F1 | Alonso back in a F1 car for the test: “It’s like a new beginning”
The Samurai is back in action. Fernando Alonso tested his Renault and he cannot wait to go back racing
Racing is in his blood. Fernando Alonso always knew that and so do his rivals and fans all around the world. After a couple of season of “break”, the Spaniard had the chance to get his helmet off and he accepts the gauntlet coming back in a Formula 1 single-seater today, testing his Renault twenty years later his first time.
During the Coronavirus crisis, even if the engine were off the action never stopped in the managing sections and indeed the whole drivers’ market continued to alternate doubt and certainty, come-backs to possible goodbyes and some changes that could definitely be important for the grid. One of these was just Fernando Alonso’s comeback in Renault, for the third time. The French team seems to play a key-role in every “first step” of Fernando’s career: this was, indeed, the team in which he grew up, he started to shine and together with Renault he won both his World titles.
Let’s go back to the present time. This time, “La Règie”, experiments a new stage of the driver from Oviedo, his new beginning on the main stage.
20 years after his first test with Enstone, in Barcelona, Fernando Alonso is driving the R.S.20 today, at the same circuit.
— Renault F1 Team (@RenaultF1Team) October 13, 2020
“Returning behind the wheel is going to be an amazing feeling. Like a new beginning. I feel very privileged.” - @alo_oficial#RSspirit pic.twitter.com/MTVfOmAnFN
“Returning behind the wheel is going to be an amazing feeling. Like a new beginning. I feel very privileged.”- states a very emotional Alonso. The Spaniard seems to not have lost the touch, as he never spent a day away from the Circus. He looked confident, at ease as always, and his flamboyant, latin personality is more eager of winning than ever.
“Fernando is like a big shark. As soon as he starts to feel the blood, he wants to attack. That’s what I see, I see a shark. Very hungry. So that would be good to see.- tells Cyril Abiteboul, talking about his approach to the team - We received messages before, during and after the race. You would be impressed to measure his level of interest.”
Then, Renault’s team principal started to talk about the Spanyard expectations- “I think that when when he initially joined the team, and in his communication when we announced him, it was very much about 2022 and things. And the more the season is going and with the team’s progression, the car progression, the more he starts to be interested into 2021.”
Cyril Abiteboul is not the only one interested in Alonso, though. Also Esteban Ocon, who is going to be the Samurai’s new teammate next year is quite excited to meet him- “I’ve seen obviously how keen he is and he did send me a message that if we needed anything, he would be it would be there, no problem- said the young Frenchman . “It’s good at the moment that he goes in the simulator and it’s three opinions, basically, because me and Daniel and him. We are all practising on the sim before going to the races to have a good start set-up for the weekend. To have three confirmations is better than two.”
However, today's protagonist is Alonso of course, and he said he felt a very good connection with the car as it has a good potential to develp.
Strong emotions then began to run through him while he was coming back in what has been his home for so many years.
“It felt amazing to be able to drive these cars after two years and feel the speed again, how everything comes so fast, corner after corner, the performance under braking and all the things a Formula 1 car has to offer. To feel it once again felt nice.- said Alonso in Renault’s official press release - I felt at home already from day one. There is this atmosphere at Enstone, and in this team, that everything is so simple and logical in everything they do. I’m comfortable here with Renault. A lot of the people who worked today, worked as mechanics in my days in the team. When you know the faces and the team, everything comes a little easier.”
