"Fernando Alonso is not a driver you play chess with" -  F1 pundit shares what makes Spaniard special

F1 presenter and pundit Naomi Schiff recently praised Fernando Alonso and explained what makes him a brilliant F1 driver.

The 41-year-old Spaniard recently finished third in the 2023 Bahrain GP with his new team, Aston Martin. His performance in the AMR23 shook the entire grid and fans, simply because he performed at such a high level.

Speaking on Sky Sports' vodcast on YouTube, Schiff dove deep into how different drivers have different racing styles and how Fernando Alonso is one of the most intelligent drivers on the grid. She gave a brilliant metaphor, saying that no driver would like to play chess with Alonso, as the Spaniard is excellent in making moves and thinking ahead of his rivals. She said:

"When you are on track, it's a lot about demeanor and body language. There are some drivers that you know you will have a clean battle with, there are some drivers you know you need to worry about, some drivers you know you need to be scared of. And I think, Fernando is definitely one of those drivers that you have to give a lot of respect to. You know that he is the kind of a guy you wouldn't want to play chess with. Because he is always three steps ahead and that's just everything he is thinking about when he is in the car."

The F1 presenter added:

"He knows where to put his car, he knows exactly where to make the moves, he knows exactly how to defend. I mean, to be fair, he spent two decades in this sport, so he has collected an insane amount of experience, which obviously, is the most important thing. Seat time trumps everything. He is just a very special driver."

---

Red Bull team boss acknowledges Aston Martin's and Fernando Alonso's performance

Almost everyone on the F1 grid has acknowledged and praised Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin after the first race of the 2023 season.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was no different, as he spoke about how strong the green British team looks with the 41-year-old. He complimented Fernando Alonso for his pace, saying:

"Their car looks great. And, you know, they had some really impressive race runs last week, Fernando looks, you know, I don't know what he's taking but he's looking great at it. He looks in looks on fire, so I think they could be a real surprise this year."

After the Bahrain GP, it's safe to say that the moment other top teams like Red Bull and Ferrari stumble on a race weekend, Aston Martin could snatch some race victories. Moreover, if Mercedes do not improve and fix their issues, Aston Martin could finish third in the constructors' championship.