E-Paper
Alonso-mania grips Barcelona
Fernando Alonso's success has changed sports atmoshphere in Spain, where soccer loving fans are showing keen interest in F1.
If Fernando Alonso had any doubts about the huge support he can count on in Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix he had only to listen to the bagpipes.
Among the thousands of fans from Spain's northern region of Asturias some have brought the instruments to add a distinctive touch to the Circuit de Catalunya this weekend. Decked out in the region's blue and yellow, the same colours as Alonso's Renault team, huge crowds thronged the track for Friday's first practice, usually Formula One circuits are almost empty during pre-weekend sessions.
"It's fantastic...They said on Friday it's the only race where we have more blue than red colour probably and this is a very special feeling," the 23-year-old Asturian said.
"We test so much here in Barcelona that we're used to doing laps alone with no-one in the stands so its a completely different feeling...and for me even more," he told reporters after the practice.
Alonso-mania has gripped Spain since the Oviedo-born driver starting winning races this season.
He became a national hero by holding off a strong challenge from world champion Michael Schumacher to win the San Marino Grand Prix 12 days ago, his third consecutive victory.
The atmosphere at the Barcelona circuit was one normally associated with big soccer matches in Spain with fans blowing horns and chanting slogans. Sunday's race has been a 115,000 sellout for weeks, the first full house of the season.
A fleet of around 50 buses have transported fans from Asturias, on the north coast of Spain, and a total of 300,000 fans were expected during the whole weekend.
"Alonso, Alonso," screamed a group of children, average age about eight, from a balcony above the Renault paddock normally accessed only by those with exclusive race passes.
The man himself has kept a low profile and is trying to shield himself from the home crowd's expectations. A Spaniard has not won his home grand prix since the country first hosted a round of the world championship in 1951.
"It's good to have all the people supporting me and all the fans are very friendly with me so for me to be like a hero for them is a surprise because I don't come from a rich family or anything like that so I feel like one of them," Alonso said.
The only negative side, he said, was that "it's not possible to eat in a normal restaurant."
Visiting fans may also be finding it hard to find where to eat and where to stay.
There are no hotel rooms to be had in Barcelona, one of the world's top tourist destinations, and the packed roads leading to the circuit are best avoided.
Two days before the race proper, it took two hours to reach the circuit from Barcelona centre rather than the usual 30 minutes. It is likely to be mayhem on Sunday.
