Alonso laments lack of Spanish support

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso admits he is disappointed with the poor turnout of fans on Friday's practice session for the European Grand Prix in Valencia.

While most Formula One drivers often look forward to the respective races held in their native countries, there was a distinct lack of fans at the Valencia street circuit on Friday, something Alonso reveals has been a problem since his youth.
"When I was a kid, Formula One was not important at all," Alonso said in The Guardian.
"It was not a sport we followed. I never saw a race on TV in my life until I was seventeen or eighteen.
"When I was racing in go-karts I never saw a Formula One race. There as some news at the end of the year about who was world champion and who was not world champion but we didn't know any of the names."
Alonso admits he is pleased that the sport has grown reasonably since he made his debut in 2001 with Minardi, although it was probably only in 2005 when he won his first drivers' championship with Renault that interest truly took off.
"Now it's quite popular in Spain. People love this sport.
"It's not easy. It's quite complex. But they love it as we love motorbikes here. Now there are many drivers.
"I'm happy because it's my sport and something I love and now I'm happy that the country shares this love."
Alonso did however express disappointment at the poor showing on Friday, despite it being a public holiday in Valencia, but remained hopeful the fans would turn out for the rest of the weekend.
"This is a circuit where the attendance is not great in past years, and there has been a lot of effort from everybody to get maximum fans this weekend.
"So we need to put on a good show for them and hopefully they will enjoy the race."
Since the European GP was moved to Valencia in 2008, Alonso's best showing has been a sixth-placed finish in 2009 with Renault.
However, it remains how long the FIA will persist with holding the European GP in Valencia should the poor attendance continue.