Alonso recalls his first victory in Barcelona.

      Fernando Alonso won his second championship title while racing for Renault, just under twenty years ago, in the autumn of 2006. What was happening in his homeland, Spain, at that time, the press without exaggeration calls "Alonsomania" – Fernando's achievements truly had a significant impact on the growth of Formula 1's popularity in this country.

      Now, 20 years later, he races for the Aston Martin team, which is going through the most challenging period in its history, and cannot expect any noticeable results, although he did manage to earn one championship point in Monaco.

      However, speaking with journalists ahead of the Barcelona-Catalonia Grand Prix, Alonso talked not only about the team's affairs, which are currently going quite poorly, but also about the role he played in the development of Spanish motorsport.

      "In my youth, I was involved in karting and showed decent results, but to be honest, at that time Formula 1 seemed unattainable for me and my family," the newspaper Marca quotes Fernando. "We were quite satisfied with karting, plus we helped other kids with their equipment. We always thought that my future could somehow be related to motorsport, but only at a regional level. Perhaps I could have become a mechanic, not a professional driver.

      When I was a karting driver, there weren't many Spanish racers. The most important figure was Carlos Sainz Sr., who won the World Rally Championship. I remember how he held demonstration events in my city. I was racing in karting then, but I was invited to be his co-driver. It was an unforgettable moment when I sat in the car next to him!

      At that time, Carlos was the main hero of Spanish motorsport and still remains one of the most important representatives of our country. At the international level, I was inspired by Ayrton Senna, but at home, in Spain, it was Carlos Sainz Sr.

      The attitude towards Formula 1 has changed significantly over the years since my debut in the championship. When I started, interest in it was not that high. Even on television, there were few broadcasts of the Grand Prix, so my parents watched the races on a German channel. But then, when I started showing good results, it seemed like the whole country suddenly discovered this sport and fell in love with it. And in just a few years, huge changes occurred!

      Before I debuted in Formula 1, I saw how Pedro de la Rosa and Marc Gené performed, and that helped me a lot. F1 seemed like an elitist sport, and I thought I didn't fit in. But I knew Pedro and Marc, and gradually began to think that Formula 1 had become a bit more accessible and friendly, and the path there was open for everyone, not just the elite. And since I saw these drivers perform, I believed that I could break through as well.

      I am very proud of my achievements. I feel a huge responsibility, as the whole country is watching me – you could say my results are more important for Spanish fans than Formula 1 itself. But it's like in football: you can love this sport, but what matters most to you are the results of your local club.

      I remember winning the Spanish Grand Prix in 2006. I understood that a lot was expected of me, especially after I secured pole position. But the stress was intense. Back then, in qualifying, we competed with the same amount of fuel that we started the race with, and the whole country thought that victory was guaranteed for me, but I understood that it wasn't the case.

      All night from Saturday to Sunday, I thought: "The whole country is watching, believing that I can easily win, and if we don't win the race, we will disappoint many." What I feared most was letting down the fans and our country. But on Sunday, the temperature changed noticeably, which positively affected the performance of our tires, and we won. It was a pleasant surprise and brought immense relief.

      My memory holds many recollections of thousands of different people who have supported me all these years. This means a lot to me. When I was younger, my school friends would come to the races to watch my performances. They traveled all over Spain by bus, gathered together, and for example, from the very beginning of race week, they were with me in Barcelona. I was 23 or 24 years old then, and such things amazed me greatly; I never expected anything like that."