Fernando Alonso (Oviedo, 41 years outdated) arrives on time for the appointment with AS, though the site visitors has delayed his first commitments of the day. He was the protagonist for the Press when he arrived in Zandvoort as a result of that scuffle with Lewis Hamilton within the earlier race, he had additionally been when he arrived at Spa-Francorchamps after his surprising signing for Aston Martin, from 2023 onwards. The repercussion on every thing that surrounds the Asturian is big, and that results in reflection: if he additionally acquired right into a profitable automotive, that magnitude could be incalculable. With 32 victories (the final one, Spain 2013), 22 pole positions and 98 podiums, the following milestone that the two-time Spanish champion will signal is the file for grand prizes in Formulation 1: he has 348 participations and Kimi Raikkonen stopped the rely at 350. Fernando will change into the driving force with probably the most races in historical past within the elite of motorsports. There begins a dialog that helps to know the profound causes for leaving Alpine (though he already talked about it in Belgium) and his approach of understanding the game.
—How a lot does it matter to you to change into the driving force with probably the most grand prizes within the historical past of Formulation 1?
“When is that this?”
—Two races to go
-What number of?
—350.
“Properly, you see, it isn’t crucial to me.” However hey, I knew it was going to come back this yr in some unspecified time in the future. It is a file that displays my ardour for the game and the years I have been right here, even after spending two years away. Nonetheless, it isn’t crucial.
—It’s maybe one of many few driver data, as a result of victories, pole positions or titles rely extra on the automotive…
-Sure. However you want the belief of many groups for a few years in order that they imagine in your potentialities and to have the ability to compete in Formulation 1. It’s going to all the time rely upon the automotive, if you do not have an excellent automotive you’ll by no means be round for therefore a few years. However it’s a file that displays the work and sacrifice of the pilot.
-This summer season we’ve seen groups that interrupt the contract with a driver, efficiency clauses… how do you survive 20 years within the ‘paddock’?
—Having the liberty to decide on what you need to do, to be the proprietor of my future. I’ve had the privilege and the luck of having the ability to select once I got here to a crew or once I left. And that is, a little bit, the key to proceed for therefore a few years. If you owe a crew loads, otherwise you be part of a crew and also you get in a automotive for some form of plug or cronyism, or for the contribution of a sponsor, or no matter, it’s attainable that you’ve an expiration date extra early. I’ve been fortunate to not rely upon so many individuals.
“What efficiency clause does he placed on himself?”
—That of all the time attempting to be at an excellent degree in comparison with the teammate, who is sort of the one reference. Attempt to obtain the targets that the crew units annually. Whether or not it is the top-5 or the rostrum, or preventing for the championship. Not make errors, really feel good, and likewise give an additional that comes solely from me. Many occasions you go to the technique assembly on Sundays, earlier than the race, and of all of the simulations which are performed at night time they provide you a forecast ninth place. Then doing a seventh or a sixth in that race is a small private achievement that you’re doing. I’m all the time probably the most demanding with myself.
“Due to expertise and velocity, I’m probably the most full on the grid”
—Do you assume the pilot has misplaced weight in these years in comparison with the ‘major crew’? Ferrari was structured round Schumacher, however now that might not occur.
—With Michael sure, as a result of he had that energy. However I do not assume a lot has modified. The ‘major crew’ have been all the time revered characters and protagonists. Know-how has modified on the earth, so vehicles at the moment are extra technological and there are extra simulations, extra information, extra sensors. All the things is extra studied. It is not that there was improvisation earlier than, however you went out to the race on Sunday and after lap fifteen we’ll see how issues go. Now you understand how every thing goes to go. The world has modified, however the ‘major crew’ nonetheless have that energy. Earlier than there was Eddie Jordan, Ron Dennis, Flavio Briatore. There have been very highly effective folks.
—What standards do you utilize to evaluate a rival driver? Not simply titles…
—That they do not make errors, that they’re constant. That they arrive at Spa and are within the top-10 and that they arrive at Zandvoort, a unique circuit, and are additionally within the top-10. Do not have too many ups and downs. I worth that nicely.
“Do you are feeling the quickest, or the neatest of the twenty?”
—(Gradual to reply). Onerous to know. I do not know reply who could be the quickest of the twenty. However I do really feel like probably the most full, I do not know if probably the most full however probably the most full on the grid due to the expertise I’ve and due to the combination of velocity and information of the race.
-If you hear him speaking to his engineers throughout the race, it appears that he’s watching it on tv due to the kind of data he handles…
—It comes from a few years {of professional} profession. I began competing once I was three years outdated. (within the karting). I gained the karting world championship once I was 14 years outdated. I have been at a really excessive degree in motorsport for 27 or 30 years when the engineers that we’ve proper now within the crew have in all probability been out of college for about eight years. It’s regular that generally I’ve extra expertise than them.
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“If I win a title or two at McLaren, I’d nonetheless have stopped”
—Alonso is remembered for begins, comebacks, victories… and large errors?
“You all the time have errors, however not too apparent ones. In twenty-odd years of profession, there usually are not too many. Fuji 2007, ‘aquaplaning’. Spa 2010, I hit the curb at flip seven on the surface and went inside. There are errors that you simply keep in mind and then you definitely wish to repeat the race. However hey, these issues occur.
—The opposite nice champions of this era have fairly well-known accidents (Vettel in Germany 2018, Hamilton in Silverstone 2021… or Belgium 2022).
—Sure, the English discuss concerning the ‘consciousness of the volumes’ for the beginning, the power to concentrate on the place the vehicles round you might be and what area on the monitor they occupy at that second. Nonetheless, in that sense, I do have that capability extra developed; and fewer developed different issues.
—Which has been probably the most aggressive Formulation 1 that has led in these nearly 350 grand prix?
—You all the time have to take a look at the extent of competitiveness with respect to your rivals. So I’d say that the Renault of 2006, the primary a part of the yr had the most effective automotive.
“However he is by no means had a ten-win-a-year automotive.”
-By no means.
“If I had, would I nonetheless be right here?”
—(Suppose). Who is aware of, perhaps not. That could be a good query. I keep in mind once I signed with McLaren in 2007, I had signed for 3 years and my concept was to do these three years and perhaps cease, as a result of I had already achieved way more than I ever imagined. If these three years go nicely and I win yet one more World Cup, or two extra World Cups, I’d nonetheless have stopped.
