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Como 33? Fernando Alonsos F1 comeback relaunched his fandom and a meme

After completing his 6-4, 6-4 victory over Tommy Paul in the Miami Open in March, men’s tennis number one Carlos Alcaraz took a marker to sign the camera lens.

Instead of a message relating to his victory, the Spaniard wrote “33? Soon”. The reference likely went over the heads of many tennis fans, particularly those outside of Spain — and those who don’t enjoy motorsports.

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That’s because the message was a reference to Alcaraz’s compatriot, Fernando Alonso, and the movement accompanying the Formula One driver’s resurgence.

After years stuck in the midfield and away from F1 altogether, one of the sport’s modern greats is back at the sharp end of the grid. Three races into his first season with Aston Martin, Alonso has scored three third-place finishes, good for third in the championship.

The “33” in question refers to Alonso’s next big career target: scoring his 33rd grand prix victory and ending a winless streak that dates to the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix.

From El Plan to ¿Como 33?

The hubbub around ¿Como 33? is not a new phenomenon among Alonso’s fans.

After breaking onto the scene in the early 2000s, Alonso sparked a wave of “Alonsomania” through Spain by becoming the country’s first F1 race winner in 2003 and first champion two years later. Back-to-back titles established him as F1’s next big thing, only for a sour season with McLaren in 2007 to hurt his reputation amid tension with a rookie teammate named Lewis Hamilton.

His next chance to fight for titles came with Ferrari. Yet what seemed like a match made in heaven ended in frustration. After near misses for the title in 2010 and 2012 were followed by a couple of uncompetitive cars, Alonso looked elsewhere.

😍 Carlos Alcaraz se une a la 'Alonsomanía' tras su victoria en el #MiamiOpen

😏 "¿La 33? Soon…"pic.twitter.com/B6GaGGaClb

— Sportyou (@SportYou) March 29, 2023

In returning to McLaren, Alonso consigned himself to F1’s midfield. Hamstrung by an unreliable Honda engine and a poor car design, McLaren wasn’t even able to fight for podiums, let alone the championship Alonso craved. By the end of 2018, he’d had enough, preferring to walk away from F1 and pursue other racing events, including the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

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During this time away, he used the word “retirement” in reference to his F1 career. So his 2021 decision to “unretire” and take a seat with Alpine — another midfield team — seemed odd.

But Alonso retained his belief that, even approaching his 40s, he’d lost none of the edge that once saw him fight for wins and championships. Nor did his fans, who interpreted the Alpine move as the first step in a strategy that would put him back on top.

They called it “El Plan,” generating a meme that Alonso and his team embraced. For the 2021 season finale in Abu Dhabi, Alpine even put “El Plan” on the rear wing of both its cars. When Alonso left for Aston Martin after 2022, “El Plan” became “The Mission,” a nod to James Bond, the world’s most famous Aston Martin driver.

Once Alonso claimed his place on the podium in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and then in Australia, with Aston Martin investing heavily in the future and clear in its ambition, the buzz around the idea of a race win started to grow.

And thus, “¿Como 33?” was born.

Embracing the meme

Upon joining in January, Alonso made no secret of his excitement about the Aston Martin project. But he was eager to reserve judgment on the possibility of scoring win 33 until he’d got his hands on the new car.

The opening race in Bahrain, where Alonso charged to third place behind the dominant Red Bull cars, he joined his fans in thinking that, with a bit of luck, a victory might be possible this year.

“It’s crazy to see how Spain is now so enthusiastic for Formula 1 and for everything that is happening,” he said. “All these things are happening now on social media. It was El Plan three years ago, and then The Mission, and now 33.”

He largely oversees his own social media and happily embraced the snowballing meme. Replying to a recent post from F1 asking how many points Aston Martin would finish the year with, having already outscored last season’s total, Alonso wrote: “33.333.333.” A dip into the replies shows that everyone, from loyal fans to Spanish football teams, is getting into it.

33.333.333 🟢 pic.twitter.com/7V7NAfXsWL

— Fernando Alonso (@alo_oficial) April 11, 2023

“What (Alonso) is doing is crazy,” Alcaraz told Movistar Plus. “Being at his age, practically fighting for the title… It’s wonderful to have him there.”

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Fighting for the championship might be a stretch, given Red Bull’s dominance, but Alonso’s success is capturing the sporting heart of a nation.

The return to the front

Alonso’s tally of 32 victories and two world titles may put him behind the likes of contemporaries Lewis Hamilton (103), Michael Schumacher (91), and Max Verstappen (37) in the record books. But his talent and on-track ability have put him in the conversation for the greatest drivers of all time and kept him there.

“Fernando should have already won a lot more races then he has done,” said Verstappen. “I think he deserves a lot more.”

Alonso hasn’t won more largely due to his career trajectory, ending up with the wrong team at the wrong time. His all-encompassing approach, demanding the best from all around him, may have led to frustration, some burned bridges, and a reputation for being the bad guy.

Aston Martin is already proving to be a good fit for his approach and ambition. Memes aside, there’s real excitement that 33 could happen. “He is leading by example at all times,” said Mike Krack, Aston Martin’s team principal. “He’s working really hard. Everybody just sees and grabs on and gives an extra level of motivation.”

Alonso is also motivated by the fact Aston Martin is, by his expectations, running ahead of schedule. He thought 2023 would be a “learning season” before being able to challenge the likes of Ferrari and Mercedes next year.

“But we challenged them in Bahrain in race one,” Alonso said. “So obviously, now everything looks more optimistic.”

That optimism will have Alonso dreaming far beyond win number 33. For now, it remains the first step. The celebrations it will spark will be huge if and when it is realized. The answer to ¿Como 33? will be an emphatic “ahora”: now.

It would leave social media searching for a new meme to create in support of Alonso. But so long as one of F1’s most interesting and talented figures remains at the top of his game, rest assured there’ll be no shortage on that front.

(Photo: Dan Istitene – Formula 1 via Getty Images)

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Abbie Anker

Update: 2024-05-13