Fernando Alonso Labels His Battle Against Sergio Perez Tougher Than Challenge With Michael Schumacher- “It Was Easier in 2005”

Despite finishing P3, the Sao Paulo GP belonged to one Fernando Alonso, owing to his fierce battle with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez. After finding form similar to the start of the season, Alonso fended off the challenge from Perez to register a famous podium finish. While the Mexican presented Alonso with a daunting challenge, it wasn’t the first time Alonso faced a fierce battle on track. Speaking about the same, the 42-year-old ranked the tussle higher than an iconic battle from 18 years ago.

 

Addressing the thrilling encounter in Sao Paulo, Alonso recalled a similar battle from 2005 when he took on a prime Michael Schumacher on the road to his first of two world titles. According to a report from SpeedCafe, the Asturian driver believes his 2005 battle with Schumacher was much easier as compared to the race in Sao Paulo.

“It was easier in 2005. No DRS, so that was probably a bit easier. Now, with the DRS, it seems a little bit different and you have to play things a little bit different as well. Tire management is also very different than back then, where you can maybe push the tire all the way.”

It was a battle for the ages as the final two laps in Sao Paulo saw some of the most intense racing this season since the race in Singapore. Both drivers exchanged the lead for P3 twice before Alonso was able to pip the Red Bull driver for the last place on the podium by a mere 0.053 seconds.

With an underperforming Aston Martin at his disposal, Alonso adopted a unique strategy to never take the same racing line twice to keep Perez guessing what the Asturian’s next move would be, allowing the 42-year-old to keep a faster RB19 with the most effective DRS on the grid at bay.

The battle of 2005 between Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher

Heading into the San Marino GP in 2005, Fernando Alonso was looking to extend his lead at the top of the Driver’s standings as the defending champion Michael Schumacher looked to register his first race win of the season.

As a race leader Kimi Raikkonen had to retire with driveshaft problems, the battle for the race win was between Alonso and Schumacher. Overturning a 20-second deficit in 13 laps, the German driver was within touching distance of overtaking Alonso, but some solid defense from the eventual world champion kept him at bay.

The race in Sao Paulo was reminiscent of the one from 18 years ago, but there was a major difference between the two. While Alonso remains the constant in both scenarios, the introduction of DRS in one of the most dominant cars in the history of the sport meant it was much more challenging for the most senior driver on the grid to maintain his position.

While managing tire wear and the battery was key, Alonso added overtaking Lewis Hamilton during the race was the major turning point for his race. The climb meant he could manage his tire stints in accordance with the plan that eventually saw him get the better of Perez.