Fernando Alonso says the death of his friend reminded him that motor racing is not everything.
The reigning world champion and Spaniard was a close friend of Emmanuel Longobardi, who was one of two F1-related people killed in a helicopter accident returning from the Magny Cours circuit to their hotel last Saturday evening.
McLaren’s 25-year-old driver said he had been left “a little bit frozen” when he was told the bad news in France.
“I was with him on Saturday afternoon,” Alonso confirmed to the Spanish newspaper Diario As.
“I have known him for years and we had a good friendship. He got on a helicopter to go to his hotel and we lost him.
“This sort of thing makes you think about what we do and what really matters. Really, the most important thing is to wake up every morning and be healthy.”
Alonso seems also to have softened his tone regarding his situation in the world championship, after his rookie teammate Lewis Hamilton ran away with a 14-point advantage in the first half of the season.
He told Sport Bild: “I have been thinking about this a lot.
“Ok, I am in a new team, I have a new teammate, I am getting used to the new tyres.
“But still I have won two races so far. Under the circumstances I think I can be content, because one season ago I would not have counted on it.”
