Alonso’s sadness

Having been assaulted—or perhaps simply thrown off balance—in Spain, Don Fernando needs to rest. But his injury is not physical, it is moral: after the disappointments of his Mate la Reine, he has become neurasthenic.

THE COUNT OF MONCET A bizarre accident, a perilous outing, no news, an ominous silence… All of this quickly gave rise to the bold idea that the public was being deliberately misled. What could have happened to the famous champion to force him into retirement today? Was it a sudden illness or a concussion? No, the real culprit is Alonso. The once-glorious Spaniard is now bitter and disappointed that his new team can't even overtake a bedridden horse, and his record seems destined to remain modest. We say he is suffering; indeed, he is enduring unprecedented torment, but he is bowing to an affliction more insidious than a simple crack: Don Fernando is plagued by a terrible spleen problem. DON FERNANDO He feels like the king of a tyrannical kingdom: rich but powerless, young but already ruthless, despising the engineers' carts and obsessively plotting his own downfall. Nothing can save us, not Boullier, not Button, not even Kevin, who waits patiently like a devoted faithful. The Pastor, oblivious to the grotesque stunts, no longer distracts the heart of a gullible patient; his once colorful cockpit has become a tomb of broken promises and shattered hopes.

THE COUNT OF MONCET When the dark devil weighs down his burden, he forces him to look at his former glories. Don Fernando then admires Ferrari, which shines without him with renewed brilliance. He envies Vettel and, with faded pride, reflects on the Roman triumph he once glimpsed.