Feature

9 Jun 2026

How Spain fell in love with F1 – as told by Fernando, Pedro, and Mari

There was a time when F1 barely registered on Spain's sporting landscape.

For Fernando Alonso, F1 felt so distant that a future as a mechanic seemed more realistic than one as a World Champion.

For Pedro de la Rosa, becoming a racing driver meant following a dream few Spaniards believed was possible.

But, for Mari Boya, the sport was woven into family life, with Sunday afternoons spent watching Fernando inspire millions across the country as F1 fever took hold – highlighting the shift in the country's psyche over just a few years.

Together, their stories chart the evolution of F1 in Spain.

Ahead of a home race at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Fernando, Pedro, and Mari discuss the journey from niche pursuit to national passion, the support of Spanish fans, and what it means to race with an entire country behind you.

What are your memories of getting into motorsport in Spain when you were younger?

Fernando Alonso (FA): "I was in karting and I was getting some good results but honestly, for me and my family, F1 felt unreachable at the time. We were happy to race in karting and to help other kids on the mechanical side. We always thought that my future could be related to motorsport, but at a regional level and maybe as a mechanic, not as a professional driver.

"There were not many Spanish racing drivers when I was karting. Carlos Sainz Snr was the biggest name when he was winning the World Rally Championship.

"I remember he did an exhibition in my hometown. I was a karting driver back then, but I was invited to be his co-driver.

"It was a very special moment to be seated alongside Carlos. He was the biggest motorsport name in Spain then, and is still one of the biggest names in our country. Internationally, Ayrton Senna was my biggest inspiration, but in Spain, Carlos was my biggest inspiration."

When Fernando started doing well, you could feel an explosion. Suddenly people were not only interested in F1, they were crazy for it. They became fanáticos.
Pedro de la Rosa

Pedro de la Rosa (PDLR): "The only thing I knew about F1 was what I saw on TV, and it was very limited coverage. The first motorsport event I attended was the 24-hour motorbike race in Montjuïc and the first F1 race I attended was at Paul Ricard in France, because there was no Spanish Grand Prix. My father drove us there from Barcelona.

"When I started karting, Spain had Adrian Campos and Luis Pérez-Sala driving in the late '80s, so that ignited interest in F1 in Spain a bit and that got me into it. Spain hadn't had an F1 driver for decades, so the fact that two Spaniards were on the grid then was very important for my career; it made me believe it was possible to become a racing driver."

Mari Boya (MB): "My family were really huge fans of Fernando and so I got into motorsport like that.

"Fernando's success had a huge impact in Spain. I actually started on trial bikes because I grew up in the Pyrenees, but I soon wanted to race on four wheels after watching Fernando on TV."

Fernando, Pedro, you've witnessed the growth in F1's popularity in Spain during your careers – what have you noticed about that change and what do you remember before that growth?

FA: "There's a huge difference from my debut to now. When I started, there was not really any interest. It was not even broadcast on television much – my parents watched my races on a German channel. Then when I started getting some results, it seemed that the whole country discovered the sport and they loved it. It was a massive change in just a few years."

PDLR: "There'd not been a Spanish F1 driver for around 10 years when I got onto the grid, so interest at home had ebbed.

"Myself and Marc Gené made it in 1999 which created some interest and then when Fernando arrived, he just blew everyone away.

"When he started doing well, you could feel an explosion. Suddenly people were not only interested in F1, they were crazy for it. They became fanáticos.

"I think myself and Marc played a role in attracting attention, but it was Fernando who took it to a new level. He was the first very successful Spanish F1 driver."

FA: "Before I was on the grid, seeing Pedro and Marc in F1 was a big help for me. F1 seemed for the elite, and I felt I was not part of that.

"So when I was in the junior categories and I saw Pedro and Marc were in F1 – drivers I knew – I had the feeling that the sport was a little more accessible and a bit friendlier to everyone, not just the elite.

"Seeing them in F1 helped me believe I could get there too."

As a young fan, Mari, what was it like watching Fernando race?

MB: "Sunday was the best day of the week. F1 was always on the TV and everyone watched it together. In my house, there was huge passion for Fernando and when you see your family supporting like that, you quickly feel the same. You fall in love with the sport.

