It would have been a spectacular sight – but sadly it wasn’t to be!
It was revealed that 15 years ago, a proposal to have Fernando Alonso drive the Pope through Madrid was rejected. The suggestion came when Pope Benedict XVI visited Madrid for World Youth Day in August 2011. Even though Alonso was a popular figure in Spain at the time, Vatican officials were outraged by the idea. Despite Alonso’s success in Formula 1 that year, organisers were told that only a national police officer could drive the Popemobile. Ultimately, the unconventional proposal did not come to fruition, and the Pope’s visit proceeded with a different driver.
