This piece was written by me a good few years ago now. I think it was after the team orders debacle. I wrote it for a piece on my old forum when we started to try and bring all our creativeness together, at that moment there was a big anti-Alonso feeling on the forum (which hurt as all the members knew how much I adored Alonso and I'd never be that cruel to their favorite so I didn't know why they had to always be so mean in front of me. And I don't mean critical I mean just rude and nasty) and I wanted to try and bring them around to how their words could filter back to not only Alonso but any driver and hurt them.
I know personally the drivers are harder then to let a few people online or some journalists who will love them the minute they win get to them with name calling, but just as I find it hard sometimes to wake up and do my job after having the 100th drunk come strolling into our shop and causing problems this is how I imagined someone like Alonso would feel when all he does is his job and gets prosecuted for something beyond what needed to be said.
I hope you enjoy it. I'll be posting some more of my random F1 stories during the week.
There were lots of flashing lights, bright, blinding lights. People asking questions, voices being raised so that their voice could be heard over the others around them. The sea of people were surrounding one central point. A sea of bleak uncaring hatred pointed towards one person. Choking him with words, leaving him no space to breath.
With a sudden intake of breath Fernando Alonso sat up from his nightmare. How long had he been sleeping in a cold sweat? He looked at the clock. 5am.
He was used to the hate, everyone made him the figure of hate. When Schumacher was here people could use him, now it was his burden to bare. It didn’t matter most of the time, he’d gotten used to it. It was a part of racing, people believed what they wanted you just had to get on with it. Controversy seemed to follow him around, it never fully involved him but it was always next to him and it had got to the point that no one would believe he had nothing to do with it.
There was no way he’d get back to sleep. Not now.
Its double standards that annoyed him most.
Somehow he’d turned into the face of evil, yet he hadn’t done anything they wouldn't have done.
He hadn’t cheated.
People bent the evidence to their own good.
It started to get to the point that he couldn’t even open his mouth without people taking everything he said the wrong way. One simple sentence made him the worlds most hated man…. Again.
This weekend was going to be hard.
He had nothing but respect for his team mate. It wasn’t his fault that the team did what they did, in the race you say things, lots of things, and if the team had done what they did then they’d have a reason.
In fact he was starting to feel the hate towards his side of the garage was becoming unwarranted. Team orders happen all the time no matter what anyone has said since the accident, everyone knew it. Its funny how the majority of people complaining aren’t the drivers themselves. His side of the garage hadn’t asked for it, he knew he hadn’t. And since the last race he’d seen what happened himself.
He knew he wouldn’t have listened.
Maybe that was what made him so different from Felipe. People knew they shouldn’t ask because he wouldn’t do it unless he was out of the championship picture. He had a strong enough personality to know that they couldn’t do anything about it. Team orders are banned. If your contract says you have to do it why would you sign that kind of contract, if it wasn’t in the contract then you didn’t have to do it.
As much respect as he has for his team mate and every other driver he couldn’t help but feel that sometimes some drivers liked being the victim.
He got dressed.
Its going to be one of those days.
Someone probably once said something smart along the lines of greatness causing people nothing but trouble, if they had Fernando hadn’t heard it.
He didn’t know how he’d got to this point. Some people could say anything and get away with it.
He knew the moment he got to the paddock today he’d be surrounded again.
If people wanted answers it was Felipe and Rob they had to speak to. Why was it him that was being targeted? Well he understood the Brits, lets face it, the British have him as their big bad evil nemesis to Lewis.
But Fernando knew the thing that made him a champion, the thing that made him a winner was the fact that he could block these emotions out. He didn’t have to be what they portrayed him. He’d show them all. That’s what all F1 drivers have to do. What words are used are not important. If Felipe is the drastic hero everyone made him out to be he’d be fine in a race or two and they’d be fighting for the championship together. Fernando knew he’d be fighting. The question was if Felipe was strong enough. That answer had nothing to do with Fernando and he wasn’t going to concern himself with it.
Ready for the day, fully dressed and mentally prepared Fernando stepped out to fight the world.
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