Due to the many problems Aston Martin and Honda have faced at the start of this season, Fernando Alonso has been unable to fight for the positions he would like to in Formula 1’s new era.
But according to the two-time F1 world champion, there is absolutely no sign of decline yet. On an individual level, the Spaniard says he is still performing at a very high standard.
When the question comes up during media day ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix how an F1 driver can measure his own progress when the car is not competitive, Alonso replied:
“I don’t measure anything. I’m the best. I don’t need to prove anything. I don’t need to feel anything to believe that I’m at the right level.”
According to the Aston Martin driver, he still gets that confirmation outside of F1. In the pinnacle of motorsport, a driver is largely dependent on the competitiveness of his team, but Alonso says his outings in other cars and categories continue to confirm that the raw speed is still there.
“If I go to a go-kart track and I’m not the fastest, then I will be worried. If I go to a GT car and I’m not the fastest, I will be worried, and this kind of thing. Meanwhile, I’m doing that, and I’m still the fastest, so when I come to the Formula 1 weekend, it’s just a matter of time that I have a better car.”
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
That is also where Alonso says he still finds his motivation at the age of 44.
“I’m waiting for the opportunity, and meanwhile, trying to help the team. And don’t lose the competitive edge that you need to have in Formula 1. So driving different categories, different cars, testing yourself into different series and different cars, and feel yourself competitive.”
Aston Martin will have to “hang on there” in early European races
Regarding Aston Martin’s collective struggles, chief trackside officer Mike Krack stressed that the team has an important role to play in managing the frustration levels of both drivers, especially as progress continues to take time.
“The drivers are the ones that need to be protected the most because you ask them the same question every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. And then the week after again,” Krack said.
“So for them it is the most difficult to be repetitive and give you each time the same response. So I think, I said it in Shanghai already, we need to protect the drivers from that. Because they accumulate that frustration being at the back of the field.”
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Photo by: Guido De Bortoli / LAT Images via Getty Images
The Aston Martin pairing will have to wait until the summer for major upgrades to the AMR26 and knows that the coming weeks are likely to be difficult, particularly with races coming thick and fast.
“So it is about managing that, managing that situation. I think with the races coming, we will have a high frequency of races coming now into the European season, we will have to hang on there,” Krack admitted.
“But we had a meeting with the team this morning. The spirit is very good because we are honest about the situation. We are aware and we discuss it.”
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– The Autosport.com Team
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