Besides showcasing a terrific drive in the recently concluded Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso has also surprised F1 fans with his prophecy. The oldest man on the grid turned a soothsayer on Max Verstappen for a day, and the fans can’t get over it.
As per reports, Alonso made a brilliant prediction on Verstappen. He said after Saturday’s qualification that the Red Bull driver would overtake him on lap 25.
After the quali Fernando said that Max will reach him at lap 25 and in the race Max overtook Fernando exactly at lap 25
Nobody reads the race better than Fernando
— Aston Martin F1 updates (@startonpole) March 20, 2023
As the race started, the Dutch pilot overtook the Spaniard on the 25th lap. Despite the Dutchman’s confidence, he could not prove his fellow two-time champion wrong. The brilliant racing by Verstappen not only blew everyone’s mind but also showed the accuracy of former Ferrari driver’s prediction.
The Aston Martin driver qualified in P2 but started from P2 due to Charles Leclerc’s grid penalty. Whereas the Dutchman was down in P15 due to a driveshaft issue during Q2.
Fernando Alonso slammed FIA over the Jeddah penalty
The Aston Martin star called out the FIA over their penalty decision in Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The F1 governing body slapped the 41-year-old with a 10-second time penalty that stripped off his podium place after the race.
Even though the 10-second time penalty was uplifted, and he got back his position, Alonso was angry. The Spaniard also said that the decision that was taken by the authority was poor.
Fernando Alonso on having his podium finish taken away 🗣 pic.twitter.com/QWQBrewHkW
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) March 19, 2023
He went on that the late punishment made no sense as the FIA gave it after he stood up on the podium, clicked pictures, and celebrated with the winners.
Alonso requested his trophy back with a cheeky tweet
George Russell of Mercedes received the P3 trophy of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit race after the FIA penalized Alonso. After receiving the trophy, the Mercedes driver clicked photos with it and uploaded them on social media.
However, the governing body reversed the decision to reinstate the Spanish driver’s position. This reversal meant the Aston Martin driver was to have his P3 position and the trophy back.
A master of sarcasm, the former Alpine star tweeted a photo of him under the post of Russell’s podium trophy post. This move not only made fans go crazy over how he wanted the trophy back but also showed the 41-year-old hasn’t lost his charm.
