Alonso judged unfairly like Schumacher: 'What you see, not what you find'
F1 News
Fernando Alonso is often seen as a hard character given the way he interacts with certain elements in the F1 paddock. Rob Smedley, former race engineer at Ferrari for Felipe Massa, however, proposes an entirely different vision of who the Spaniard really is, comparing him to another highly controversial figure, F1 legend Michael Schumacher.
"What you see from the outside is not what you have inside. Fernando is a very reserved character," said Smedley in DAZN's DECOD3D.
That Alonso is competitive should come as no surprise to anyone, and as such, he's the type of driver you want to have in your corner. "The personality you see is not the one you find in the team. Fernando is very competitive and a real asset to the team. He always wants to win, at any price. That makes him someone you want to have at your side. You desperately need him on your team because he is so tough and so intense that he infects people with that desire to be in front."
'Alonso is a lot like Schumacher'
The Spaniard has often been in the eye of the hurricane because he challenges his team on the onboard radio. "Because, like Michael, sometimes an issue gets out of hand, but this is something that happens to everyone." Indeed, we've often heard radio messages from incensed Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, and others revealing their profound desire and need to win.
"Fernando is like Michael. Michael had this outside perception that he was arrogant, robotic and a terrible person, but he was actually a wonderful human being. He was very generous. He was humble. He had humility. He doubted himself, and that's what made him become as great as he was. He knew he couldn't do it without the team and he was generous with them," concluded Smedley.
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