Fernando Alonso gets nostalgic as he draws energy from the crowd at the 2023 F1 Spanish GP

Fernando Alonso recently got nostalgic talking about the support he received from fans at the 2023 F1 Spanish GP. The Spaniard is an icon in the country and has always attracted crowds in huge numbers. The numbers did begin to dip when Alonso did not have a competitive car under him.

With Alonso having a competitive car under him and a very strong chance of winning the race this year, fans are coming out in huge numbers.

Talking about fans, the Aston Martin driver got nostalgic as he reminisced about the environment the race used to have in 2005, 2006, and 2007 and how it was very similar to what it is right now. Fernando Alonso told F1.com:

“Yeah, 67% I heard of the merchandise on the grandstand is green, which is amazing. This is going back to the 2005, 2006, 2007 years, where everything was in one colour."

"I really feel that support, that special energy," he added. "It was amazing at the fan forum this morning. While driving I cannot hear them, but I feel how enthusiastic they are, so hopefully we put in a good show for them.”

Talking about the upgrades that the team has brought to Barcelona, Alonso was quite satisfied as he said:

“They do, they do. Absolutely. There is not a new part that we put in the car that is not helping the performance. That is something that has been always the case with the team from Bahrain. I’m happy with upgrades, and let’s see tomorrow, when everyone goes to full power, where we are.”

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Fernando Alonso looks back on a productive Friday

Looking back on the first day of running, Fernando Alonso felt that the whole program was very productive as the team went through everything it needed to cover.

“I think it’s so tight that one or two-tenths will put you in a completely different spot on the classification, so don’t pay too much attention on the times," he said. "We went through all the programme that we had before the free practice, which is a good thing, learning about the tyres. The track is a little bit slower than what we predicted, so there is still more time to find, more tweaks on the set-ups, but it was a productive Friday.”

Alonso will be hoping to put together a stronger show in Barcelona as he targets another podium this weekend.