Fernando Alonso believes Aston Martin has the potential to fight for the world title within two or three years and the Spaniard hopes to contribute to his new team’s success.
Alonso opted to leave Alpine at the end of 2022 to open a new chapter in his storied F1 career. But at 41, the two-time world champion knows that boosting his credentials is a tall order, especially with a midfield outfit that has yet to prove its mettle under the stewardship of billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll.
Nevertheless, ahead of his 20th season among motorsport’s elite, Alonso retains the motivation and fighting spirit of a young gun.
And while he would have liked to find himself firmly strapped into a Red Bull, a Mercedes or a Ferrari this year, the Spaniard is convinced that team Silverstone is the next best team for him in terms of potential.
“I love what I do,” he told Auto Motor und Sport. “Of course, I would like to have a car that can fight for the title, but there is no space for me there [at F1’s top three teams].
“Considering what there was in the market, Aston Martin is one of the teams who can achieve this in two, three years.
“It’s important at my age. I don’t have eternity ahead of me.
“If we end up being world champions, I will also be satisfied because I can say that I contributed to the construction of this title.
“I’m happy to embark on a new project and make it a success as soon as possible.”
Although Alonso’s drive and energy are intact, there’s no denying that age will come into play at some point for the F1 veteran, who admits that he’s had to tweak his daily physical routine a bit to account for the weight of the years.
“I’ve had to change many things,” he told the media last year. "The moment of my career now, the physical aspects, I have to change a few of my training routines, my travelling, events.
"Formula 1 is very demanding on energy off-track as well, so I have to really be more efficient on more of the things that I do on the weekends or in the weeks.
“On the physical aspect, for sure, I have to do much more than what I’m used to because I’m not 20 anymore.”
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