Fernando Alonso grinned and laughed as he was probed about speculation over a possible Love Story with Taylor Swift upon arrival at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
The Spaniard hopes to secure another podium finish in Style this weekend to continue his fairytale start to the 2023 season. But the self-proclaimed "Anti-Hero" of the grid has also been the subject of headlines away from the sport during the spring break.
"I Knew You Were Trouble," was the Delicate opening line from a Sky Sports reporter as Alonso came across to speak to them in the paddock TV pen. Alonso was already chuckling and clearly knew All Too Well that it was a reference to the Swift rumours.
Perhaps he Should've Said No, but that was about all the reaction he was prepared to give, preferring to Shake It Off and steer the conversation onto the racing. "I am just focused on Baku, and racing. Let's see," said the Spaniard through his grin.
"The new format of the weekend is extremely complex for a driver. The first time to get in the car on Saturday, you tie your belt, and it's Q1. That will be a new thing for all of us."
Changes to the sprint format this weekend mean there will be just one practice session on Friday, with the other now a second qualifying session on the Saturday for the short-form race. Asked if he is Ready For It, Alonso said his team is already used to such pressure on the first practice of a sprint weekend.
He said: "In a way, that was already in any other sprint weekend. We had only FP1 before quali so we are used to that pressure. But Saturday is the biggest difference for us at the moment.
"I went to the simulator last week to try to replicate what the weekend is and see the challenges. We will try to pay more attention, come earlier to the track tomorrow and make sure FP1 is as simple and clear as possible. It's a new thing for everyone, but we will try to do our job."
And the Fearless Spaniard seemed confident about Aston Martin's chances again in Baku. "We will see how many updates people brought here, but this circuit should be okay for us... let's see how we are in terms of top speed but, yeah, I'm optimistic."
