How does Fernando Alonso maintain his motivation in Formula 1, even though his team Aston Martin is currently at the bottom of the constructors’ championship? The Spaniard answers that question himself and explains how other racing categories play a crucial role: ‘If I go to the kart track and I’m not the fastest, then I start to worry’.
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Aston Martin and engine supplier Honda have, to say the least, not had the dream start to their collaboration in Formula 1. More than a fifteenth place for Fernando Alonso during the GP Miami has not yet been possible this season, while expectations for Aston Martin – especially with new team principal Adrian Newey – were still high before the start of the season.
Alonso is still waiting for a chance to fight with the top teams. During the media day in Montréal, he was therefore asked how an F1 driver can continue to measure his own progress if the car is not competitive. “I don’t measure anything at all, I am the best,” is the clear answer from the two-time world champion. “I don’t need to prove anything or feel anything to believe that I am at the right level.”
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The Aston Martin driver then refers to his appearances in other cars and racing categories. “If I go to a kart track and I’m not the fastest, then I worry,” Alonso explains. “If I get into a GT car and I’m not the fastest, then I worry. Meanwhile, I do that, and I’m still the fastest. As far as the Formula 1 weekends are concerned, it’s just a matter of time before I have a better car.”
Motivation
That is also exactly how Alonso keeps finding the motivation to continue in the premier class, he says. “I’m waiting for my chance and in the meantime trying to help the team. And I make sure I keep the competitive mindset that you need in Formula 1,” the Spaniard continues. “So I drive in different racing categories and with different cars. That way I test myself in different series and with different cars, and make sure I keep feeling competitive.”
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