Every second counts in karting, especially against Fernando Alonso. Can Olympic rower Husein Alireza beat Fernando on a track where the two-time World Champion holds the lap record? Find out in the first episode of Maaden's latest series: Driven To Greatness.
What does it take to be great? To try to understand true greatness, Husein stepped behind the wheel of a go kart at Mahara Karting in Dammam and took on the ultimate challenge: race against Fernando and win.
The purest form of racing
"There is no other way to feel connected to the physics and the grip and the limits of what is possible from the tyres and the machine," said Fernando. "Karting is the purest form of motorsport."
For Husein, stripping everything back to the basics offered a window into the foundations of greatness and a chance to witness, first-hand, what it really takes to compete at the highest level.
In the company of a genius
From Fernando's second lap in the go kart, he'd already broken the lap record, and he continued to break it with every additional time set.
"He's one of the most fearless drivers on track, and I just want to understand what it takes to be a great driver. He makes it look so easy," said Husein. "Think of the thousands of people who've raced here since it opened in 2022 when it opened. He's come and done it on the second lap. If that doesn't tell you what greatness is, then I don't know what does."
"[Fernando's] at the top of his game and that didn't come by chance. That came through hard work, dedication, commitment," said Husein after battling head-to-head with the two-time World Champion. "He's been so consistently good for so long. Just being in the company of genius has lifted my baseline standard.
"My biggest takeaway today is his philosophy. You can go off and study in theory what you can do, the biomechanics of everything, the physics of everything. But at the end of the day, it just requires you to spend a lot of time connecting with the car.
"No matter what your craft is, that emotional connection can elevate you and take you to new heights."
14 seconds
"14 is my number," said Fernando. "14 seconds."
Heading into the competition, Husein was given a 14-second head start. Learning and improving with every lap, he discovered just how fine the margins are over the course of the race.
Watch the video below to see who won and learn more about what it really takes to be great.
Fernando and Husein go head-to-head
Can Husein Alireza beat Fernando on a track where he holds the lap record? Find out in this collaboration with Maaden.
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