Fernando Alonso lives a whole second youth in terms of sports and media interest. The two-time Spanish world champion of Formula 1 is once again on everyone’s lips thanks to an outstanding start to the season in Aston Martin, second best team in the World Cup to date. A few months after joining the British team, the Asturian has put those from Silverstone in a position to compete with the best and to dream of the highest possible goals.
With a full of podiums For Alonso in the three races held so far (Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Australia), optimism reigns in his box. The hopes of getting a race victory again are more real than ever in recent times, and there has even been talk of fighting for the title sooner rather than later. Although a call for prudence has already been made from the leadership of Aston Martin, the euphoria is little less than uncontainable.
The praises are multitude, and not only from the most partial points of view. Alonso’s colleagues do not hesitate to recognize the value of what the Spaniard has achieved so far at Aston Martin, and without skimping on praise. The latest to join this wave of recognitions has been pascal wehrlein.
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The German driver, formerly of Formula 1 for a few years now (he only competed in it in 2016 and 2017), considers “Very impressive what Alonso is doing”. In statements collected by motorsportWehrlein also points out that his former rival “it probably comes naturally to you” be competitive for so long in the World Cup.
“Is crazy being able to offer that performance in so many different eras of cars, even at his age (41 years) and even after a comeback (Alonso did not race in Formula 1 in 2019 and 2020)”, the German also opined, who since 2019 runs in Formula E, a competition that he currently leads. It was at a press conference prior to one of the last races of this modality, precisely in Berlin, when Wehrlein launched into praising Alonso.
The natural talent of the Oviedo native to get the most out of each of the single-seaters that he has had to drive in Formula 1 since 2001 leaves everyone with their mouths open. The man who was a driver for the Manor and Sauber teams at the time has not been an exception: “You can only take your hat off to that.”
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Alonso’s well-cared seniority creates fans, since Wehrlein, at 28, considers himself capable of having “many good years in motorsports” ahead of him. “From ten to fifteen years, it is not a problem. In ten years I will be 38, in 15 years 43. If I want to drive until then, there is no problem, ”he declared in the last hours. The reflection, surely, was motivated by the inspiration that Alonso’s insatiable thirst for victories generates in many.
Three weeks after the last Grand Prix, the Gran Circo resumes its course in Azerbaijan. It will do so in a Grand Prix for which some improvements are already expected between the teams and in which the great novelty will be, above all, the sprint format.
This means that this weekend we will have two tests in Baku: the sprint on Saturday, of barely 15 laps, and the race itself on Sunday, of 51. Unlike what happened up to now with the appointments on the Formula 1 calendar in which the sprint was contemplated, there will be two qualifying sessions: Friday, for the normal race, and Saturday, for the sprint and also of shorter duration.
Therefore, the order in which the test on Saturday is completed will not be the one taken into account to make up the starting grid for Sunday, as was the case in 2021 and 2022. What does not vary is the score that distributed in the sprint: 8 points for the first, 7 for the second, 6 for the third, 5 for the fourth, 4 for the fifth, 3 for the sixth, 2 for the seventh and one for the eighth.
