In a recent interview with The Times, Alonso compared himself to his younger counterparts and their approach to a grand prix weekend, suggesting that they lack the heroism of drivers of his generation.
“It is, in a good way, easier for the drivers of this generation to drive Formula 1 cars, whereas before it was more heroic,” Alonso said.
“It’s a strange feeling, not a sad one, but I remember when I made my debut and I came to an event, I saw this respect towards me and I was one of those heroes that drove these super-fast cars.
“Now when there is a young driver that makes their debut at 16 or 17 years old, it seems that it is easier for everyone. We lost a little bit of that heroic thing we had before.”
The two-time world champion also added: “I remember when I got to Formula 1 20 years ago, the engineer was not able to explain anything to me about the car,"
“We didn’t have simulators, so every track I went to, I had to learn it the day before by walking.
"Now, drivers are very well prepared, they have 200-300 laps on a circuit that they will race, so they know perfectly every bump, every corner, every kerb.”