Fernando Alonso is ready to race tomorrow. Before there could be doubts, but now there are tests. On the test day for young drivers, he showed that he is in top shape, that he is an ‘old man’ who can beat whoever gets ahead if necessary. 105 laps of the Yas Marina track, 54 in the morning and 51 in the afternoon, to end the day ahead of everyone, with a 1: 36.333 which is the best time that his team has set since they set foot in Abu Dhabi.
It was not only the fastest of these tests, in which he shared box with the Chinese Guanyu Zhou (one of the great promises of the Asian giant). He beat the times of Esteban Ocon in Q2, the best of the last Grand Prix of the season, by a few thousandths. Alonso has only needed one day to get the batteries and be in the times of what will be his partner in 2021, and therefore, his first reference when it comes to getting behind the wheel of the future Alpine.
The day started with a warning. In just the first few laps, Alonso had already left behind his former teammate Stoffel Vandoorne, who this Tuesday had the opportunity to get on the almost unbeatable Mercedes W11. In a morning session dedicated to running rehearsals and long stints, Alonso set the metronome ticking: consistent 1:38 times before lunch and one goal: the fastest lap in the afternoon on the soft tires.
And wow he got it. Although he left in the morning behind Vandoorne’s Mercedes, in the last hour of tests that he will have until February (at least, with a car as similar as possible to 2021), Alonso squeezed the Renault RS20 until a time that would have placed him halfway through the grid this weekend, first with a 1: 36.5 and then with the final 1: 36.333. From behind, the two Mercedes and the rest.
By no means does it mean that next year’s Renault (and Alpine) will be in the rhythm of matching the Mercedes, but it does mean that Alonso’s readjustment to his most natural environment is practically complete. To the anger of those who crossed Renault and Alonso for the FIA permission, in a single day he has put fear in the body of his rivals. From the humble Haas, who watched Mick Schumacher do a whopping 125 laps (for him it was also a golden day), to the absent McLaren and Racing Point, who didn’t want to line up anyone for these tests and were left untested.
A competitive animal
Alonso only needed 105 laps, practically the distance of two GPs, to confirm what was already known: he returns with the hunger of a rookie. After two years testing in disciplines outside of Formula 1, he has regained his appetite for a competition that suffers from serious problems, as evidenced by the bellowing of the Renault R25 and its V10 engine from 15 years ago still resonate in the eardrums of those who heard it this weekend.
“It was very good and pleasant to be back in the car, especially with the racing team. I have been testing the 2018 car in test, but this has been a more serious one and it kindled my competitive spirit a bit, “admitted the Asturian at the end of the day. “It has been great to feel modern modern cars and experience what they can do. I was keeping a close eye on the team’s progress over the weekend and it was nice to test what I learned from outside and then inside the cockpit today. We confirmed many basic things that we had already prepared in the factory, such as seat adjustment, pedal position, etc., which is beneficial with only a day and a half of winter testing next year, ”recalled the Spaniard.
Now yes, the 2020 season has come to an end. The epilogue of the young drivers test closes a difficult year in which all of Formula 1 has felt like a no-man’s-land, but is looking forward to a promising 2021.
.
