Forghieri: Alonso is “not a good test driver”
The former chief engineer of Ferrari in the 70s, Mauro Forghieri, has a very strong opinion on Fernando Alonso. He believes that the Spanish driver failed to lead the Scuderia in the right direction during their five years of collaboration.
Fernando Alonso’s stint at Ferrari was a relative failure. Only a few victories provided this partnership with rare reasons for satisfaction. World titles narrowly missed against the formidable Vettel in his Red Bull left a lasting mark on the Spaniard’s time with the Reds.
But these failures continue to make headlines, particularly among former members of the team, such as engineer Mauro Forghieri, an iconic figure of the Scuderia, who has a very strong opinion on Alonso. He believes, according to the website diariodelweb.it, that the driver is the main culprit in this story: « If for three or four consecutive seasons the car has the same problem, it means it is not being developed in the right direction, and that is the driver’s fault. »
Considered as one of the best current drivers in Formula 1, Alonso might not be the one people think he is, according to Forghieri. Especially regarding technical analysis: Alonso is a great race driver. But not a good test driver. Every year, when the new car appeared, he said everything was perfect. Then, after a few months, he started complaining. A true champion is one who can lead the team. Ferrari has had a problem in recent seasons: it hasn’t had another Schumacher.
This season, Fernando Alonso will wear the McLaren-Honda colors, alongside Jenson Button. He will start the private tests in Jerez at the wheel of the MP4-30 starting this Sunday, February 1st.
