Motorsport worlds collided as two all-time greats caught up ahead of the United States Grand Prix. Jeff Gordon and Fernando Alonso are revered figures in their respected motorsports and bring together six driver championship titles. Spanish superstar Alonso is a two-time F1 champion, with his titles coming with Renault in 2005 and 2006. The much senior Gordon won his championships with Hendrick Motorsports in 1995, 1997, 1998, and 2001.

Their dominance in their sport has earned them global fame and in a recent video posted by Aston Martin’s Instagram page, fans flocked the comments with love for them. Despite El Nano having a mediocre F1 season and the Rainbow Warrior having retired from the sport, fans have not forgotten the everlasting memories these drivers gave them.

Jeff Gordon and Fernando Alonso share a special friendship

The pair of charismatic champions shared a wholesome conversation as they swapped helmets. “I don’t have any helmet collections other than mine, so this is going to be at the top,” said Jeff Gordon with a beaming smile on his face. These two go way back as friends with the Rainbow Warrior even interviewing Fernando Alonso back in 2018 ahead of the Rolex 24 At Daytona. The duo also raced against each other at the Race of Champions in 2002, with the NASCAR legend beating the F1 maestro in the second round of the event. However, this was a young Alonso going up against a seasoned Gordon, so it’s no surprise that the veteran gained the upper hand.

Their versatility as drivers is of the highest level as the Spaniard competed in stock car racing in 2017, taking part in the Indy 500. In the race, he led four times for a total of 27 laps before his engine failed with 21 laps to go, finishing 24th. Alonso is not the only one to venture into foreign territory as Gordon contemplated switching to F1 back in 2003. The NASCAR Hall of Famer tested a Williams FW24 in 2003 in a seat-swap promotional event at Indianapolis, with then-F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya driving Gordon’s Chevrolet. He told the F1 official podcast: “Can I train my neck enough to do this? Can I learn the tracks? Can I be competitive? I thought it was too steep of a climb to accomplish.”

With their mutual respect for each other’s motorsport and storied legacy to go with it, it’s no surprise to see fans elated at the sight of them together. The pair signed each other’s helmets and posed for a picture as Alonso geared up for the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas.

NASCAR fans feel Gordon should have presented Alonso with a different helmet

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The Instagram post by Aston Martin garnered tons of excitement from NASCAR and F1 fans alike who marveled at their heroes meeting each other. “Epic! Two legends!“, said one fan in awe of the motorsport icons. Gordon has already made his way into the NASCAR Hall of Fame and is credited for changing the image of the sport and making it more marketable than ever before during his dominance in the 1990s.

One fan in particular felt that Alonso deserved a more iconic helmet from Gordon, saying, “Should’ve gotten a rainbow warrior helmet for Alonso.” Gordon, known fondly as the Rainbow Warrior, brought a new flavor to the sport in the 90s with his rainbow-colored helmet. He donned it in an era when NASCAR was dominated by southern-based ‘good old boys’, and the California native broke that mold.

F1 fans showed adoration for the NASCAR Hall of Famer, saying, “Love to see Jeff Gordon at F1 event.” Alonso’s Spanish fan base was quite visible in the comments with one of his Spanish fans commenting (translated), “The greatest driver in Nascar… Jeff Gordon.” The Rainbow Warrior garnered global fame during his career with multiple late-night talk show appearances as well as movie voice roles and cameos in iconic films such as Cars 2 and 3, which made him a worldwide sensation. His driving did the talking on the track and he furthered his image off the track, making him a household name at one point in his career.

With Gordon’s career ending in 2015 and Alonso still racing today, their careers did overlap, and that got one fan thinking about their age. “Who is older?” asked one curious fan, and despite being 10 years older, the Rainbow Warrior does not look 53 whatsoever. The Spaniard too might have gotten rid of his long hair but still has a young look at 43 years of age. A young Gordon had also experimented with long hair at one point in time and looked as dashing as ever.

Their legacies will stand tall for eternity as one is towards the end of his career while the other one reminisces about his own. The impact they have had on modern motorsport, along with their passion for winning, changed the dynamics of how the sport was viewed globally.