Fernando Alonso made his F1 return at Bahrain International Circuit for the Pirelli slick tyre test which was his first run in the 2019 McLaren car.
Following his departure from F1 at the end of the 2018 season, Alonso stayed with McLaren as its ambassador while also teamed up for the 2019 Indy500 bid. To go with it, it was announced that he will drive the 2019 F1 car at some point of time.
During last weekend’s Bahrain GP, it was revealed that Alonso will get his first chance in this week’s in-season test. However, McLaren played the card smartly as they used him for the Pirelli tyre test instead of the regular one, thereby not eating other drivers’ days.
Even though it was a disrupted run with the rain in Bahrain, Alonso managed to do 64 laps in all on unmarked Pirelli compound, but more importantly he got his first taste of the MCL34 – the car which was produced with his inputs as well.
The Spaniard was straightaway impressed with the handling, while he also praised the Renault power unit. “The car is a step forward in every aspect from last year,” said Alonso. “The car has more grip, it’s less draggy on the straights.
“The engine is a step better, so overall as a package the car is going in the right direction and we’re closer to the front. We saw in the first two races that there is still another step to make if you want to compete with the top three teams.
“But as a first step I think it’s a good baseline and there’s a good programme of development. It was good to see a positive weekend for us in Bahrain last weekend and hopefully this continues for the rest of the season.”
The results from the first two grand prix seems to show what Alonso was pointing towards. While Carlos Sainz hasn’t been able to get the results, rookie Lando Norris already has scored points in only his second F1 race after a gritty fight against other midfield teams.
There is still work to do especially against the likes of Renault, Haas and Alfa Romeo Racing but the results seems positive with both Sainz and Norris feeling the improvement they wanted to see. Meanwhile, Alonso was chuffed to get back in a F1 car.
The Spaniard hasn’t driven one since the Bahrain impromptu run in a 2012 car. In the mean time, he has driven the Toyota LMP1 and also Toyota’s Dakar Hilux, but the feeling of driving a F1 car is on another level as per the two-time champion.
“It’s always fun to drive a F1 car as they are the fastest cars in the world, so as a driver it’s nice to feel the speed and the adrenaline. At the same time, I have no regrets about my decision to stop racing in F1.”