"Far from being good"

15:15 – The double Formula 1 world champion, Fernando Alonso, announced that he had found his first rounds with a NASCAR quite difficult. The Spaniard also said that he did not have a good idea of ​​what it was necessary to go fast with such a car.

Alonso sailed Monday in NASCAR's seven-time champion car, Jimmie Johnson, on Monday for a few laps on the Bahrain circuit. The 43-year-old American, in turn, crawled behind the wheel of a McLaren Formula 1 car. Alonso, who said goodbye to Formula 1 last Sunday in Abu Dhabi, said late in the day that it was not easy to drive with a NASCAR.

"I think I was very far from a good ride," Alonso told Motorsport.com, among others. "I still do not understand what the best way to do a quick lap is to have a lot of braking problems because the car slows very slowly because of the weight of the car and the steel brakes. what I'm used to, and traction is also very difficult to control with these tires and the power of these cars.In third gear, your wheels keep rolling.I did not know it was better to ride hard give and let the tires skate or go to the very controlled petrol and then have a little less performance at the exit of the turn.It is after a day so unclear what driving style you need this car. "

Alonso also says that he can not imagine what it is to drive an oval with a NASCAR. "I just told Jimmie that it's hard to imagine what it's like to run with these cars on an oval, with so little grip and traction problems that I had, "said the pilot of Oviedo. "Of course, traction plays a less important role on an oval, where the main thing is to maintain a high average speed, so you drive in a completely different way." The car can slip less violently, but more in turns, which may be a different feeling, so a NASCAR probably will not perform well on a start-stop circuit like Bahrain. "

" Maybe a loose race "
When asked if the NASCAR Alonso test replied:" For the moment, that was enough. These cars are made for the ovals, so they weigh a lot on the left side of the car, which you must also handle when you try to finish the car. For a normal circuit, the car will certainly be different when you use it on an oval, but this is not yet planned. "

Although Alonso does not rule out participation in a NASCAR race in the future, the odds are that he has an entire season in this American class. case, given the long schedule and the importance of the experience gained during the race with these cars. "I think these cars are mainly related to the experience. You must know what the effects are if you drive near another car, know different driving techniques to push a little, etc. In my arsenal, it takes a lot of commitment to change that. Plus, the schedule they have is very intense, so maybe a loose race, but not a whole season. "