Alonso: I’m a normal guy and a little bit shy

Fernando Alonso (ESP) Ferrari Formula One Testing, Day Two, Jerez, Spain, Thursday 18 February 2010.

Fernando Alonso can be a happy chappy when things go right

Sep.29 (GMM) Fernando Alonso, 29, recently moved to clarify some misperceptions by revealing that when people actually meet him, they often remark that he is “nicer” than his media image.

Fernando Alonso (ESP) Ferrari in the FIA Press Conference. Formula One World Championship, Rd 12, Hungarian Grand Prix, Qualifying Day, Budapest, Hungary, Saturday 31 July 2010.

Pensive Fernando

The German-language spox.com compared Alonso’s apparent win-at-all-costs attitude with that of Michael Schumacher.

“In the media we read again and again things about ourselves that are not right,” said the Spaniard. “People are making judgements from the outside, but that’s the business.”

Asked to clarify the misperceptions, Alonso said: “I am very calm and relaxed, even romantic. Actually, I’m a normal guy. A little bit shy, but when everything’s right, that’s when the Spaniard in me comes out.”

Meanwhile Jaime Alguersuari has offered a less than flattering opinion about the personality of his fellow Spaniard and F1 driver Fernando Alonso.

“He is cold (frio), very cold,” said 20-year-old Alguersuari, the youngest driver on the grid who races with the second Red Bull team, Toro Rosso. “He is a man of few words. I have no relationship with him.”

Fernando Alonso (ESP) Ferrari in the FIA Press Conference. Formula One World Championship, Rd 14, Italian Grand Prix, Preparations, Monza, Italy, Thursday 9 September 2010.

Unhappy Fernando

Alguersuari also described the Ferrari driver and double world champion as “a great” F1 racer.

In Singapore last weekend, Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali agreed that Alonso is “cool and calm and sometimes difficult”.

And after back-to-back victories from pole, Alonso says he is on the top of his game.

Alonso said, “The F1 championship is very long compared to other sports so you can’t be completely fit, focused, motivated 100 per cent of the time.”

“But now, in this part of the championship, I’m at a peak,” he is quoted in the Spanish press.

Alonso is fresh from back to back Grand Prix victories starting with his sensational win on Ferrari’s home soil at Monza. He followed this with a flawless drive to win in Singapore. From a rank outsider prior to Italy he is now second in the title chase and for many a true contender for his third F1 World Championship title.