SFA 2017: O que eles disseram... (7)
Sunday
morning in the FIA pit garage at the Circuit de Catalunya and Fernando Alonso
was tidying up. Yes, dear reader, you did read that correctly!
Posing
behind a logo-emblazoned board, Jean Todt had just hosted a mass gathering of
every F1 driver – and various hangers-on – for a group photo promoting a
no-doubt worthy cause. Picture opportunity over, the board fell forwards and
lay forlorn and trampled upon pit road as the multi-millionaire horde departed
stage left.
Showing
signs of a well-taught childhood, Fernando stopped, stooped, and picked up the
sign before walking into the empty pit box and gently placing the board against
a wall.
Alone
with the Spaniard I walked over to him and, with the Indianapolis 500 just a
week away, offered my encouragement to McLaren’s main man: “Be careful and make
us proud.” Looking up at me, Fernando calmly replied, “I will.”
And he
did.
Not in
my long F1 photography career has any driver had anywhere like the levels of
charisma possessed by Ayrton Senna. He’d walk into a room and time would
momentarily pause, such was the aura surrounding the great Brazilian.
Not
Prost, not Hakkinen, not Raikkonen, not Schumacher, not Hill, not Hamilton –
none of them, none of them could or can hold a candle to Senna’s allure.
Fernando
Alonso is the only driver that comes close. Sure, he doesn’t have that
all-encompassing X-factor that Ayrton had, but he’s the nearest since that dark
day in May 1994.
Cool in
a kind of effortless way, respected, liked, admired by his peers, but all the
while possessing a ruthless streak that many may sometimes not like but
secretly wish they had.
He’s a
double world champion, but oh how we all want a third. Sublime on track,
Fernando has puzzled us all with off-track team choices that have so often
taken a wrong turn. Leaving McLaren at the end of 2007, and refusing a 2008 Red
Bull deal, before signing for Ferrari for 2010 were all ill-advised. Of course
Alonso wasn’t to know that the Milton Keynes upstarts would – from 2009 onwards
– become a bona fide F1 super team, but the signs were there, and really the
sinister Sirens that sing from the island of the Scuderia should’ve been
ignored by our Spanish hero...
Now
back at McLaren, Alonso faces another fork in the road. Stay at the English
team – they’ll no doubt let him drive the 500 again – and likely enjoy the
benefits of a well-handling chassis pushed quickly along by Mercedes power, or
leave. Who knows where? Renault are mentioned, but really would that be any
better? Jump the F1 ship for a full-time drive in the national championship
IndyCar series, or maybe go all closed-cockpit in the World Endurance
Championship? Both have a certain appeal but Fernando can do those when he’s
properly done with F1.
Driven
in a monstrously committed fashion, Alonso’s 2017 McLaren appears in timing
screen positions that – given the utterly wretched under-performance of his
Honda ‘power-unit’ – it has no right to occupy.
Just
one glance at the Canadian qualifying session speed-trap figures will give you
an idea of the level at which Fernando is driving his MCL32. 19th out of 20
runners, the McLaren was 16 kilometres per hour slower than the quickest car
and a full five down on the 18th placed machine. You, I and Alonso know well
that a 2018 non-Honda-powered MCL33 will be an entirely different proposition
to his current ride.
Of
course, Honda may stay, Fernando may go, only time will tell. The collective
desire – both within and without the sport – for Alonso to stay is palpable in
its force, but in reality that will have little or no effect on decisions made.
What is
certain is that Formula 1 will be a way poorer place without the guy many still
consider to be the best driver in the sport.
Bernie
would’ve sorted it. Back in the day, Ecclestone would be having a quiet word.
Mercedes, Red Bull or Ferrari would be ‘encouraged’ to make a seat available
for our man. The F1 supremo was all too aware that his sport without one of the
superstar drivers would be a less appealing watch.
But
Bernie’s gone, so this may be Fernando’s F1 swansong.
Fingers crossed it’s not.
**
Hahahaha... os caras falam MAL do Alonso a vida inteira na F1, criticam tudo que o cara faz e ainda me solta um: "Tenha cuidado e nos faça orgulhosos"!
OI?! Eles querem até mesmo pegar carona no sucesso do Alonso... fico para morrer!!!
Alonso foi para os EUA e para Indy mas fez por ele mesmo! A F1 não tem nada com isso...
Fernando Alonso arrasou por lá. Aprendeu e ensinou... se divertiu e nos divertiu... e sem medo de errar, mostrou para quem ainda duvidava que tipo o piloto que ele é feito...
Autoconfiança e talento são os sobrenomes deste moço!! #sorrybutnotsorry #dealwithit
BJuss, Tati
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