Approaching the Mexican Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso finds himself sidelined from the event’s media day due to illness. This comes as the Spaniard hits a large milestone this weekend as he approaches his 400th Grand Prix, an extraordinary achievement
“Fernando Alonso is feeling unwell and will therefore not attend media day at the MexicoGP. Fernando is focused on feeling 100% for Friday and his planned return to the AMR24 for Free Practice 2,” the Aston Martin F1 team confirmed.
Alonso, who hails from Oviedo, Spain, has carved out a storied career in Formula 1, starting with humble beginnings in the karting circuits of his home country. Moving up the ranks, he debuted in Formula 1 with Minardi in 2001, rapidly making a name for himself as a strong driver.
“I think that guy in 2001, I was not really thinking too much in the future. The dream was coming alive, driving [in] F1, the first race,” Alonso told Formula 1. His subsequent tenure with Renault would see him clinch back-to-back world championships in 2005 and 2006, setting records and cementing his reputation as one of the sport’s greats.
Despite his successes, Alonso’s career trajectory has not always followed a prescribed path.
“I didn’t have a clear roadmap into my career,” he reflected. “I didn’t know exactly what was the next race, what will be my next team. I was improvising [and] every weekend was a new adventure.” His passion for racing has never waned, however, as he noted with pride that reaching his 400th Grand Prix “is a big number. It’s a way of demonstrating my passion for the sport and for F1.”
The Mexican Grand Prix, held at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, is a grand event in the Formula 1 calendar, known for its altitude and challenging conditions for both its drivers and powertrains due to the thin air. It serves as a crucial race for Alonso and Aston Martin amidst a challenging season. Currently, Alonso stands ninth in the Drivers’ Standings with 62 points, while Aston Martin holds fifth in the Constructors’ Standings with 86 points. Technical issues with their car have hampered performance, a matter Alonso openly discussed during the Italian Grand Prix after a point-less finish.
In Alonso’s temporary absence, Brazilian driver Felipe Drugovich will step in for Free Practice 1. Drugovich is part of Aston Martin’s driver development program, having already participated in practice sessions at both the Italian and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix earlier this year.
“Knowing that no one reached that number in the past, maybe someone does in the future, but not many, let’s say a group of five or 10 maximum. It just demonstrates my love for racing, for F1, how much I enjoy this lifestyle, motor racing in general,” Alonso reflected. However, his initial journey into Formula 1 started without certainty, featuring turns that now seem prescient in their ambition. An early moment of clarity came when planning his future career, as Alonso once intended that 2009 would be his last season.
“What I would say is that when I won the championship in 2006 and then I joined McLaren, I had a three-year contract for 2007, ’08 and ’09, and I was 99% sure that 2009 would be my last F1 season. That was my very clear plan in my head.”
Leave a Reply