Pierre Dupasquier about Alonso

Michelin’s Competition Director Pierre Dupasquier has 30 years’ experience of top level motorsport. Here, he talks about the new world champion, Fernando Alonso. Fernando Alonso is the youngest Champion in F1 history.

Pierre Dupasquier is a legend in Formula One circles. The engineer is now Michelin’s competition director, and has worked with some of the sport’s greatest drivers. He was an active part of the group that introduced the radial tyre to Formula 1 in the late 1970s with Renault, and since then, his work with Michelin has brought collaborations with many world champions. All of them made a strong impression on him, and Fernando was no different this year.

Pierre Dupasquier “I met Fernando Alonso for the first time at the Race of Champions. He wasn’t yet a Formula 1 driver. Two things struck me immediately: his modesty, and his determination. Both qualities were still there when we joined forces again at the Renault F1 Team."

When it comes to Fernando’s work ethic and technical ability, Dupasquier has high praise: “In our job, driver feedback is very important.Fernando has always been very precise in his comments. First of all, he has an incredible memory: he can recall the reference numbers of tyres used in a test several months previously! He does the first part of the technical analysis for us, making selections. That is a rare quality.
He is now a mature driver. He knows how to win F1 races, battle with drivers like Schumacher and Montoya. What’s more, he sets himself realistic targets: if he knows the car will not let him win, then he will aim for second. He also drives the car intelligently: he doesn’t use up the engine or tyres for no reason. He has the technical understanding of a great driver.”