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18 Years After His Prime Days, Fernando Alonso Resorts Back to His Old Performance Secret for Breaking the F1 Glory Hiatus

Published 06/02/2023, 7:45 AM EDT

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via Reuters

Riccardo Patrese currently holds the record for the longest gap between two F1 race wins, with more than six and a half years between his wins. However, with Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin on the rise, it looks inevitable that the Spaniard will break the record. Amid the speculation of winning a race this season, Alonso’s trainer reveals the secret behind him breaking the glory hiatus despite his prime days long gone. What is the secret?

Fernando Alonso last won a championship in 2005 and yet, 18 years after, the Spaniard is still racing in the pinnacle of motorsport. And not only racing, but Alonso is also performing at the highest level. Some might even say this is the best Fernando Alonso has ever been, with the same skill set and energy when he won the title in 2005 but with the added experience of all these years of racing. The 41- year-old has already scored 5 podiums this year and is looking to win his first race in over a decade. 

USA Today via Reuters

Fernando Alonso last won a race in 2013 at the Spanish GP. Since then, some bad career choices saw the Spaniard have a decade-long winless run, but 2023 looks like a season where a win is very much on the table. As Fernando Alonso breaks the F1 Glory Hiatus, his trainer revealed the secret behind it. Edo Bendinelli advises how Fernando Alonso has gone back to his fitness regime since 2005. He explains how Alonso’s natural muscle characteristics help him perform at the same level as he did back in 2005.

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According to Mundodeportivo, Edo Bendinelli said, “We have all your data for each year. We went to the base in 2005. Fernando was a reactive person as a muscular quality, he could perfectly be a 100-meter smooth runner, he is really capable of squeezing a lot of strength and having a lot of speed. That is a birth muscle characteristic that is inevitably lost a little over the years. And although that loss has been minimal, it has compensated for it with its enormous capacity for resistance.” [Translated Via Google]

He suggested how Alonso’s muscles have transformed and that his metabolic age is 10 years younger to his actual age. Bendinelli added, “He has transformed one muscle characteristic to improve into another. It is as if he had gone from being a 100-meter runner to now being a long-distance runner, half marathon. Fernando Alonso’s metabolic age is about 30 years, 10 years less at least than the 41 he has. It can be confused with a 30-year-old uncle. And the spirit… that’s really good.” [Translated Via Google]

With Alonso at his peak once again, his trainer also revealed how the Spaniard prepared for the 2023 season as he stepped into a new team.

Fernando Alonso’s trainer reveals the Spaniard’s training regime before the 2023 season started

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An F1 driver has to stay fit all throughout their career, as the forces applied to their bodies during a race are unthinkable. More than 5 Gs while braking and turning that too for multiple laps. If the driver gets tired or isn’t able to cope, then the performance will certainly be affected. Bendinelli suggested that before the 2023 season, he and Alonso went for cross country skiing every day and the afternoons were spent training the muscles along with reaction exercises.

via Reuters

According to Mundodeportivo, Edo Bendinelli said, “We did cross-country skiing almost every day, with about 1,200 meters of elevation gain with two-hour climbs, every morning. And in the afternoon, to the gym with a lot of muscular and reaction exercises, together with other things. For example, we did a physical exercise and then another reaction, so that he shows his reflexes when he is tired, with his mind ready to act.” [Translated Via Google]

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Watch this Story: Will Fernando Alonso & Aston Martin Be a Top F1 Championship Contender Soon?

Will Fernando Alonso be able to snatch a victory away from Red Bull this year with all this experience and hard training regime?

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Written by:

Pranay Bhagi

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Pranay Bhagi is an F1 writer at EssentiallySports, who has always been passionate about sports and writing. With a degree from a prestigious institute, he has channeled his enthusiasm into sports journalism, particularly F1, a sport that has captivated him for over a decade. Pranay's deep-rooted love for the sport began during the Sebastian Vettel era, and he has been following it religiously ever since.
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Edited by:

Varunkumaar Chelladurai