Fernando Alonso dreams and infects the staff. In Jeddah, the second city of Saudi Arabia, a round figure is announced in the pilot’s career. The 100th podium, the Asturian centenary, in step prior to the figure that drives fans crazy who turn their faces to Formula 1 as in the old days. victory 33.
Everything could flow in Saudi Arabia, headquarters of the main sponsor of Aston Martin. This is attested by the official tests that were held yesterday in the very fast urban circuit of the Corniche.
Twenty years ago, in 2003, Alonso climbed to the first podium of his life in Formula 1. He was a guy with an adolescent appearance coming out of a shell, 21 years old, short hair, no trace of beard, very thin and clad in a blue jumpsuit Renault with the advertising of Mild Seven, Japanese cigars that would now be prohibited in the F1 regulations.
At his side, winner of the race in Malaysia, the Sepang circuit, the icy smile of Kimi Raikkonen together with the second Ferrari driver, Rubens Barrichello, with the Marlboro advertisement.
Alonso had achieved his first pole position, but he had a fever. “Tonight I will relax, have dinner, stay at the hotel, take medicine and drink plenty of water,” he declared that afternoon in the humidity of Sepang.
His first achievement, a podium, was a fight against adversity: «In the last 25 laps I felt pretty bad, sick, but I tried to stay focused and push hard. I did 46 qualifying laps », he pointed out.
From the first to the last, two Sundays ago in Bahrain, Alonso went to a country in his car, changed the after-dinners and generated an unusual popularity for a half-clandestine sport. There are 99 podiums to date in a sequence that had too many breaks in recent times, when he was forced to leave F1 (2018) due to the lack of powerful results.
The Asturian has achieved 32 victories, 37 seconds and 30 third places in twenty seasons. Ferrari is the most conducive team for their interests. In five campaigns he was on the podium 44 times, more than in the car that gave him the greatest satisfaction, that Renault of Flavio Briatore that used Michelin tires.
In six years with the French car he achieved 41 podiums, an estimable number penalized by the years 2008 and 2009, when the car went into decline tuned up in orange.
His favorite tire, it is said, is the Michelin (37), ahead of current Pirelli (36) and former supplier Bridgestone (26).
For obvious reasons, the 2005 and 2006 seasons (his two championships) were his biggest supply point: 15 podiums in 2005 and 14 in 2006. The next successful year was 2012 (13), that of the last race with Vettel in Brazil that gave the German his third title.
The Brazilian Interlagos circuit is the Asturian’s favorite (8 podiums and two coronations as champion), followed by Barcelona (7) and Silverstone (6).
Meanwhile, the good news continues for the Oviedo player in the season that may mean his resurrection in the elite. The Aston Martin also works on the fast Jeddah circuit. Third place for the Spanish rider in the first free practice and second in the continuation in the afternoon.
The Spaniard disputes the supremacy of the Red Bull, although this Saturday the energetic car can press the magic button and get pole position with a certain advantage.
