Legendary Spanish F1 driver Alonso feels his current performance is more about his dominant vehicle than driver skill
CHENNAI: When two-time Formula one champion Fernando Alonso said there, “Speed is part of my life”, obviously it is. Hours after finishing the eighth creditable Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday, Aston Martin The driver made a quick trip to Chennai for an event organized by Cognizant, one of the F1 team’s partners.
TOI then sat down with him for an exclusive interaction, where he assessed Aston’s performances so far this season, commented on the youngster’s emergence in F1 and talked about his passion for football.
Excerpts from the interview:
What is your assessment of Aston Martin’s season so far?
It’s rewarding when you score points and secure fifth place in the constructors’ championship, which is the minimum target for us. But we’re here to win, we’re not here to finish fifth. Although we did a good race and made the most of what we had in terms of speed and packaging, we want to do better soon. It’s impossible to be on the podium and win races this year, we don’t have that level yet. But we strengthened the team with a vision to win the race as fast as possible. There are things to be done with passion.
You have said that the first and only priority is to win F1 title the third time. You’re still going strong in your 40s. How do you stay motivated?
I hate losing, I’m a very competitive person. It (competitiveness) is not only motorsport but everything in life. As a driver, I want to help the team and win again. This is enough to motivate me. I don’t need to prepare myself differently, I don’t need to exercise mentally or anything to keep me motivated. Every time I start a race, I think about winning or imagine winning. It didn’t happen because we weren’t at that level yet, but I can’t wait for the next race to try again. It is not difficult to motivate yourself.
How do you see the title race between the leaders Max Verstappen and hunters Lando Norris last?
I don’t know, it’s hard to say who will win. Both are great and the best will win in the end. I will enjoy the fight as much as anyone else.
How do you see the emergence of young people in the last few years?
They are well prepared, this is a great generation coming up now. He has an F1 team that supports him since childhood, from karting level sometimes. They have a simulator, all the data and tools to learn how to drive the car. We had no data when we started, it was more about intuition and experimentation. Now he knows what is best in cars and how to drive them. This is a big advantage. It is good for the sport to have young talent, it will make the sport better in the future.
Are young drivers making life more difficult for parents like you?
I don’t think so, he still finished behind us (laughs). F1 and motorsport is about time, you have to be fast. It’s not about age. In F1, we have different cars, so (the performance) depends on who has the dominant car. If we all had the same car, my young veteran friends would be faster. He’s still not fast (laughs).
Tell us about friendship with Rafael Nadal.
We met at several events and award functions. He is a motor sports enthusiast, he owns an Aston Martin Vantage from what I understand. He is a role model for many people in Spain. The way he plays and the way he fights for every point is inspiring, he never takes anything for granted. He gives 100 percent every point and every match. This is part of our spirit in Spain, we like to express determination in everything we do.
You are officially an honorary member Real Madrid. How passionate are you about the club?
The team is in an amazing time and has achieved a lot in the last few years. It’s been 23 years since I got my membership. You must complete 25 years of age to be eligible for the role of club president. In two years, I can be a candidate (laughs). But no, it’s a very complicated thing. Football is a great pastime for many and I follow the news. It’s good to have something that can be a distraction from work. For me, it’s football.
CHENNAI: When two-time Formula one champion Fernando Alonso said there, “Speed is part of my life”, obviously it is. Hours after finishing the eighth creditable Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday, Aston Martin The driver made a quick trip to Chennai for an event organized by Cognizant, one of the F1 team’s partners.
TOI then sat down with him for an exclusive interaction, where he assessed Aston’s performances so far this season, commented on the youngster’s emergence in F1 and talked about his passion for football.
Excerpts from the interview:
What is your assessment of Aston Martin’s season so far?
It’s rewarding when you score points and secure fifth place in the constructors’ championship, which is the minimum target for us. But we’re here to win, we’re not here to finish fifth. Although we did a good race and made the most of what we had in terms of speed and packaging, we want to do better soon. It’s impossible to be on the podium and win races this year, we don’t have that level yet. But we strengthened the team with a vision to win the race as fast as possible. There are things to be done with passion.
You have said that the first and only priority is to win F1 title the third time. You’re still going strong in your 40s. How do you stay motivated?
I hate losing, I’m a very competitive person. It (competitiveness) is not only motorsport but everything in life. As a driver, I want to help the team and win again. This is enough to motivate me. I don’t need to prepare myself differently, I don’t need to exercise mentally or anything to keep me motivated. Every time I start a race, I think about winning or imagine winning. It didn’t happen because we weren’t at that level yet, but I can’t wait for the next race to try again. It is not difficult to motivate yourself.
How do you see the title race between the leaders Max Verstappen and hunters Lando Norris last?
I don’t know, it’s hard to say who will win. Both are great and the best will win in the end. I will enjoy the fight as much as anyone else.
How do you see the emergence of young people in the last few years?
They are well prepared, this is a great generation coming up now. He has an F1 team that supports him since childhood, from karting level sometimes. They have a simulator, all the data and tools to learn how to drive the car. We had no data when we started, it was more about intuition and experimentation. Now he knows what is best in cars and how to drive them. This is a big advantage. It is good for the sport to have young talent, it will make the sport better in the future.
Are young drivers making life more difficult for parents like you?
I don’t think so, he still finished behind us (laughs). F1 and motorsport is about time, you have to be fast. It’s not about age. In F1, we have different cars, so (the performance) depends on who has the dominant car. If we all had the same car, my young veteran friends would be faster. He’s still not fast (laughs).
Tell us about friendship with Rafael Nadal.
We met at several events and award functions. He is a motor sports enthusiast, he owns an Aston Martin Vantage from what I understand. He is a role model for many people in Spain. The way he plays and the way he fights for every point is inspiring, he never takes anything for granted. He gives 100 percent every point and every match. This is part of our spirit in Spain, we like to express determination in everything we do.
You are officially an honorary member Real Madrid. How passionate are you about the club?
The team is in an amazing time and has achieved a lot in the last few years. It’s been 23 years since I got my membership. You must complete 25 years of age to be eligible for the role of club president. In two years, I can be a candidate (laughs). But no, it’s a very complicated thing. Football is a great pastime for many and I follow the news. It’s good to have something that can be a distraction from work. For me, it’s football.
