Alonso: “What if next year I watch the races from home?: No way. I still think I should drive at least one more year”
Fernando Alonsodouble world champion, justified his decision to renew with Aston Martin until 2027 in that he still “feels the competitiveness and that passion” during the race weekend, which is why he is “happier.”
“If I’m sitting on the couch, seeing the Formula 1 will be very difficult for me right now because I feel the need to be behind the wheel. That moment (for withdrawal) has not yet arrived,” he noted on the eve of the Bahrain GP, which will be held in Malaysia.
Alonso, who still feels “that inner fire”, will compete with Aston Martin in his twenty-fourth season in Formula One, since he believes, as he admitted at the time of the announcement of his renewal, that he still has “the speed and determination to compete at the highest level.”
The 45-year-old Spaniard also indicated that “deep reflection” was the decisive factor in continuing to compete: “I took my time because I really have to analyze the scenarios and all the possibilities for next year. When I took my sabbatical from F1, I watched the races at home and I didn’t feel comfortable there.”
He explained that the thought from then came to his mind and he said to himself: ‘What if next year I watch the races from home?’: ‘No way.’ I still believe that I should drive for at least one more year.
As for whether you think the team Aston Martin may progress next year, he indicated that “you never know.” “I think all the teams are very optimistic in October and November, and then in March you face reality,” he said.
“It’s not about promising or expecting different things, but about making sure that we all give 100%, that we are motivated and that we move in the same direction. I think we have seen encouraging things this year, but we still have a long way to go if we want everything to go perfectly,” he said.
“I don’t want to make promises nor do I want to hear them. I simply want to see discipline in the way we work, especially in the power unit; that is where the greatest hope lies for next year,” he noted.
The Spaniard also commented that he will enjoy each race. “I think it’s more about competitiveness. It’s not about thinking about my age, or about records or statistics. It’s more about feeling good and fast behind the wheel. I still feel that, that’s why I continue. The day I stop feeling it, that day I will leave it, but without thinking about numbers,” he said.
