'Everyone says that about a champion, but with Alonso you mean it'

De la Rosa knows Alonso well and also considers him a friend. The two Spaniards worked together during their time at McLaren and Ferrari. According to de la Rosa Alonso is still as focused as he has been since his debut season.

Alonso only thinks about racing

"That’s his strength really – Fernando thinks about motor racing 24 hours a day", de la Rosa says in the F1 Nation podcast. "Everyone says the same about a champion, about a racer, but actually when you say it about Fernando you mean it." The Spaniard reveals that Alonso prefers to get into a car or kart every weekend.

"This is quite unique – I’ve been with many drivers. Myself, the weekend I had off I wanted to do other things – I wanted to be at home, I wanted to see my kids, I wanted to be on the bike. But for him it’s not his work, it’s his passion. He’s a passionate man and I think that’s his biggest strength – he doesn’t have any other distractions in his life," said de la Rosa.

Comeback ruined by sandwich bag

Alonso had a strong comeback in Formula 1 during the first weekend in Bahrain. With his Alpine A521 he managed to qualify ninth and drove continuously in the top 10. Unfortunately, his race was prematurely ended by a sandwich bag.