Alonso: Unplanned V8 reunion showed F1 "missing" noise
Fernando Alonso says his reunion with a V8 engine in his unplanned 2013 McLaren run in Bahrain was “very special” and showed him that Formula 1 is missing noisier cars.
Alonso made a surprise return to the cockpit of an F1 car in Bahrain on Monday, just 17 hours on from his farewell in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, as part of a promotional day swapping cars with seven-time NASCAR Cup champion Jimmie Johnson.
The two-time F1 champion drove a 2013 Mercedes-powered McLaren after a last-minute request and compared the experience to the current sound of the V6 turbo-hybrids, introduced in 2014.
“It was not planned to be honest,” said Alonso. “I was supposed to only drive the other car but it made sense if I was doing the installation lap just to make sure the car was feeling OK.
“I found myself in the cockpit at 11am this morning after retiring yesterday.
“It was a lot of fun even if from the inside of the car the noise is not so different compared to the cars we are driving now.
“But even from the outside it was again something very, very special.
“So, we are missing a lot of action because of the sound right now.”
The V6 turbo-hybrids received a lot of criticism upon their introduction.
Sebastian Vettel called the engine “s**t”, mirroring then-F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone’s own negative verdict on the quieter noise.
F1 has constantly pushed to improve the experience for fans, with measures such as the exhaust microphone to impact how the cars sound on television.
While Alonso acknowledged that F1 is missing something at the moment because of the sound, he insisted he was walking away with “a smile” and would “enjoy” F1 from the outside.
“There are things that I will miss from Formula 1, things that I will not miss, and I will try to take the positives,” said the Spaniard.
“It's going to be a good memory. The whole package in Formula 1 was a fantastic journey.
“From a young age until now fighting always in any circumstance, in any car, and I think achieving a lot of success that I never expected.
“I will come back maybe one day as a tourist, as a commentator maybe, and enjoy Formula 1 in a different way.”
Fernando Alonso
Photo by: Steven Tee / LAT Images
Be part of Motorsport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
The driver who can wreck F1's 2020 silly season
Alfa Romeo must do better in "chaotic" races - Vasseur
Honda: Verstappen relationship 'like a young Senna'
Alonso: No F1 team has Aston Martin’s ‘ambitions’ as Newey intrigue flies
Alonso will be "first to raise my hand" if he loses F1 edge at 45
Suzuka sensation redeemed Alonso, but his F1 future is complicated
McLaren F1 team bracing for "damage limitation" in Chinese GP
Misano E-Prix: McLaren's Hughes beats Vergne to pole
How Bruce McLaren's death shaped more than just his F1 team
Porsche lodges appeal over da Costa's Misano Formula E disqualification
Ricky Taylor looking for redemption at Long Beach
How Senna’s early Pacific GP exit raised his Benetton suspicions
What could have been: When Villeneuve’s shock return thwarted an F1 rookie
What's been going wrong for Leclerc in F1's tiny margins qualifying game
What the Chinese GP's highlights reveal about its first F1 race for five years
The secrets of F1 turbocharging explained
Why Alpine’s rigorous training camp yields telling insights into its juniors
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments