Fernando Alonso feels he has a lot more to offer to F1, and plans to stay at Alpine for the coming two or three years at least.
Two-time World Champion Alonso returned to F1 with Alpine in 2021. He was 39-years old when he returned, and spent two years away pursuing other racing ventures. As a result, many were surprised that he was still at his top level after his comeback.
He earned a third place finish at the Qatar GP last time about, and put in strong performances consistently. The former Ferrari driver stuck around, and is continuing his F1 journey with Alpine in 2022.
He’s had a decent start to the year, earning two valuable points at the Bahrain GP. In the subsequent race in Jeddah, he was on course to finish in the points as well, but a late race engine issue forced him to retire.
“The 2022 cars will allow for closer racing”
: [Hold my BWT bottle]#SaudiArabianGP @BWTUKLtd #MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/GLG6CmAwLE— BWT Alpine F1 Team (@AlpineF1Team) March 28, 2022
Alonso insists that in spite of his old age, he never feels at disadvantage. He enjoys the battles on track, citing his recent duel with teammate Esteban Ocon in Jeddah as an example.
However, for an outfit that has been in the midfield for a long time, Alonso feels that they desperately need to make strides forward.
Also read: Charles Leclerc insists that DRS should not be removed from F1 in the near future
Fernando Alonso plans to use experience and knowledge to his advantage
Other than the on-track battles, the Oviedo born driver revealed that he enjoyed his off track duties as well. He’s in a comfortable environment with the Enstone based team where he can give his all, and he wants to stay with them for the foreseeable future.
“I still have a lot to offer. Right now I am enjoying Formula 1 a lot,” he said to DAZN. “I enjoy racing, I am enjoying all the things because Formula 1 is not only the activity on the track. You have a lot of activities off the track and I also enjoy them.”
Before and after we told him it was Race Day. #SaudiArabianGP pic.twitter.com/qzPZIMbViY
— BWT Alpine F1 Team (@AlpineF1Team) March 27, 2022
“So I think that at least two or three years I hope you see me around here. I have never felt that it was a disadvantage to be a little older, I carry with me more experience and more knowledge.”
Talking about his team’s engine issue in Saudi Arabia, Alonso insists that they need to find a solution sooner rather than later.
“I think we still need four or five races to make any judgement. There is still a lot to do. I think the mentality changed a lot last year. Renault has been struggling in the middle class for the last few years. And we think it is time to change this and dream big,” he added.
Also read: Charles Leclerc strongly denies suggestions of Ferrari bluffing in Saudi Arabia
