Even after the amount of times I’ve written about the ever-expanding Formula 1 calendar and the dangers of team members burning out — of just not being able to give 100% every day of every race — I can never bring myself to leave Abu Dhabi after the final grand prix of the season.
When there’s testing to take place in the days following the finale at the Yas Marina Circuit, the FOMO (fear of missing out) is just too real even at the end of such a long and grueling season – particularly the Brazil-Abu Dhabi double header to wrap things up.
And as testing sessions go, this week’s running in the UAE was a good one, as it provided a look into the future.
Around 36 hours after the checkered flag fell on Max Verstappen’s victory on Sunday night, two drivers from that grid were in very different machinery.
Plain livery and dazzle design helmet for Alonso, who remains contracted to Alpine for the rest of the year
Bryn Lennon/Getty Images
After two collisions with Alpine team-mate Esteban Ocon in the sprint, Fernando Alonso said in Brazil that he was already looking forward to driving the green car. And that’s exactly what he got to do on Tuesday as Aston Martin had removed all of its partner stickers from the car, leaving just a plain green livery carrying the number 14.
The reasoning was that Alonso was still contracted to Alpine, and therefore not allowed to promote Aston Martin’s sponsors over those of the French constructor.
Not that Alonso cared. All he was interested in doing was getting in as much mileage as possible in order to get a feel for his new car and to start integrating himself into the team. In fact, he was so eager that he was the first car out when the session started at 9am local time and similarly ensured nobody got to the end of the pitlane before him after the first stoppage of the morning.