The ‘orange tide’ is Alonsista

Everywhere you look, orange absorbs every other color. At the gates of the circuit and at the entrances to Zandvoort’s ‘Fan Zone’, thousands of people wore the color ‘orange tide’ in support of their idol, Max Verstappen. T-shirts, caps, flags. Everything. Obviously, there’s no need to ask him about his favorite driver. But who do you think is the best driver after Max? What is your favorite besides the three-time world champion? Many chose Lando Norris, who despite being a driver fighting for the World Championship against his beloved Max, is one of the most named. Some have dared to pick Hamilton despite the rivalry with Verstappen. But among the dozens of people Mundo Deportivo spoke to, another name stood out: that of Fernando Alonso.

“My favorite after Max is Norris, but I love Alonso, he always drives beyond the limits of the car, like Verstappen.They are two drivers who always have a winning mentality, to take advantage. I’m a fan of Fernando. What he does is what every F1 fan wants to see,” said Paul, who hails from the south of the country. Beside him, his wife has a different preference. “I like Piastri, I think he will be the future champion of the new generation. But I like Fernando Alonso. He is a great driver and works hard.”

“Alonso is great. “He can’t prove it today because of the car, unfortunately,” said Stam, wearing an orange t-shirt and cap with Max Verstappen’s ‘1’ on his chest.

Then we stopped a father with his two children. Different generations, but same opinion. Two out of three votes for Fernando.

Alonso said. Because he is one of the best in history and I think he should have won more titles than he did. I’m your fan. Last year when I saw him doing so well in the Aston Martin, I said: ‘I’m going to buy his cap. I’ve done it”said the son. “I like Norris,” said the sister. “But of course I’m a fan of Fernando because of his great driver”he is qualified.

“I like Alonso, the one most after Max. He is a great driver and great personality, which is what you need to be a champion. It’s a shame that, if in the past he had made the right decisions (when changing teams), he would have won more titles.” Surprisingly, that opinion was repeated in some testimonies, reminiscent of what Max Verstappen said in an interview with Mundo Deportivo a few weeks ago in Hungary.

“Alonso is among the top 5 in the history of F1. I think. The amount of titles? Alonso could have had eight world championships if he had had a bit of luck in his career by doing the right things decision at the right time. So no, titles don’t matter…” Max told MD. He is supported by his loyal followers.

“Who is the best driver besides Max?” “Alonso!” exclaimed the mother of the family. Beside him, his son nodded with a beer in hand. “Alonso or Norris is my favorite. Because Fernando is a driver with a lot of experience. He drives against younger guys and performs like them. He always wants to win and… he is also a good friend of Verstappen! “I know they want to compete together in other races like Le Mans,” he argued.

“He’s an F1 legend,” he repeated, a phrase in which his mother joined. “Yes, he is a legend.” Beside him, his companion ‘cañas’ nodded. “My favorite is Norris besides Max, but Alonso is a good driver, he is the godfather of F1, the godfather of everything,” he exclaimed, giving a new twist to the ‘father’ that fans call him so much on social media. .

We both ask two friends, one wearing a Red Bull t-shirt, the other in an orange jacket and cap. “Apart from Verstappen, I think the best is Alonso. Because of his experience. I think he hasn’t had the best cars in his career and could have done better with the appropriate choices, but for to me, after Verstappen, Alonso is the best.” “After Verstappen, the best is Alonso, he is a great driver with great skills”added his friend.

Crisis?

Then came a strange moment. A couple stopped by to chat with MD, but the husband refused to answer questions. His wife happily accepted. “Who is the best driver besides Max?” He kept thinking. The husband answered. “No, you don’t want to talk, so don’t answer,” he said jokingly, something that didn’t seem appropriate for a man. Things get worse with the lady’s next response: “The best is Lewis Hamilton, because he’s very fast, very fast,” she said, all dressed up in Verstappen gear. We don’t know if this is the beginning of a marital crisis…

“I like Norris and also Alonso, who is absolutely great. He has made some bad decisions in the past by switching teams at inappropriate times. He could easily become a 4-time world champion. A great personality, a great person and an incredibly talented driver. I’m a fan of Fernando. “If you look at 20 F1 drivers, really, Alonso should be among the top 4, for sure,” added another Max fan, one of the many examples of the great respect of the ‘orange tide’ for the Asturian driver.