Fernando Alonso has 'Formula 1 in his blood,' feels F1 CEO

Fernando Alonso received special praise from F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, who admitted that he was happy the Spaniard was still in the sport. The two personalities have known each other for more than a decade, with Domenicali having been Alonso's team principal at Ferrari in a partnership that almost won the title in 2010.

Speaking to the media about the Spaniard, Domenicali said that according to him, the most important thing was that Alonso was still in F1. He said:

“You can talk about everything. I think the important thing for me is that Fernando stays in F1. He is super motivated. Also, this year he has shown that age is not a problem. He is a very competitive driver, very strong in the head, very professional. It is also a pleasure for me to see that in Spain, F1 has become important again with Carlos, with Fernando. Fernando doesn’t surprise me at all, because Fernando has the sport of Formula 1 in his blood. He manages to have a continuous motivation.”

Domenicali also wished that Fernando Alonso had a competitive car under him as it would show that the Spaniard is still ambitious. He said:

“Even when he left F1 he was already thinking about coming back. Now, obviously, he deserves the place he has, and I wish he has a competitive car because with a competitive car, Fernando is ahead.”

---

Fernando Alonso impresses on Aston Martin debut

Fernando Alonso made an immediate impact at Aston Martin on his first run with the team in the post-race tire test in Abu Dhabi. Speaking to the media, team principal Mike Krack was all praise for the Spaniard's straightforward debrief. He said:

"It was straight to the point at all times. Very friendly, open and transparent. With Fernando, I always hold up this picture of [this year's] Mexican Grand Prix of his frustration at not having finished seventh [because the car broke down]. This is an example of dedication and motivation. So if you have someone with this passion and drive to win, it has an impact on the team."

He added:

"And we could clearly see that everybody was really happy to have this guy in the car last Tuesday. So I think he ignited maybe another spark from his own passion and desire to win onto the team."

Fernando Alonso is on a multi-year contract with Aston Martin and it will be interesting to see what he can achieve in that team.