Fernando Alonso’s resurgence behind the AMR23 has definitely added a few years to the Spaniard’s illustrious career in the pinnacle of motorsport. Still, even when he found himself in different categories, it was quite clear Alonso’s talent transcended open-wheel racing. Whether it’s his stint with Garage 56 or inching closer to the Triple Crown, there’s something more to the Spaniard’s blistering pace than meets the eye.

And who better to give us some valuable insight into Alonso’s unique strength than his race-winning teammate outside of F1, Renger van der Zande? Speaking to Laurens Vanthoor, the Dutchman revealed the reason behind Alonso’s competitive edge during the 2019 24 Hours of Daytona and how it contributed to the #10 Cadillac bringing home the win.

How Fernando Alonso overcame the rain gods

The pair teamed up with former F1 driver Kamui Kobayashi and Jordan Taylor, whose father co-owns the team they would be driving for; Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac. In a race filled with a biblical amount of rain and an equally astonishing number of flags, the #10 Cadillac would emerge victorious. But before that, the team would need to address the torrential downpour which seemed to last for the majority of the race.

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Several drivers fell victim to the standing water and were aquaplaned into oblivion, but Alonso’s charge would lead him to his former colleague from F1, Felipe Nasr. Shortly before the race would be stopped due to the never-ending rain, Alonso would slingshot past Nasr’s #31 Action Express Cadillac to secure a deserved victory. But where did this rain mastery truly come from in a fairly new category for the Spaniard? How did he find the grip in Daytona?

Renger Van Der Zande shared on the Over The Limit podcast, “It was very clear that within two laps, he was on the pace. He was right there and he knew exactly where to find the grip, but then if you look at the averages and if you look at the lap times, it was very equal between the four drivers but I think what makes him very special is that he finds the grip within one lap, within two corners.”

It’s no secret Alonso’s key strength has always been adaptability. And after taking a look at what his Dutch teammate had to say, it becomes clear that it transitions to all motorsport! Van Der Zande added, “So you know, turn 3 in Daytona, the grip changes a lot, sometimes it’s on the inside, sometimes it’s on the outside. He was always the first one to find the right line so that’s what makes him special.”

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On one hand, Alonso’s expertise behind the wheel certainly helped the #10 Cadillac belonging to Lawrence Stroll’s endurance counterpart, Wayne Taylor. But when we talk about his son and Alonso’s teammate, Jordan Taylor, things could have turned awkward quickly!

Alonso almost embarrassed the owner of his Daytona-winning team!

Reflecting on when Alonso arrived to practice for the Daytona 24 and immediately made Jordan Taylor sweat, the Dutchman shared that it was fairly evident from Alonso’s Kimoa get-up and new helmets that he was a bigger deal than most. Van Der Zande added, “I would say there’s two things, one is him driving and one is him behaving in the team.”

When Alonso greets his teammates off-track, the Spaniard is usually quite the jolly fellow. But once the visor is down and the engine is roaring, the 42-year-old pulls back no punches. To prove this, Van Der Zande shared, “It was me and Jordan sitting on the pit stand. Jordan came in after a new set of tyres, jumps out of the car, Fernando goes into the car for the first time, he goes out, and within two laps – purple, purple. Jordan and I are looking at each other like, oh my god.”

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If Alonso had outclassed the team owner’s son in his first few laps, it would not have reflected on Jordan Taylor in the best light. Fortunately, the Dutchman added, “And then he got traffic, so he didn’t beat the lap time.” All in all, when it came to lap times, all four drivers had pulled their weight to place the Cadillac in victory lane, but could Van Der Zande and Co. have done it without Alonso?