F1 News: Fernando Alonso accuses rivals of lacking KEY attribute

Stroll, Alonso, socials — Photo: © IMAGO

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Alonso accuses F1 rivals of lacking KEY attribute

The Spaniard has let his feelings be known

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Tuesday 11 June 2024 16:57 Updated: 17:04

Fernando Alonso has made a brutal assessment of younger drivers claiming they lack the heroism of his generation.

The Spaniard is the longest serving F1 driver with 389 entries over the past two decades.

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Alonso will continue to hold onto this record until at least 2026, after extending his contract with Aston Martin.

Former rival Lewis Hamilton recently became the longest serving British driver, with a total of 341 entries ahead of his eagerly anticipated move to Ferrari.

Fernando Alonso shows little sign of retiring

Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso are the longest serving drivers on the grid

Alonso levels accusation at F1 drivers

In a recent interview with The Times, Alonso compared himself to his younger counterparts and their approach to a grand prix weekend, suggesting that they lack the heroism of drivers of his generation.

“It is, in a good way, easier for the drivers of this generation to drive Formula 1 cars, whereas before it was more heroic,” Alonso said.

“It’s a strange feeling, not a sad one, but I remember when I made my debut and I came to an event, I saw this respect towards me and I was one of those heroes that drove these super-fast cars.

“Now when there is a young driver that makes their debut at 16 or 17 years old, it seems that it is easier for everyone. We lost a little bit of that heroic thing we had before.”

Fernando Alonso believes current F1 rivals lack heroism

The two-time world champion also added: “I remember when I got to Formula 1 20 years ago, the engineer was not able to explain anything to me about the car,"

“We didn’t have simulators, so every track I went to, I had to learn it the day before by walking.

"Now, drivers are very well prepared, they have 200-300 laps on a circuit that they will race, so they know perfectly every bump, every corner, every kerb.”

Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Mercedes Aston Martin Fernando Alonso