‘Second place is the first loser-‘ a famous phrase by the legendary Dale Earnhardt, has become the go-to mantra for many racing car drivers in today’s day and age. Back when 13-year-old Fernando Alonso heard the phrase for the first time, it taught him a lesson he carries with him to this day, he revealed during his interview with YouTube channel High Performance.
As a 13-year-old, Fernando Alonso finished in second place in the go-kart World Championships. The Spaniard was overjoyed with his achievement, but one of his mentors took him aside to teach him one of the most valuable lessons of his life.
In the beginning, Alonso could not understand the reason behind the advice as it killed most of his excitement about the results. But with time, he began to understand the importance of the lesson and admits it has helped him maintain focus on his goals.
Fernando Alonso received the best advice of his life as a 13-year-old
While in conversation, hosts Jake Humphrey and Prof. Damian Hughes asked Fernando Alonso about the greatest piece of advice he ever got. In response, the two-time F1 world champion told a story about how he won 2nd place in the Go-karting world championships as a teenager, and once the results were out, his team’s Head of Mechanics gave him advice he can never forget.
“So the Head of Mechanics, back then, in Go-Kart in my team, came to me and pulled me in one of the side of the tent and he said, ‘be happy, enjoy, but there is not much to celebrate. Second is the first losers.'”
While the words may serve as the biggest learning of Alonso’s illustrious career, they aren’t the only lesson he has learned. There has been another momentous learning in the Asturian driver’s career.
Alonso has also learned the importance of losing
In a career spanning over 20 years, Alonso has been a part of more than 360 Grand Prix races. However, he has only been able to win 32 of those races, meaning he has lost over 90% of the races he has been a part of. When the hosts asked Alonso about this stat, the 42-year-old asserted the importance of losing and learning to deal with it.
Seb on Fernando Alonso:
“I admire him as a competitor, he’s been the toughest. We had so many close battles in 2010/2012 which still my favourite moments.I rate him very high,he has natural talent, incredible determination & great racing instincts that he has not lost…” pic.twitter.com/FlAEXWJ723
— Sebastian Vettel Updates (@ocsebvettel) November 16, 2022
Alonso said life needs failure and that it is important to have down moments as they help one learn the most. He also added that barring a few extraordinary drivers, most people see similar stats or have worse outcomes. The veteran driver believes it is important for all to be able to deal with losing and have a clear distinction between disappointment and a lesson to improve themselves.
