» FIA Gala Video features #PlacesAlonsoWouldRatherBe

Some daring overtaking by Max Verstappen aside, one of the biggest media highlights of the 2015 Formula 1 season was the #PlacesAlonsoWouldRatherBe social media trend, which featured McLaren-Honda’s Fernando Alonso sunbathing in a camping chair after his car predictably expired during qualifying at last month’s Brazilian Grand Prix.

This year’s FIA Gala video highlighting the 2015 Formula 1 season – narrated with Morgan Freeman silky voice – pays tribute to the best action of the 2015 season, while also paying a nod to Alonso’s starring moment with a hilarious dream sequence.

The entire video is well worth the watch – not only for the F1 edits, but also to compare it with just how sadly amateurish the subsequent prize-giving was. We’ve seen better awards ceremonies at your local high school. It’s yet another sad reflection on how far behind the FIA is when it comes to engaging the media and fans in acknowledging the achievements of its star teams and drivers.

When NASCAR is capable of wheeling out Tom Cruise to award the retiring Jeff Gordon at its gala night, you realise just how much the FIA needs to lift its game.

Image via Sutton Motorsport Images, video via DailyMotion