Welcome to ‘alonsomania’ (and this time it’s serious): when a forty-year-old turns Formula 1 upside down

Fernando Alonso he possesses indisputable class as a driver, but the Bahrain Grand Prix made it clear that, in terms of charisma, there has been no an equal driver in Formula 1 since Ayrton senna. Alonso and indifference do not gel. There are the most irrational followers of him, as well as his most recalcitrant detractors. Love him or hate him, there is something indisputable: seeing a 41-year-old person, who has won everything in the world of motorsports, celebrate a podium with the illusion of a rookie is something out of the ordinary. That is the image that explains more clearly why we are facing such a unique athlete of his kind. A forty-year-old who has turned his big circusboth in Spain and outside our borders.

When he has been in the gap for so many years like the Asturian, the most difficult thing to maintain is his ability to fight, his ambition, to be as motivated as the first day. The alonsomania He’s back, if he ever left. On a global level, Fernando’s charismatic pull is enormous and this was confirmed after the end of the first Grand Prix in the main international media. General and specialized media paid more attention to the Asturian’s podium than to the Max Verstappen victory. The amateur echo on social media was also deafening. In Formula 1’s own voting on which driver deserved the MVP of the day award, his victory was overwhelming. There was no talk of anything else.

Global emotion

Fernando Alonso’s relationship with the Anglo-Saxon press has never been easy. An important sector has historically lent itself to seek fault above virtue from Spanish. His past with Lewis Hamilton made him the great villain. But, this time, the main specialists did not skimp on their praise before the exhibition of the Spanish pilot in Bahrain. Not even in the case of a symbolic defeat for the Mercedes driver at the hands of his nemesis Hispanic. There are few more revealing examples of this situation than the official broadcast of Formula 1 in English, where the announcer was even more excited than he was transmitting at the same moment. Antonio Lobato (which is already saying) on ​​the DAZN channel.

Edd Straw, one of the sacred cows of the British press of the paddockhe usually does in the prestigious media The Race a verdict on the performance of each driver after a Grand Prix. He not only gave the Asturian the best possible grade. His analysis was significant: “Despite having a devastating pace in practice, his car was not fast enough to beat Red Bull and Ferraris, but Alonso did a good job to be placed in fifth place (in the ranking). Knowing that the Aston Martin’s tire management was going to give him a chance to catch the Ferraris, he set his usual relentless pace, mingling in the most spectacular head-to-head duels of the race. Verdict: Alonso at his best pulling out the cloak and sword”.

Another renowned British firm, such as scott mitchellfrom the same medium, made an interesting reflection on why a resurrected Alonso is jJust what Formula 1 needs, when everything indicates that Red Bull will walk throughout the season. “We could be facing an unexpected savior of emotions with Fernando Alonso. Not only because of Aston Martin’s massive leap in quality, but because we are talking about the self-styled bad boy of the business. no one has interpreted the role of villain as Alonso has done throughout the years, giving value as a box office character on and off the track. In Formula 1 there must always be good and bad characters. Heroes and anti-heroes came to say Alonso, placing himself, according to his words, on the dark side of the narrative “It doesn’t matter what role you play… but that is the protagonist.

Respect for the ‘enemy’

That is the perception of much of the lobby anglo saxon Not so much because they consider him a villain in himself, but because they don’t see anyone capable of playing that counterpoint role to his local hero, lewis hamilton, as does the one in Oviedo. It’s not a sign of contempt for him. Rather an example of tremendous respect, because, as Mitchell himself emphasizes, “Alonso has always been one of the great protagonists of Formula 1, inside and outside of it.” In a world like high competition sport, where the passion of his followers is unleashed, it is infinitely better to be perceived as that great enemy to beat than to generate indifference. There is, for example, the opinion of the British champion damon hillhighlighting the greatness of Fernando: “He should always come from behind to see how far he is capable of going.”

In other reference media, such as Italy Racingthe devotion that Fernando continues to have many years after his departure from Ferrari impresses: “The competitiveness of the Aston Martin has awakened the lion Alonso who, despite his 41 springs, in this race he shone very brilliantly. When analyzing his 38-second disadvantage compared to the winner, max verstappenwe must take into account the 12 seconds lost with George Russell. Thanks to his impressive race pace, Alonso would have taken home the podium, even without the abandonment of Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari.” Drivers who leave Ferrari are often overshadowed in Italy, but this time the chain of praise to il leone in spanish it was overwhelming. they adore you.

The usually neutral and little given to emotions of the German press also gave almost more space to the return to the podium positions of Fernando Alonso than to the final victory of Max Verstappen. The half German par excellence, Auto Motor and Sportjoined the alonsomania: “The old master revives in the desert. We will soon wonder if Max Verstappen wins all 23 races or if someone can beat Red Bull. At the moment, Aston Martin is more likely to do that than Ferrari and Mercedes. Because in the car green there is someone who knows how to win thanks to Fernando Alonso”. This last sentence is the one that with the fewest words defines the perception that the Spanish pilot has in the world. Everyone knows that with him behind the wheel, special things can always happen. Welcome to Show. Come and enjoy.

Fernando Alonso he possesses indisputable class as a driver, but the Bahrain Grand Prix made it clear that, in terms of charisma, there has been no an equal driver in Formula 1 since Ayrton senna. Alonso and indifference do not gel. There are the most irrational followers of him, as well as his most recalcitrant detractors. Love him or hate him, there is something indisputable: seeing a 41-year-old person, who has won everything in the world of motorsports, celebrate a podium with the illusion of a rookie is something out of the ordinary. That is the image that explains more clearly why we are facing such a unique athlete of his kind. A forty-year-old who has turned his big circusboth in Spain and outside our borders.