025-1-120x86.webp)
“He’s so fast. It’s unbelievable what kind of races he delivers, for me he’s the surprise of the year,” Marko said.
“As a driver, I even think he can still win races. The only question is whether Aston Martin can provide him with the right package.”
Alonso will replace Sebastian Vettel at the team next year, after the German announced that he would retire from the sport at the end of the current campaign.
Marko worked closely with Vettel throughout the four-time World Champion’s successful days at Red Bull, which saw him become one of the most dominant drivers in the sport’s history.
Marko believes that Vettel was right to hang up his helmet if he is realised that he has priorities away from F1.
“Vettel’s meticulousness was a perfect match for our DNA,” he said. “Everything worked together perfectly.
“Now he has other priorities, he can’t even make it onto the podium with his car. So it’s logical that he draws the consequences. If you don’t put your heart and soul into it, you can’t go on.”
![Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri [McLaren] celebrate their 1-2 finish at the 2025 F1 Austrian GP](https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Lando-Norris-Oscar-Piastri-McLaren-F1-2025-1-350x250.webp)
![Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri [McLaren] celebrate their 1-2 finish at the 2025 F1 Austrian GP](https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Lando-Norris-Oscar-Piastri-McLaren-F1-2025-1-360x180.webp)
Red Bull are so stupid for not dumping low energy Perez and replacing him with Alonso. Unlike their previous star Vettel who had contracted #2 teammates and was given higher-quality equipment than Webber, Verstappen seems like the kind of guy who could actually handle having an equal teammate like Alonso and would welcome the challenge. If it weren’t for the Jap crap engines, and with Verstappen and Alonso as teammates, Red Bull would probably win nearly every race of the season. I’m not so sure Verstappen could hang with Alonso at most tracks though, but it sure would be fun to see. Almost makes me with F1 was simply a spec series just so we could find out who the best really is.
Perez is five points away from second in the championship. Alonso is five races behind Steve Ocon. If Ocon skipped the next five races, at the current rate of points per race he would return still leading Alonso in the standings. I don’t think it’s Red Bull who are stupid, I’m sure it’s you.