At the end of the 2018 season, Fernando Alonso walked away from Formula One. Since then, he has dabbled in various other racing series, like IndyCar, World Endurance Championship and even the Dakar Rally.
However, the Spaniard has a reputation for being difficult to work with. Some critics have even accused him of being ‘selfish’ and only caring about his results. One of the parties that he has angered, was Honda, which was largely during the fateful McLaren-Honda stint.
Now, Alonso has responded to the talks of his ‘selfish nature’ in an interview with F1 Racing magazine. He mentioned hearing about people assuming that he was selfish during his career. However, he attempted to set the record straight by insisting that “at Ferrari and at other teams I always used to share my prize bonus with my mechanics”.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
He added: “I thought if we were getting a podium or race win, it was not only me but team work. So, if I won $30,000 I would share it with my team.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
The veteran Spaniard assured that when he joins a project, he remains 100% committed. Fernando Alonso strives to dedicate his life to the team that he works with and they appreciate it.
Is Fernando Alonso really selfish?
However, some may refer to Alonso’s selfishness with regard to his teammates. His last F1 teammate, Stoffel Vandoorne, did really have a glowing report on his world champion teammate. The Belgian driver alleged that there were always some team memebers who ensured that everything was to Alonso’s liking.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
However, Fernando Alonso has defended himself, saying, “Why is it that I have performed better than my team-mates? I cannot say sorry for that.”
The only time a teammate ever challenged Alonso was when Lewis Hamilton made him sweat in his rookie season. Admittedly, their relationship within the team soured quickly and it cost them the title.