Fernando Alonso, Alpine, Hungaroring, 2022

Caption Competition 192: Birthday wish

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Fernando Alonso may have caught his Alpine team off-guard when rivals Aston Martin announced they had signed the two-time world champion to race with them from next year, but before the Hungarian Grand Prix, it was all smiles between Alonso and Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer.

The team even took time to celebrate Alonso’s 41st birthday, complete with a birthday cake. But what could the two men have expressed to each other before Alonso’s bombshell departure was announced?

Can you come up with the best caption for this picture? Post your funniest suggestion in the comments below.

A selection of the best will feature in a future edition of the RaceFans Round-up.

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Will Wood
Will has been a RaceFans contributor since 2012 during which time he has covered F1 test sessions, launch events and interviewed drivers. He mainly...

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66 comments on “Caption Competition 192: Birthday wish”

  1. Alonso having his cake, and eating it.

  2. I’ll have it to go…..

    1. This one only showed up much later (I wonder why; can’t imagine what triggered it).
      It’s very good though, well done.

  3. Photographers capture the moment Fernando had the idea of deserting Alpine.

    1. Brilliant @dave-m 😂

  4. Hans van Voonebosch
    13th August 2022, 12:08

    The moment where Szafnauer left the communications department behind him unsupervised for 5 minutes.

  5. Alonso quickly figured how he could have his cake there and then and, two days later, eat it too.

  6. Can we submit multiple entries here @willwood? Or does more than one entry mean none of the suggestions will be considered?

    1. You can leave as many as you want but others (at least I) will wonder why you cannot decide for yourself which is the funniest.

      Also it’s recommended to read the other entries first before you submit yours (and then try to be original).

      1. Yeah, good point mate. Thanks

    2. Lewisham Milton
      13th August 2022, 14:15

      Multiple entries are subject to a $200 million anti-dilution fee.

  7. Otmar: Fernando, when I said you looked green on your birthday, I was asking about your health. Not encouraging you to join Aston.

  8. “This isn’t the first time someone tried to Sing-a-poor CeleBriatore song for me”

    1. Excellent wordplay as i think it was seen like a poor celebration

  9. Otmar thanks for the birthday wishes, you’re such an inspiration for me !

  10. 2 hours later, Fernando took to Twitter to clarify that in fact it was not his birthday and that he would not be celebrating his birthday with Alpine in 2023.

    1. LOL ! Potential winner, but there is some competition already.

  11. You won’t be smiling when you hear what I wished for, Otmar.

  12. The only two employees of Alpine that want to work there. Once Alonso saw the cake, that became one.

  13. Alonso: It’s my birthday, but have I got a present for you!

  14. I have just been made aware that it is also Otmar Szafnauer’s birthday today…

    I swear that is a complete coincidence! Happy Birthday to the Alpine team principal.

    1. “Thanks for the cake. I always like to have a good des(s)ert story.”

      1. Brilliant !

  15. I wish Otmar made me a free man.
    (Apparently Alpine owns drivers)

  16. Why didn’t you invite Oscar to the party, Otmar? You may regret this…

  17. Alonso could not hide his disappointment to see what Alpine meant when they said they would ‘sweeten the one year deal’…

  18. You can have the other forty candles when you stop acting like a one-year-old.

  19. Alonso realising he hasn’t burnt his bridge to Renault/Alpine yet..

  20. If you eat it all, Fernando, then we’ll take up the option on next year’s cake. Happy?

  21. “All the time you have to eat the cake”

  22. Constantijn Blondel
    13th August 2022, 15:40

    “Let’s put that triple frown upside down”.

  23. Jack (@jackisthestig)
    13th August 2022, 16:07

    “All of the time you HAVE TO LEAVE A SLICE!!”

    1. It’s all just another part of “El Flan”

    2. Ok this is the winner, right here.

  24. fernando: For my birthday wish I would like to have 10 world driver championships and a triple crown.

  25. Otmar:Where’s Flav?!
    Nando: (cheeky smile) He’s busy…

  26. I said optimise our performance in WAKE not cake!

  27. Frodo reached into his pocket. The ring of invisibility was still there, next to the keys for the new Aston. That should make his escape much easier. But in shadows behind, the Eye of Mordor was constantly watching..

  28. With Alonso moving to Aston Martin can he in fact have his cake and eat it?

  29. Where is the exit?

  30. When Fernando spied the flowers he wondered if they were the sort you gave to someone who was dying … just a few months of suffering … and then off to somewhere hopefully better than where they’re at … then he saw they were fitting for the occasion.

  31. Fernando: “I can see who ate all the pies”.

  32. It’s a very poor cake so I decided go away

  33. Consistent peaks, little fruity on the side, grating on the edges; Fernando was presented a cake, in celebration of his birthday, by Alpine.

  34. Otmar’s last-ditch attempt to save face is just about to backfire.

  35. Alonso: “but look Stroll’s birthday is bigger and better I want to go there.”

  36. Stick with me, son, and one day all this could be yours..

  37. Smile and wave boys, smile and wave.

  38. Alonso cooking a special cake after celebrating his 41th birthday.

  39. Whilst it was all smiles for the camera, Fernando was unable to contain himself and stormed off screaming GP2 birthday cake, aaaarrrghhh!!!!!

    1. Nando: – Master GP2, if I eat it up, will I turn into a real green boy?
      Szafnauer: – We would be pretty blue then.

    2. The very moment before Ocon arrived to have a “how many slices for which driver” type of negotiation, just to have their party spoilt by an also suddenly showing up and quite hungry honey badger.

  40. Fernando: It’s my birthday, Otmar, but you can cry if you want to

  41. -Otmar, I want something to drink along with my cake.

    -There’s a refrigerator behind you, you can choose whatever you like.

    -I’ll pick the Green One, i like the colour.

    -Good choise Fernando.

    -That’s my thought exactly Otmar!

  42. Alonso: SURPRISE!!

  43. A stroll will help digest it

  44. Before and after pic in Alpine diet marketing flyer still needs some photoshopping to remove the beard.

  45. After the first and second choices didn’t work out, Alpine announce their third choice for the race seat.

  46. Fernando: Best Birthday Cheesecake ever.
    Otmar: DID YOU SAY CHEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE?
    Fernando: Whoopsseeee!! I just exposed his best Monterey Jack impression!!!!!!!

  47. Not just the cake is a lie.

  48. “This cake was dropped off for you Alonso, the card said it was from some guy named A. Martin”

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