Fernando Alonso is the next driver to be covered in this 5 part series.
Whatever your opinion on Alonso it is clear that he will go down in history as one of the great drivers of the era. He is a two times world champion and both titles were won during his stints at Renault. In the middle of the 2 stints at Renault was his infamous year at McLaren.
It is the year at McLaren that has done the most damage to Alonso's reputation in my opinion. He is often viewed as a cheat and a driver who likes to throw his toys out of the pram if things don't go his way. Doesn't this remind you all of a certain German driver who did all he could in order to win? I think it is important to point out the human element of the McLaren saga. Alonso had wanted to drive for Ron Dennis and ultimately McLaren since he was a little boy, much like Lewis. He went into the team hoping to impress Ron and become his number one. He just never counted on Lewis being his team mate nor Lewis having such a close bond so many of the team. Both drivers joined McLaren and achieved one of their dreams. Due to this only one driver was going to come out on top and unfortunately for Alonso this tended to be Hamilton that season. This was more due to Hamilton not having the pressure on him that Alonso had. Alonso went into the team expecting to win title number three and never achieved this. I think this will play on his mind for the foreseeable future.
Whatever happened during that year at McLaren (I don't think we will ever know the entire truth about that year) it is clear to see Alonso does have a slight problem with his team mate being faster than him. He also loves, and expects, to be the Number 1 driver in whatever team he is with. For this reason alone I think Alonso is the ideal Ferrari driver. Ultimately the pairing of Massa and Alonso are probably one of the most ideal partnerships they will have. Massa is the genuinely nice guy at the team who does what the team asks of him and Alonso is the type of driver who builds a team around him and has the ambition that will drive the team forward.
So what are the chances of this fiery driver winning his third title this season? Well this seasons car is a lot better than the Renault that he had last season so his stands a better chance this year. Although I think his best chance will come next season when he has more of a say with how the car is developed prior to the start of the season. I think next year we will start to see the cars being built around him more and more.
Unlike Jenson, Fernando can drive a car over and above its limits. This puts him in the minority of drivers on the grid. This talent also puts him in the realm of the greats. A great car plus Alonso will always be in contention for the title. This years car does not seem to be a 'great' though so somehow this year I don't see him winning as the Ferrari just doesn't seem capable of taking him to the title. Perhaps next year....
Pt 1 - Jenson Button
just as good as part 1 luvin it
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