In the drivers' standings for the 2001 season, Fernando Alonso, Minardi driver, was officially overtaken (in the best final position, with no points scored) by… Tarso Marques, his very first teammate!
23 years later, Fernando Alonso is still racing in F1, having become, ahead of Kimi Räikkönen, the most experienced driver in the discipline.
For Aston Martin F1, the two men met again for a meeting.
Tarso Marques remembers the welcome he gave Fernando Alonso in 2001 at Minardi. Did he expect to team up with such a sports crack?
“I had heard of Fernando as a promising young talent in the junior categories. I knew he was very young and very fast, but the first time I met him was only two weeks before the first race of the 2001 season.”
“He had signed with Minardi before me – I joined the team later as I was originally going to race IndyCar that year before they contacted me. One of my responsibilities was to guide Fernando, because I had more experience – that was one of the main reasons the team hired me: to try to help Fernando. »
They say that Fernando Alonso is not the easiest teammate to have, but that was not the case for young Fernando in any case, according to Marques…
“I immediately liked his personality, and he became a friend. I never really had any teammates as friends, but Fernando was the first one I really got along with. I've always said that racing drivers can't be friends – a lot of what you see on TV isn't true – but with him we really got along. »
“Fernando has always been a shy person, but at the same time he is happy and comfortable with people he knows well. He was very young and reserved, just like me, when we first met, but as we got to know each other we really hit it off. »
“He is very loyal and remembers those who supported him from the beginning of his career and throughout it, and he treats them well. He’s obviously a very competitive person; after all, he's an F1 driver and a world champion, but he's also a really charming person and I don't think he's changed since the 19 year old I met years ago years. »
“Obviously we were a lot closer when we were teammates, and I don't know him as well as I used to, but in the few times we've seen each other since then, we've always had a good time, and this beautiful relationship is still there. »
The 2001 season, however, was particularly complex: Minardi simply did not have a competitive F1 and its drivers suffered at the back of the grid.
“In 2001 we were in a difficult situation because Minardi did not have the financial means to improve the car. We tried to help each other and the team, and we spent a lot of time together – it created a bond. We spent vacations together. I know a very funny man, who loves to make jokes and tease people; he's really nice. »
Alonso, the master of adaptability
Tarso Marques had other teammates during his career, like Coulthard or Fisichella: how far above all these drivers was Fernando Alonso?
“I have had great teammates in my career: David Coulthard, Giancarlo Fisichella, Jarno Trulli, Mark Webber; but Fernando was by far the best. »
“He had immense natural talent, and his determination was incredible – and remains so today; he is really focused and professional. »
“The most impressive thing about Fernando was his ability to learn the circuits very quickly, much faster than most. Even on a new circuit he was very fast straight away, finding the limit within a few laps. Some drivers have a lot of trouble with this. »
Marques also notes another strong point of Fernando Alonso: his adaptability.
“He is so talented that he can work around the problems in the car. Even if the car is not good, he adapts his driving style and makes it fast regardless; that's what makes it special. Likewise, if weather conditions change during a race, it adapts quickly and continues going fast. »
And Fernando Alonso, that’s obviously great race pace…
“No matter the conditions, the track, the car, he always gets the best out of the equipment available and he can do it for the entire duration of the race. Some riders can hold one or two loops at full throttle – doing that for the whole race is not easy – but he is capable of riding an entire race at the limit. »
“In 2001 it was difficult to stand out because the car was struggling – sometimes we finished 16th but we knew it was a good result and we had got the most out of the car – but I remember one race where Fernando had incredible pace was at the Spanish Grand Prix. He finished 13th and during the race he was very fast, getting everything he could out of the car by constantly going fast. »
“Sometimes when a driver comes from junior formulas, even if he is fast, he struggles in F1, but Fernando was the opposite. Everyone knew he was special back then. »
