Fernando Alonso reveals ‘pre-meditated’ F1 trick after Michael Masi warning ignored

Fernando Alonso has lifted the lid on the secret behind his stunning starts in F1, citing his move at the 2021 Russian Grand Prix as an example of the need to be “alert” to opportunities.

With two World Championships and 32 grand prix victories to his name, Alonso stands as one of the most successful drivers in F1 history.

Fernando Alonso gives valuable F1 start insight

The Spaniard, who recently celebrated his 43rd birthday, is the most experienced driver to have participated in the sport, having made 391 appearances since his debut with Minardi back in 2001.

Starts have been a consistent strength of Alonso’s over the years, with arguably his most famous race start coming at the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, where he overtook Lewis Hamilton around the outside around of the high-speed Turn 3.

That move provided the foundation for Alonso’s most recent F1 win.

Analysis: Fernando Alonso’s secret weapon in wheel-to-wheel combat

👉 Revealed: Fernando Alonso’s secret weapon in battles with F1 rivals

👉 Fernando Alonso net worth: How one of F1’s highest-paid stars gives back to racing

Another famous example came at Sochi 2021, where Alonso made up a number of positions after effectively cutting the track at Turn 2, the first braking zone of the Russian Grand Prix lap.

Alonso, driving for the Alpine team at the time, escaped a penalty for the move and ultimately finished sixth, having practiced cutting the corner during his pre-race reconnaissance laps.

In an interview with his current Aston Martin team’s official website, Alonso explained his thinking behind the “pre-meditated” move, revealing that he decided to commit to cutting the corner after his concerns were dismissed in the pre-race drivers’ briefing chaired by former FIA race director Michael Masi.

He said: “I’m always alert to things that can bring an advantage or prevent a disadvantage.

“I see opportunities. Every time there is an opportunity, I explore it and sometimes there are a couple of moments where there is a sense of justice, where I try to find answers for something that I see as wrong or as an opportunity that can be explored.

“You raise it with the race director or your team, telling them that this can be done and should not be possible.

“Sometimes it’s banned for the future. Sometimes it stays open and you see someone else using it to their advantage, so you remember it for the future and in the next opportunity maybe you use it to your advantage.

“I remember Sochi well.

“We raised the point in the drivers’ briefing, but the race director said that it was not possible because the bollards that were placed in the run-off area were positioned to make the cars go slower than if you were to stay on the racing track.

“We said, ‘We don’t think so. If you go there, you are faster than on the racing track,’ and the race director said, ‘No, no, it’s impossible.’

“And we said, ‘OK, on Sunday, we try.'”

Masi would later leave the FIA, having been widely criticised for his role in the controversial 2021 title decider between Hamilton and Max Verstappen in Abu Dhabi.

Masi failed to implement the Safety Car rules correctly in the aftermath of a late-race crash, inadvertently manufacturing a one-lap shootout between the title protagonsists.

Red Bull driver Verstappen, on fresh tyres, overtook Hamilton, on old hards, to seal his maiden World Championship.

Read next: Lewis Hamilton reignites Fernando Alonso F1 rivalry with cheeky ‘podium’ quip