Alonso 'Above Everybody Else' With Mind Games He Plays During Races

Monday, 01 April 2024 at 13:30

Eddie Jordan acknowledged Fernando Alonso's driver IQ following the controversial incident at the 2024 Australian Grand Prix.

Fernando Alonso is famous not only for being extremely fast and consistent but mainly for his ability to do multiple things while racing, such as thinking about strategies, monitoring the pace of his rivals, and thinking about how he could outsmart them.

Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack called the double World Champion "an old fox" after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. During the race, the Spaniard sent fake tactical messages through the radio to his team only to confuse his rivals, who he knew were listening.

Former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan pointed out on the Formula for Success podcast (which we recommend) how clever the 42-year-old driver is. He said:

"He's a very, very clever driver. There's not many out there on that grid who could actually take on Fernando Alonso in mind games because I think he is above everybody else."

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In Australia, Alonso braked 100 meters ahead of the corner, which allowed George Russell to catch up, but the Mercedes driver also caught dirty air from the Aston Martin car, which unsettled his car and sent him into the barrier.

"What happened? Only he knows. But it did look to me as if the car slowed. If that's the case, then it's up to the driver behind to be able to look out for that."

"The driver behind is always the person that has to use the initiative because he has to balance everything in his mind that gives him the safest option."

The most dangerous thing about the accident was that Russell then slid off the barrier back into the middle of the track right behind a blind corner, which drivers enter at high speeds. Fortunately, nothing happened, and Jordan added:

"That was a big accident, that could have been horrific but as you said, George [Russell] will learn from that. I think he and most of the grid will be very, very aware when they come up to fighting with Alonso."