So, here we are. It's the 1st of December and the Formula One 2018 season is officially over. In order to keep a bit of motorsport in our lives over this festive period, I will be posting a blog everyday (she says!) between now and the 23rd of December. So, sit back, relax and enjoy!
BLOGMAS DAY 1: END OF AN ERA!
Abu Dhabi 2018. A circuit, which in my opinion, shouldn't be the final race of the season. This season, however, was different. It delivered. It wasn't entertaining in the fact that there were incidents but there was actual racing, all the way through the field. However, this race won't be remembered for that, and it doesn't need to be. It will be remembered as the race that two time double world champion; Fernando Alonso left the sport.
I won't lie, it was very emotional for me. Fernando Alonso was my childhood hero. But is he the greatest ever to grace our sport?
A cheeky chap who takes no nonsense, Fernando was born in 1981 in Oviedo, Spain. He took an interest into motorsport thanks to his father, who was an amateur kart racer. This led to the Spaniard winning the 1996 World Karting Championship before entering Formula One four years later in 2000 with Renault. Alonso won the Formula Championship with the team in 2005 and 2006, making him the then youngest ever double world champion. A record broken by German, Sebastian Vettel, later on. After leaving Renault in 2006, Alonso raced for McLaren, Ferrari and then McLaren again before retiring at the end of the current season; 2018.
18 years Alonso graced this sport for. 18 years of beautiful yet aggressive racing. 18 years of winning. (Okay, he hasn't won since 2013 but still). 18 years of interesting and amussing radio calls. And, 18 years of breaking records. The Spaniard has taken part in 314 races; 311 of them he actually started. He's managed to take pole 22 times and with 97 podiums and 32 wins to his name, he's a pretty decent driver.
However, despite these stats and how Fernando performs on track. He has been involved in some crazy controversies. The one that will spring to everyone's mind has to be "Crashgate." Where Alonso's teammate at the time; Nelson Piquet Jr, crashed on purpose at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix in order to give Alonso a chance of winning thanks to a safety car period. There has never been any evidence found if that was the case and frankly, we will never know the truth. Other notable controversies include brake testing David Coulthard at the 2003 European Grand Prix and Robert Doornbos at the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix as well as the infamous "Fernando is faster than you" incident at Hockenheim in 2010 and "Spygate" in 2007, amongst others. Should a driver with Alonso's reputation be getting into controversies such as these? Everyone's human but the list keeps on going. A number of times, these controversies were team related but still goes against the two time world champ when debating about who's the greatest.
Despite this, stats are just a number. Alonso is one of the greats. No one is the greatest. They are all different in their own way. The way Alonso races is magic. His skills are like no other. And, after putting up with a deadbeat McLaren for the past few years, he has pushed that car to the absolute limit. Alonso is my childhood hero. I want to be biased and say "yes, he's the greatest," but look at what I said before. There is something special when it comes to Fernando Alonso and I for one think Formula One will be a stranger place without this guy.
Stay tuned. Day 2 comes tomorrow!
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