Fernando Alonso shares sad personal news after Australian Grand Prix
The Spanish veteran has announced his split from partner Andrea Schlager.
Fernando Alonso has shared some sad personal news following his third-place finish at the Australian Grand Prix, announcing the end of his relationship with partner Andrea Schlager. The Spanish driver took to social media on Monday to reveal the news to fans.
Alonso and Schlager both posted a photo on their Instagram accounts to confirm the end of their relationship. “We wanted to tell you that our relationship as a couple ended,” they wrote.
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“We have been lucky enough to share a fantastic time together, and it will continue to be so, but on a different form of affection. As you have probably seen, we have continued working on and off track on various projects together also during this time, and we will keep doing so with deep love and respect for each other.
“We thought it is appropriate to share this as you have all been very supportive. Thanks for that. Love Fer & Andrea.”
Schlager is a sports presenter from Austria, who often covers motorsport and Formula One. She was in Melbourne over the weekend for the Australian Grand Prix.
Just last month Schlager had posted a photo with Alonso after he finished third at the Bahrain Grand Prix. “I’ve never seen more determination, will power and hard work. I am happy for you from the bottom of my heart,” she wrote.
The news of their split left F1 fans saddened, with many commenting on the announcement on social media.
Fernando Alonso scores treble of third-place finishes
Alonso has now finished third in every race this season - in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Australia. The Spaniard made the podium in Melbourne amid a chaotic finish to the race, which saw Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton claim the top two spots.
Alonso's podium in Saudi Arabia was the 100th of his career. However the Aston Martin driver would love to claim his 33rd career victory and first in 10 years.
“At the moment we are extremely happy with the performance of the car, obviously. It was better than expected, especially in Jeddah,” Alonso said in Melbourne. “We arrived here with a good level of confidence. But, as I said, after a few events from now on, I think the cars will change a lot in a few areas through development.”
Alonso last won an F1 race in Spain in 2013. However his treble of podium finishes so far in 2023 have excited fans in his homeland - including World No.2 tennis player and compatriot Carlos Alcaraz.
Alcaraz dedicated his win over Tommy Paul at the Miami Open last week to the two-time world champion. After his triumph, Alcaraz wrote the words “33 soon” when signing off on the broadcast camera lens - a reference to Alonso's 32 career race wins.
It prompted a friendly interaction between the pair on social media. “It is crazy to see how Spain is now so enthusiastic again for Formula One, for everything that is happening. This is very nice to see,” Alonso said. “Hopefully we can reach that number, 33, and then go for 34.”
Verstappen, who leads the drivers’ championship, said he believes Alonso is capable of ending his 10-year drought soon. “I think Fernando should have won a lot more races. He deserves to. I would be happy to see him win No. 33 but also in a way, I would like to see him win more,” he said.
with agencies
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