Fernando Alonso has once again showered praise on Michael Schumacher recently. Although the duo once shared one of the most epic rivalries in F1, they have always held each other in high regard. Alonso recently lauded Schumacher for revolutionizing the sport with his unmatched fitness and overall work ethic.
In the recently released docuseries, Being Michael Schumacher, Alonso said, “The way of approaching the races, the physical preparation, the determination and the work ethic every weekend with the engineers changed. Many things in Formula 1 changed for the better thanks to Michael.”
The car’s weight directly affects the speed. The same is no secret to either the engineers or the drivers now. However, Schumacher was among the first to act on it by working on himself.
The German driver, who is well known for his aim for perfection, followed a physical regimen with a strict diet. The commitment acted as an inspiration for fellow drivers who soon followed suit.
“Jurgen Dilk also played a crucial role in making the young Schumacher realise the value of fitness. He hired an ex-professional footballer to train with him and from this point onwards, Schumacher would be obsessive about his fitness.”#KeepFightingMichael@Jamesallenonf1 pic.twitter.com/PT3lTWsGjG
— Michael Schumacher (@_MSchumacher) November 21, 2021
Clearly, the disciplined lifestyle worked for Schumacher, who enjoyed unprecedented success in his era. Among the ones observing from close quarters and getting outperformed day in and day out was the young Alonso himself.
However, the Spaniard did not take much time to break Schumacher’s stunning championship-winning streak. Alonso won his first F1 title in 2005 and in the process prevented Schumacher from winning a potential sixth championship in a row.
The tussle between the two was one of the most fiery and entertaining in the history of F1. In the heyday, the duo openly spoke against each other. While Schumacher dubbed Alonso ‘arrogant’, the Spaniard returned the favor with a ‘bad sport’ jibe.
When it came to the track, both were pretty evenly matched in 2006 when they registered seven wins each but Alonso edged the Ferrari driver by 13 points by the end of the season to win his second championship. However, in the docuseries, Alonso interestingly admits he lost more against Schumacher than he won.
How Fernando Alonso carried forward Michael Schumacher’s legacy?
Michael Schumacher famously spent four to six hours a day in the gym before hitting the track. That helped him elongate his F1 career and also make a comeback in 2010 at the age of 41.
Similarly, Fernando Alonso is as fit as ever as well at the age of 42 and looks just as sharp on the track as he did in his glory days. Moreover, he is still keen on fighting for another championship and hopes that Aston Martin can provide him with a strong car to achieve his goal.
‘I’m doing Pilates and Yoga for my core strength’: Lewis Hamilton turns to new fitness regime https://t.co/iwoeKxMkT2 pic.twitter.com/ADgwXiRm0O
— Olorunfemi Oladele Kayode (@Kaymoneylive) January 25, 2019
However, it is pertinent to note that Alonso is not the only driver who has followed Schumacher’s footsteps to prolong his career. Kimi Raikkonen registered his name among the most decorated drivers in the sport’s history.
He too had one of the longest F1 careers when he retired at the age of 42. Similarly, Lewis Hamilton, who replaced Schumacher at Mercedes, is also going strong as ever at 38.
