“Did You Know…”: Fernando Alonso Credits Himself for Kickstarting Motorsport Liking for Five F1 Drivers

Aston Martin’s new recruit Fernando Alonso is well aware of his fan following among the younger drivers in Formula 1. During a recent interview, Alonso was asked whether he knew that a fellow F1 driver had his first kart named after the Spaniard.

In reply, the two-time world champion not only said yes but also revealed the names of some other drivers who had their karts named after him.

‘A few of them’: Alonso aware of his fan following among young drivers

When F1 journalist Tom Clarkson asked if he was aware that Oscar Piastri’s first kart was a ‘Fernando Alonso kart,’ the Spaniard replied, “Yes. Oscar, Kvyat, Carlos, Lando……yeah, a few of them.”

Alonso has inspired many aspiring drivers since he broke onto the F1 scene in the early 2000s. The Spaniard took his first victory in the sport with Renault in 2003 before winning two championships with the same team in 2005 and 2006.

What was most impressive about his championship wins was that he was not only the youngest driver at the time to win the title, but he also beat the legendary Michael Schumacher to do so.

The German arrived in the 2005 season after five consecutive Drivers’ Championship wins (seven in total) from 2000 to 2004. And for Alonso to beat Schumacher in this kind of form at the age of just 24 was just unthinkable.

Also Read: Fernando Alonso Reveals He Performed With Broken Bones in 2022; Could Be Inspiration for Lance Stroll To Return Amidst Injury

Can Fernando Alonso win a third F1 world title?

After Fernando Alonso won two world championships in 2005 and 2006, not many fans expected that the Spaniard might never win a title again.

The closest the Spaniard came to winning a third title was in 2007 with McLaren, then in 2010 and 2012 with Ferrari. Since then, Alonso has often found himself in a car far off the pace.

It remains to be seen if Aston Martin can provide the 41-year-old with a car capable of fighting for wins and the title. Although Alonso and Aston Martin looked good during pre-season testing, the real test for them will come this weekend in Bahrain when the 2023 season begins. The Bahrain Grand Prix will take place from March 3 to 5.

Also Read: Lance Stroll Reveals Details of Injury That Led Him to Skip Bahrain Pre-season Testing