Alonso makes big impression on former F1 driver: 'Fernando is not normal'

At 41, Alonso is as motivated as ever to win his third world title in F1. De la Rosa was also one of the few drivers still driving in F1 at the age of 40. As a compatriot and old friend of the Spaniard, the former driver can explain well why Alonso is still such a strong driver.

According to De la Rosa, a driver's attitude is the most important thing, and Alonso certainly does not lack motivation. The Spaniard himself would have already ended his F1 career if he had achieved the same success as Alonso.

Motivation Alonso impresses

"Fernando is not normal, he’s a motivated guy. When he’s not in the race car on a weekend, he calls me and wants to organise a 24-hour race. The beauty about him is that he’s different and that he doesn’t seem to have had enough of motor racing", De la Rosa says in conversation with The Race.

The Aston Martin ambassador sees that Alonso still has the same approach as more than 15 years ago, when the two men worked together at McLaren. This became immediately clear when Alonso fitted his seat at his new 2023 team. "He’s a natural born racer. And his motivation is the same or more than 15 years ago. This is what impresses me most about Fernando because we can argue about his speed and everything but the motivation, attitude is what really is the biggest differentiator in any sportsman, especially at this age."