"As I got older and started driving karts and single-seaters my love for the sport grew even more but it was thanks to my family and the love they had for Fernando that sparked my interest."

I have a lot of memories of the thousands of people supporting me over the years. It really does mean everything.
Fernando Alonso

Fernando, so many credit you as the reason for the growth in the sport’s popularity in Spain – what does that mean to you?

FA: "I'm very proud. I feel a big responsibility having a whole country following me almost more than the sport itself and knowing people are perhaps relying on my results to have a good afternoon. It's like in football, you love the sport, but you look for your club's results most of all."

What's it like carrying that expectation?

FA: "I remember when I won the Spanish Grand Prix in 2006 and I knew how much expectation there was, especially after I qualified on pole.

"It was stressful. It was in the days where you qualified with the fuel that you'd start the race with and we ran very light to get pole.

"The perception of the whole country was I was guaranteed to win but I knew it was maybe not a realistic pole position. All of Saturday night I was thinking, 'the whole country is watching, thinking it's going to be an easy win, and we will not win and it will disappoint a lot of people.' My biggest fear was we might disappoint the fans and the country.

"And then on Sunday there was a big change in temperature and that favoured our tyres and we won. It was a happy surprise and a big relief.

"I have a lot of memories of the thousands of people supporting me over the years. It really does mean everything."

Sunday was the best day of the week. F1 was always on the TV and everyone watched it together. In my house, there was huge passion for Fernando.
Mari Boya

Pedro, Mari, what have your experiences with your home fans been like?

PDLR: "As I said, in my early career there was not a lot of interest in F1 so when you see the change first-hand, it is the most beautiful situation you can experience as a sportsperson. I'm overwhelmed by the support.

"I've had people send me letters, wishing me good luck when I was racing and now to Aston Martin. Some people built me a clock from a brake disc. The support is very touching.

"I love going to the fan zone at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. I still see flags from the PDLR fan club from when I was in F1. Their members still go karting together; these people have been supporting me forever. I say to them, 'I've not been racing for years,' and they reply: 'You are born and you die a PDLR fan!'

"One of the best moments I've ever experienced was in 2005. I was the third driver at McLaren and drove on Friday as Juan Pablo Montoya was recovering from an injury. I posted the fastest lap in both free practice sessions and as I crossed the line, the crowd went crazy.

"I'm from Barcelona, when I was younger I could hear the cars at the circuit from my home, and then suddenly I'm driving one of them, and I'm fastest. That was a really special moment."

MB: "Every time I step up in category, I feel more support, and not only when things are going well, but also in the tougher moments.

"It's really nice to see the support from the fans and I'm super excited to go back to Barcelona. It is always a special place where I have good memories and everyone is so warm towards me."

I love going to the fan zone at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. I still see flags from the PDLR fan club from when I was in F1.
Pedro de la Rosa

As it's a home race, have you had much support from family and friends trackside over the years

FA: "Friends from school used to come to watch me when I was younger. They used convoys of buses from all over: Asturias, Madrid, Valencia, and they were all together, and they would be in Barcelona supporting me from early in race week. I was 23, 24 years old; things like that really took me by surprise. I never expected it."

PDLR: "Early in my racing career I lived away from Barcelona but I always wanted to come back and I lived there for a few years when I was in F1. For my first Grand Prix in Spain in 1999, my wife and I stayed in a hotel because my house was full of people, and we approached it as if it were any other Grand Prix so I could stay focused. It worked well, but it felt weird knowing my family were so near.

"So, the next year, we stayed at home and it was the most incredible feeling.

"That year, my goddaughter had her First Communion during the weekend. Culturally in Spain it's a very important weekend. The tradition in Spain is for the godfather to give a big present, and I was able to give her a watch when I came home after Qualifying.

"You sacrifice a lot of family time as a racing driver so to be able to do that on a race weekend was really special."

MB: "I spend a lot of time away from home, so having the support from family at a race is not something I'm really used to.

"But this weekend I'll have lots of family watching, including my grandmother who never gets to see me race because it's too difficult for her to travel far. The whole family is coming; it's going to be a super special weekend."