Ex-DTM driver Daniel Juncadella was there when Fernando Alonso made his debut in the Class 1 Aston Martin: How it came about and what impresses the F1 superstar
A Formula 1 superstar buying a DTM prototype from the Class 1 era to have fun with it? That’s exactly what Fernando Alonso did with the Aston Martin Vantage DTM from the 2019 season. This came as no surprise to Daniel Juncadella, who drove the car four years ago and supported his prominent compatriot in the maiden race in Madrid-Jarama.
“HWA told me a few years ago that Fernando was interested in buying the DTM car from Aston Martin,” “I then saw him at the Grand Prix in Barcelona this year – and he said: ‘I’ve bought your car!”
However, it was not exactly Juncadella’s car from the 2019 DTM season, but the test car. “I chatted to him a bit and said: Cool, if you need anything, let me know!” he recalls of the Formula 1 weekend in early June 2023.
Juncadella on Alonso: “He doesn’t ask many questions “
And indeed, Juncadella was also at the fan event on the former Formula 1 circuit in Spain in September, just a few days after the Italian Grand Prix, when HWA handed over the car equipped with a passenger seat to Alonso, who planned a few cab rides for fans. “I was there to give him a bit of support in case he needed help with the basics of the car,” said Juncadella.
This mainly had to do with HWA, as Juncadella had subjected the car to a shakedown at the airfield in Nördlingen, 100 kilometers from the company headquarters in Affalterbach, before selling it to Alonso. However, “jack-of-all-trades” Alonso did not need much help, says Juncadella: “He is very experienced and knows his way around racing cars. But it was interesting to spend the day with him. ”
What struck Juncadella? “You can see that everything is very natural for him,” he says. “He gains an understanding very quickly and doesn’t ask many questions, because he knows what he’s doing.” But what was the Spaniard’s impression of the DTM car from the prototype era, which has a turbo engine and 650 hp of power?
“Performance was better than expected for him “
“He said he was impressed by the car,” reveals Juncadella. “The performance was better than expected for him.” And the long-time DTM driver, who now drives the Corvette as a works driver, recalls another statement: “Fernando is used to a lot of power and good braking. But he said that the car is pretty direct. He was expecting to have to turn the steering wheel more.”
But does Juncadella have an explanation as to why Alonso bought a DTM car of all things? “It’s a bit different today with the GT3 cars, but the prototypes were high-performance vehicles,” says Juncadella. “Fernando likes any form of racing – he would drive anything if there was competition and a challenge. ”
Why the Class 1 car is so attractive to Alonso
In addition, Alonso was of course familiar with the DTM, “it has always had a well-known name”. However, the car is particularly attractive because, despite its performance and cornering speeds, it is well suited for cab rides thanks to the installation of a passenger seat
“There is the Formula 1 two-seater, but if you look at all the cars worldwide that can be used as cabs, the Class 1 car from the DTM is the best you can get so that the passenger can really feel what happens in a real racing car,” says Juncadella.
Did Alonso go to the limit in the Aston Martin at the premiere? “I had the impression that he was very relaxed about it, because he wanted to make sure that nothing went wrong. It was his first time in this car – and there were a lot of guests from one of the sponsors.” But it wouldn’t be Alonso if he didn’t put his new toy to the test in the future.