"My first go-kart ever was a Fernando Alonso kart" - Oscar Piastri feels privileged to be racing against the 2x champion

Oscar Piastri feels privileged to be racing against Fernando Alonso, whose career is older than his current age. The Australian revealed that his first go-kart belonged to the Spaniard’s brand of go-karts.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the Bahrain GP, the Australian said:

“Yeah, I think for me, it's a privilege to race against Fernando obviously. I grew up watching him. My first go-kart ever was a Fernando Alonso kart, actually. I've also worked with him quite closely last year as well. So yeah, for me, it's a privilege to race against him. On paper, sounds a little bit strange to be starting… For Fernando's career to be longer than I've been alive but yeah, it's a big privilege to race against someone like Fernando.”

When Fernando Alonso was asked if he was aware that Piastri’s first go-kart was his, the Spaniard replied:

“Yes. Oscar. Daniel Kvyat, Carlos, Lando. Yeah, a few of them.”

Piastri was asked how it felt to drive alongside someone whose racing career was longer than his lifespan. The Australian replied that he felt privileged to be driving alongside the double champion.

He revealed that his first go-kart belongs to the Spaniard’s brand of karts called ‘The FA Kart’, which is manufactured by Original Tony Kart (OTK).

Fernando Alonso mentioned that Piastri was not the only driver on the grid to drive his go-kart. There were others such as Daniil Kyvat, Carlos Sainz, Lando Norris, and many more.

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Fernando Alonso believes it is a privilege to still be competing at his age

Fernando Alonso feels he is privileged to be able to compete at his age and perform better than before. The Spanish champion believes he is still as good as he was in the past, in terms of performance, and his experience is an added advantage.

Asked if he felt old or privileged to be driving at his age, the two-time champion replied:

“No privileged. Privileged to still drive here, better than ever. I have no concerns on age yet. I will be the first one to feel it, when I lose something, when I miss something while driving or not being motivated to travel or to wake up in the morning and train or just come here for testing like last weekend. So far I only see advantages because I know this track in many different conditions. I know the car, I know the tyres. As I said before, some of the circuits that we will drive this year, I've been driving already in the past, so yeah, I don't see a disadvantage.”

As a popular notion in the paddock, Fernando Alonso is known to be a driver who has never needed the best car and often the second best has been enough for him to be victorious.

The former champion has been popular for his versatile driving style, adaptability, and rare skill to outperform his tools. Given the competitiveness of Aston Martin in the preseason test and Bahrain, the Aston Martin driver is seriously being considered a threat to both the Red Bull and Ferrari.