Fernando Alonso: "It's always about Alonso the driver. Never Fernando the person" © Sutton Images Enlarge Related Links Drivers:

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Ferrari

Fernando Alonso insists he is not fussed about his image in some sections of the media and says occasional negative stories are to be expected.

Following a troubled year at McLaren alongside Lewis Hamilton in 2007, Alonso received some negative press in British papers, but when asked by Top Gear Magazine how he felt about being cast as a "pantomime villain", the Ferrari driver said he was unconcerned.

"I don't care," he said. "It's normal. When you're fighting other drivers from that country, it's normal that this sort of thing would happen. It happened in Germany, too. Everything was fine until I was competitive and fighting Michael [Schumacher]. Then the Germans were fine again until [Sebastian] Vettel arrived, and now I'm the bad guy again."

Alonso added that he has to two separate characters; one in Formula One as a driver and one for his private life.

"It [the stories] is always about Alonso the driver. Never Fernando the person. Because they don't know me. I know that Alonso the driver exists in a kind of fake world. Alonso the driver will be there for 12 or 14 or whatever years. Fernando the person is for the rest of my life."