Formula 1 is a cutthroat sport. Unlike other team sports, an F1 driver’s teammate is their biggest rival. But Fernando Alonso has managed to break the shackles of F1 society after his move to Aston Martin this season. Not only did he step into the team leader role, but he’s also ensuring he lives up to it by acting as a mentor for his teammate, Lance Stroll. And in so many situations, he’s acted like a big brother, an on-track father figure for Stroll, the latest installment of which F1 fans witnessed at the British GP.

Qualifying at Silverstone was chaotic, with drivers fighting for track position through the traffic to cross the start-finish line before the chequered flag came out. And the tussle started right from the pitlane, with drivers queuing up to get onto the track as soon as possible. And while the Ferrari drivers were making a fuss about who should start their flying lap first—Carlos Sainz being asked to let Charles Leclerc overtake him in the pitlane—guess what Alonso did?

When he found an opening in the queue in the pitlane, he positioned his car to block the others from going ahead of him. But instead of slotting in, he waited for Stroll to come out of his garage and said to his engineer, “Tell Lance to go.” He practically made his car a barrier between Lance and the incoming traffic.

His gesture, basically him being a human shield for Lance, was posted on Twitter with the caption, “this is like the equivalent to open the door for your date.” Needless to say, fans were swooning in the comments.

Fernando Alonso is “the father that stepped up” for Lance Stroll 

The F1 community has seen a new side to Fernando Alonso this season. While fans have been acquainted with the cutthroat, only-thinks-of-himself Alonso in the past, the team leader, mentor Alonso is growing on everyone. And fans can’t get enough of his gesture for Lance at Silverstone. A few fans wrote how he thinks about Lance and then himself and is really stepping into the role of a mentor.

Read More: Crushing His Villain of F1 Image to Bits, Fernando Alonso Gives Priceless Advice to Lance Stroll to Turn the Corner Amid Recent Struggles 

Other fans wrote how chivalrous the gesture was, making the fans all emotional.

Till last season, F1 was used to seeing the cutthroat Alonso. But since he’s come to Aston Martin and has started mentoring Stroll, many people believe he’s doing it just because the team is paying him well. One fan mentioned the gesture proves all the people who think he has an evil agenda wrong. One fan even said how the duo is growing on them.

Because he’s been acting like a mentor, some fans mentioned how Fernando has become like a father to Lance, and a few others even talked about adoption.

Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll are the F1 duo no one knew they needed until this season, and their relationship keeps getting better. Are you a fan of the pair?

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