Free Will Philippe Alliot – Barcelona trials

It is with great pleasure that I agreed to support AUTO readershebdo throughout this season Formula 1 which promises to be exciting.

With the winter tests, I had the chance to relive unforgettable moments from my youth, namely arriving at a circuit and hearing this sound of engines which gave me the same goosebumps as when I was a kid. I arrived with the excitement and enthusiasm of when I was 16 and I even surprised myself, now 68, by observing and admiring the drivers as I did at the time for Stewart, Cevert or Pironi. On the circuit, I rediscovered this incredible, very closed world of Formula 1.

To be honest, for almost twenty years I had forgotten about F1. I no longer followed it, it no longer interested me, until Netflix came along and showed young people how exceptional this sport is. These last three years have brought it back to life and I realized, through my youngest children, that a new audience has discovered F1 and developed a passion for it. No one spoke to me about my job anymore, they had forgotten what I had done (116 GPs, 10 participations in 24 Hours of Le Mans and Dakar by car and motorbike…) and suddenly, the public remembers me again. I even caught my children admiring me for what I had done in the past. My career wasn't even a topic of discussion, and suddenly I felt like a hero. Having been a Formula 1 driver has regained its nobility, I feel it in the street and I felt it in the Barcelona paddock. The people I met reminded me that I had had a great career, but above all an exceptional life. Laurent Mekies (race director Team Ferrari. Editor's note) very kindly came to ask me for a selfie for his father, whom I had met twenty-eight years earlier and I found Eduardo Freitas, the replacement for Michael Masi, who had been my race director. I also spoke at length with the parents of Pierre Gasly about my years as a pilot which they knew well to my great surprise. It is no wonder that this pilot exudes such a positive aura and inspires so much sympathy, as he is guided by wonderful parents.

On the track side, it must be recognized that the show has become exciting again. During the tests, I walked through the pits and went around the circuit in privileged manner thanks to Ross Brawn to observe the behavior of the cars and I can assure you that it is even stronger, even more beautiful than what you will see at the television. Honestly, they all look the same apart from the liveries, but on the circuit, I was able to observe huge differences in behavior. Four stables stand out from the rest, Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren, but the performances have nevertheless tightened enormously, which promises us a very competitive season. The times should be taken with a grain of salt, however the Ferrari impressed me and I found itAlpha Tauri interesting. We always tend to say that it was better before, but I can assure you that these new F1 cars are crazy, exceptionally beautiful.

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