“Birthday blues for the birthday boy”: Fernando Alonso crashes out in the Belgium GP sprint, sending F1 fans into a spiral

Spanish racing legend Fernando Alonso had a birthday to forget as he suffered a premature exit from the Belgian Grand Prix sprint race on July 29.

The race weekend took an unfortunate turn for Alonso, who started from the 15th spot in the Sprint Race. A poor start on the grid, compounded by an incident involving his Aston Martin teammate Lance Stroll, cost him a potential SQ3 spot. As he turned 42, Alonso was looking for redemption and hoping to create a memorable birthday on the grid, but fate had other plans.

On lap four, disaster struck as the Spaniard lost control of his car, sending it into a spin at Pouhon. The situation quickly turned dire as his car crashed into the barriers, forcing the deployment of the safety car and ending Alonso's day prematurely.

Fernando Alonso's early exit from the Sprint Race left his fans in disbelief and disappointment.

Social media platforms, particularly Twitter, witnessed an influx of reactions from fans who found a somewhat humorous angle to cope with the unfortunate incident.

Here are some of the top reactions from Twitter:

"Birthday blues for the birthday boy"

"Worst birthday for him"

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Fernando Alonso was furious after Lance Stroll shattered Belgian GP Sprint hopes

Fernando Alonso found himself seething with frustration after a tumultuous Sprint shootout session at the Belgian Grand Prix. His Aston Martin teammate Lance Stroll inadvertently ruined his chances in the Sprint Race.

Stroll's gamble on slick tires in tricky weather conditions backfired. He made an error at Turn 9, crashing into the barriers and bringing out the red flag, preventing anyone else from improving their times. The fallout left Fernando Alonso dejected and with no opportunity to start a lap, dimming his hopes of securing valuable points in the Sprint Race.

Alonso's frustration was palpable as he voiced his disappointment in an interview with F1TV. He said that their team's chances of success in the Sprint Race were extinguished due to the unfortunate series of events:

"Yeah, we didn't even start a lap, so yeah, there was no session for us. Obviously, these are difficult conditions. You need to take some decisions, and yeah, we were on the risky side in Q2 - me leaving the garage very late and Lance trying the dry tyres."

The Spaniard's decision to venture out late on slick tires was not without merit, as changeable weather conditions often offer opportunities for significant gains. However, the vagaries of motorsport were evident on this occasion, as Stroll's attempt to capitalize on the drying track resulted in unforeseen consequences.

Fernando Alonso acknowledged the difficulty in predicting the outcome of such decisions, saying:

"And if he works, everything is fine. If he doesn't work, there is a mistake. But no one has a crystal ball."

Meanwhile, Max Verstappen continued his dominance as he pipped Oscar Piastri to the pole position.