How different did 2013 really look in the life of Fernando Alonso? Driving a competitive car, buoyed by thousands of Spanish supporters, the two-time Formula 1 world champion looked – in eagerness bordering on desperation – to haul in the championship lead of a Red Bull driver out in front. Sound familiar? A decade on, the tune of the day feels decidedly identical. Yet plenty has happened in the 10 years in-between. Alonso has loved, left, and fallen back in love with the sport. Red Bull’s champion-of-the-day back then, Sebastian Vettel, would wrap up the 2013 world title, the last of four crowns. By the end of last year the German, six years younger than Alonso no less, retired and vacated an Aston Martin seat swallowed up by the Spaniard. Now Red Bull’s de facto No 1 is Max Verstappen, who incredibly 10 years ago at 15 years of age was just 18 months away from his F1 debut. Back then, Alonso divebombed his way from fifth on the grid to first at the chequered flag. His 2nd win in Barcelona; his first with Ferrari. The gap to Vettel was closed. But there would be no third title; in fact, from that point on there would be no grand prix wins at all. It remains 32 and counting. Not long after, Alonso departed Ferrari short of the third world championship he should have claimed. A series of near-misses with the Scuderia were followed by ignominy and embarrassment at his second coming with McLaren, amid engine issues in partnership with Honda. The scale of the downwards spiral, coupled with fruitless fighting at the back of the pack, saw Alonso call it a day himself at the end of 2018. Two years out was enough of a break, though. Not even impressive showings in IndyCar and Le Mans competed with the adrenaline-fuelled mayhem of F1. Returning with Alpine – the Renault team where he made his name and won his titles in 2005 and 2006 – Alonso was back in the midfield fight. A first podium in seven years was landed in Qatar in 2021. But as Alpine hesitated on a two-year deal last summer, Aston big boss Lawrence Stroll saw an opportunity to replace one multiple world champion with another. For both parties, and in contrast to so many of Alonso’s team tinkers in the past, it has proved a fruitful move. The Spaniard is third in the championship and has been on the podium in five of six races. Aston have given Alonso joy at long-last. His ecstasy is regularly heard on team radio, with advice to team-mate Lance Stroll not uncommon either. Simply, Alonso has a new lease of life, in what are his swansong years. Which bring us to this weekend and the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. A crowd of 275,000 is expected over the weekend, the majority likely to be sporting the racing green of Aston. A storybook victor is not out of the question, after a missed opportunity last week in Monaco, but Alonso downplayed suggestions his team are in the running. “I don’t think realistically we can fight for the victory, let’s be clear,” he said. “Red Bull have been very dominant all season long and I don’t see any reason why, in Barcelona, they should not aim for a one-two. But let’s see what we can do. “Going into [any] race [in my career], I was fighting for whatever position with the mentality of getting that – the maximum from the cars. “Sometimes it’s P7, sometimes it’s a podium possibility. I know that in Formula 1 it has been a few years already, since Ferrari times, but in endurance I was going into every race winning the race and the world championship so it’s not that long ago.” It is a big weekend, too, for Mercedes. While the Silver Arrows brought in their highly-anticipated upgrade package in Monaco last week, this traditional testing track will bring a true assessment of its powers. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell wait, after a season-and-a-bit of turmoil, with baited breath. Of course, there is no doubting the clear frontrunners. Verstappen was brilliant in Monaco; his last-ditch pole lap setting in motion a win come Sunday. The Dutchman is 39 points clear of team-mate Sergio Perez in the championship and Red Bull will be eyeing another one-two here, matching last year’s result. Their straight-line speed, too, gives them a huge advantage, particularly in light of organisers ditching the unpopular final chicane, meaning cars will hit the main straight at greater pace. But Alonso is in with a shout. Aston have, beyond Mercedes and Ferrari, looked the team capable of bringing the fight to Red Bull. And there is no doubt their protagonist will be desperate to land that long-awaited victory in his homeland. Como 33 has been the phrase of the year, with even national sporting icons like Carlos Alcaraz pitching their support. Alonso claiming No 33, in Spain, would give F1 its moment of the season so far. Read More Monaco showed mesmeric Max Verstappen only has one obstacle to title – and it’s not Sergio Perez Lewis Hamilton warned not to expect instant results from Mercedes upgrade F1 race schedule: What time is the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday? Monaco showed mesmeric Max only has one obstacle to title – and it’s not Sergio Perez Fernando Alonso: Aston Martin ‘will not give up’ in push for F1 triumph Concerns Monaco GP could be ‘left behind’ as Max Verstappen wins ‘boring race’

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People can’t decide whether Balenciaga’s new $925 bath towel skirt is an example of clever marketing or just a ploy to wipe wallets. The unparalleled high fashion house, piloted by long-time creative director Demna Gvasalia, regularly releases peculiar designs, made to look beaten down and wrecked, with purposeful outlandish price tags – see its $1,850 fully destroyed sneakers or $1,800 trash bag tote. But this particular pick from the brand’s Spring 2024 collection sparked widespread debate online as soon it became available for pre-order on 14 November. A $927 terry-cloth towel, fashioned to be a wrap skirt, comes after the Georgian designer faced backlash for a controversial 2022 holiday ad featuring children holding teddy bears in leather bondage. Following the extensive criticism, Demna said he planned on tapping into his “roots in fashion as well as to the roots of Balenciaga, which is making quality clothes – not making image or buzz”. He told Vogue his plan in February a few weeks ahead of his fall 2023 debut. But while the designer intended to find motivation from Balenciaga founder Cristóbal moving forward, this quirky bathroom garment prompted further conversation about the brand’s continued desire to offer “absurd” luxury items. One riled up fashion enthusiast took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to make a larger generalisation. “This is absurd, These brands will sell anything and everything at such ridiculously high prices,” they wrote. “Balenciaga is so unserious,” another critic commented, while someone else said: “I’ll say it again... Balenciaga is conducting an experiment. It’s a behavioral science study. You can’t convince me otherwise.” Amid the flock of immediate criticism, brand supporters pointed out the platform and intended buyers Balenciaga targets. “In economics we’d say they are discovering the true demand curve. They are checking their customer base to see how elastic they are. If it’s a fairly inelastic demand curve of which it’s very likely to be. They won’t lose anything by being selling s*** like this, in actual fact…” one person wrote. “I need customers like theirs,” another fan proclaimed. One candid reviewer wrote: “What kind of madness is this? At least I’m not their target market.” Other X users added remarks about how they could make their own towel skirt with their fluffy fabric at home. “I already got a towel skirt, it cost $10 and it’s from Walmart,” one individual commented. Playing off the high-end fashion brand’s current visibility, Ikea, the Swedish homewares and furniture brand, dropped a similar advertisement, highlighting its $10 VINARN bath towel. In promotional photos, a model could be seen with the towel wrapped around his waist, layered over a pair of construction pants. On top, the man donned a common Balenciaga identifier with a black hoodie and wrap-around moto sunglasses. Read More Women’s scarves and crocheted ties - what is Robert Peston wearing now? McDonald’s and Crocs collaborate on new Grimace shoes Jacob Elordi reveals why he always carries a purse Women’s scarves and crocheted ties - what is Robert Peston wearing now? McDonald’s and Crocs collaborate on new Grimace shoes Jacob Elordi reveals why he always carries a purse

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