F1: Three reasons why the sport will miss Fernando Alonso

#3 F1 loves its characters and Alonso was one among them

The sport has seen a variety of characters - from the charismatic James Hunt to the moody Kimi Raikkonen and boy, Alonso was one among them. His trademark celebrations were a joy to watch. But, more recently, Alonso has provided pure radio gold at McLaren.

But, if you were to associate his legendary career in F1 with the image of him in Interlagos while relaxing in a chair on the grass banks when the race was on, maybe you don't know the real Alonso.

Alonso has given us some moments to remember

Alonso is a gladiator who knew how to win, extract more performance than what was available and one who will always be remembered for his lightning-quick getaways. He could bring a team together and provide priceless feedback in the development of a car similar to the legendary Michael Schumacher. His season-long duel with Schumacher in the 2006 season is the stuff of legends.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but it was really unfortunate that the teams Alonso chose to drive for - Ferrari and McLaren (second stint) were far from their best. Had things gone slightly differently for him, Alonso would probably be leaving the sport with five or six world titles under his belt. But, that will not undermine the genius that is Alonso. And, that's what makes him all the more special.