***Manila, Philippines: Saturday, October 2, 2004***

In some ways we look at Fernando Alonso as a cold blooded racer with balls big enough to mount a set of Michelins on, but spend a full day with the guy and you’ll see there are those unguarded moments when it really hits you: this guy is still just a kid. His eyes smile when he talks of his family; he fidgets when he’s pressed for a question; he likes playing video games and sending text messages; he ‘dry surfed’ the crest of a wall at Fort Santiago and he never shrugged off a fan even when it got to the stage when it looked like it was going to develop into a full stampede.

During the autograph signing, the capacity crowd at Rockwell’s Play Underground had managed to break through the barriers, forcing us to pull Fernando up on the stage where the Hungary-winning Grand Prix car was on display. Thousands of hysterical fans pushed and screamed, vying for the signature of their Latin hero. I was hosting the event and was instructed to announce to the crowd that we will have to cancel the remainder of the autographing session to ensure Fernando’s safety. As I was ready to make the announcement, his communication manager, Patricia, grabbed my arm and said, “No, we will not do that. That is not how we treat our fans. We came here to sign autographs and we will finish what we came here for.”

I have never really seen a Formula One driver overwhelmed or humbled before, but when I stood next to Fernando on stage staring down at a sea of thundering fans that chanted his name and literally shook the foundations, the smile in his eyes said it all. He actually made it seem that he was not worthy. But you couldn’t convince the fans of that.

Fernando is one of the most genuine drivers I’ve met. He won’t go out of his way to paint a PR picture for you, but there’s gold in his silent moments. Fernando really listened to each question before responding. He seemed uncomfortable with all the fanfare but later you see that his shyness is actually a refreshing contrast to most celebrities. He usually only makes eye contact when he is spoken to. When he responds to a question, his eyes stray away and he fidgets with his clothing. He is still extremely polite, though.

Considering his father’s background, it was inevitable that Fernando would enter the glamorous world of F1 with a bang. Fernando’s father is an explosive expert that initially had dreams of his daughter being the race car driver. But because she showed no skills in speed, Fernando ended up inheriting her kart. He was 3 yrs old. Fernando started young and never stopped progressing, which is why he shrugs off the novelty of being the youngest driver to do this or that. “I entered motor sports at a very young age, so I’m used to being the youngest on the grid in every event I have competed in. I’m happy to be the youngest driver to win a race and the first Spaniard to get pole position in F1, but, to be honest, it is something I have already gotten used to,” Fernando says with no disrespect intended to the honor of his achievement.

“My father has always instilled good values and education into me, and I shall always thank him for it. I knew how to value what I had, the effort they had to make at home, because we are just a normal family. My parents both worked, and I spent a good part of their wages on my karting; the only way to “pay” for their effort in some way was to win races and make the sport worthwhile. Seeing my father’s face after every win was the best reward he could give me,” Fernando says with deep sincerity in his tone.

But it will be far from easy. After delivering his seventh crushing blow to the competition, Michael Schumacher says he’s as strong as ever and laughs at the face of retirement. Yet despite the gloom that has shrouded pit lane, there remains hope. There needs to be. And, among a shortlist of less than a handful of names, there is one that consistently keeps popping up out of the blue to put an end to the Ferrari bloodbath that some believe is killing the sport. The world waits breathlessly for Alonso to take his place in the sun. But when? At the moment, it’s all about expectations; that intangible weight around a person’s neck that can make or break them, but Fernando believes he’s ready.

“Pole position in Malaysia was very exciting. Even better than being on the podium and everything else.” Those that matter in the sport have been quoted on his website as saying, “That pole was the beginning, an exciting moment. Winning in Hungary was more important, but Malaysia showed that he was one of the greats. He got into a car, and in the second race says here I am. He joined the stars’ club”.