On the eve of the first Spanish Grand Prix held in Madrid, Fernando Alonso took advantage of a day at the Barcelona circuit to drive several cars from his personal collection.
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Fernando Alonso never really seems to want to stay away from a circuit for long. At 45, the Spaniard has racing experience that goes far beyond F1, as he has also competed in the World Endurance Championship, the Indianapolis 500, and the Dakar Rally.
Before returning to Formula 1 in Madrid, the Matador visited the Barcelona circuit with several cars from his personal collection, whose total value is estimated at around 37 million euros. Among them were two iconic single-seaters once driven by Ayrton Senna.
“Collecting is also preserving”
Several Formula 1, DTM, and GT machines thus returned to the track. But two cars particularly caught attention: the Toleman TG184 driven by Ayrton Senna in 1984 (photo above) and a 1989 McLaren MP4/5. The latter belongs to a particularly important period in the Brazilian’s career. It notably retains the wide nose characteristic of the dominant MP4/4 that preceded it, while distinguishing itself from the MP4/5B used in 1990 by its wider sidepods.
For Alonso, owning these historic cars only truly matters if they continue to be used in their natural environment: “A very special day at the Barcelona circuit, enjoying some cars from my collection where they really belong: on the track. F1, historic cars, GT and DTM. A day of exceptional pleasure. Because collecting is also preserving, enjoying, and keeping this history alive.”
This passion for motorsport history has accompanied Alonso for many years. The Spaniard owns an important collection including cars associated with different periods of racing and does not just keep them as simple display pieces.
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The presence of Senna’s old single-seaters obviously gives a special dimension to this day, more than three decades after the triple world champion’s passing.
A possible last home Grand Prix for Alonso
This outing comes especially a few days before a special event for Alonso: the first Formula 1 Grand Prix held on the new Madring.
The Spaniard’s future remains uncertain. His contract with Aston Martin ends at the close of the 2026 season and Alonso has not yet confirmed whether he will continue his Formula 1 career next year. The Madrid event could therefore potentially be his last home Grand Prix as an F1 driver.
Before turning to this milestone, Alonso treated himself to a much more historic interlude in Barcelona. By putting several cars from his collection back on the track, notably two former Ayrton Senna single-seaters, the Spaniard intends to show that a historic racing car should not only be preserved: it must also keep running to keep its history alive.
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