Alonso would have loved to race in the 80s

Fernando Alonso believes the 1980s era of Grand Prix racing put the emphasis on driver talent rather than on engineering and aerodynamics as is the case today.

Speaking to French daily l'Equipe, the Spaniard said he would have loved to compete at a time when man overruled machine.

"Formula 1 back in the 1980s was quite different compared to today as technology has become highly sophisticated with aerodynamics mostly defining a car's performance. Back then, it was a lot more basic, there were no driver aids, no power steering, nothing. You just put it in gear and powered off ! In a sense it was pure hard core racing, and mechanical grip was important."

The McLaren driver did acknowledge that the competitive spirit probably hadn't changed amongst the drivers through the decades, regardless of the tools or machinery on offer.

"Perhaps the drivers back then felt more pleasure as results were more dependent on talent. It was probably more difficult to get the best out of the car, and when that was the case, it must have been an extraordinary feeling. Today, if a car's aerodynamics are good, you can win. If not, you won't win. That isn't very fair..."

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