"They don’t know much about Formula 1"- Fernando Alonso compares current F1 fans to 'football fans' who just follow results 

Fernando Alonso compared the new fans who have very recently started following F1 to those of football who "just follow the results" without really understanding what goes on behind the scenes in terms of car performance.

Unlike most other sports, F1 is not as straightforward and involves several factors outside the control of the two drivers racing for each team. The two-time world champion admitted that he hopes to prove his talent to new fans, who may not have seen him in his winning days.

In an interview with The Race, Alonso said:

“They just are more like a football kind of fan, where they just follow the results, whoever is winning does the best. And whoever is last is not Formula 1 level. They don’t understand much about car performance and the package that you need. So you are on more of a rollercoaster kind of feeling, of perception, of what the people feel about you.”

Fernando Alonso is now racing for Alpine, a team proving to be extremely strong within the midfield this season. The French constructors, however, are nowhere close to challenging the likes of Red Bull and Ferrari in terms of pace, something that is simply not a reflection of the drivers' performance.

Fans who are just now regularly starting to tune into races may or may not realize the role played by factors such as regulations, budgets, engineering, technology, and strategy when it comes to how a driver performs on the track.

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Fernando Alonso admits he would not have returned to F1 if he did not feel fast

Fernando Alonso is approaching his 41st birthday and the discussion surrounding his age is rapidly growing. The Alpine driver admitted that he would not be racing in F1 if he did not feel like he had the speed and the potential to fight.

Speaking about the questions he is often asked about racing at his age, Alonso said:

“You are aware of things and you are aware of maybe the opinion of the people. And you have to do hundreds of interviews, and they are asking you how you feel at 40 and if you are exactly the same as before. And what is the ambition now? Now you come back at 40, this is just for fun, or do you really feel fast? It’s not that you get angry… but of course, I feel fast. If not, I will never come back.”

Fernando Alonso currently stands tenth in the drivers' standings with 29 points to his name.