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Fernando Alonso is ready to throw everything into helping Aston Martin “shortcut” its way to the Formula 1 titles.
At the age of 41, Alonso embarks on the 20th season of his extraordinary F1 career with his fifth different team, with no sign of a diminishing of his enthusiasm or passion for the sport.
For Aston Martin, it is the team’s third season of owner Lawrence Stroll’s five-year plan to become champions.
Alonso is the latest piece of a jigsaw that includes the construction of a new factory, windtunnel, simulator, and the hiring of numerous key personnel to realise Stroll’s dream.
You have to believe this is his final opportunity to become a three-time champion.
“I’m not thinking about timeframes and how long it will take the team to win races,” said Alonso in an interview on the Aston Martin website.
“I will take it race by race, season by season. What’s important is that we keep making progress.
“We need to feel happy with each other and help each other – Aston Martin helping me to achieve the results and the targets that I have and me helping the team to progress every race, every year, to get closer and closer to the top positions.
“I will use all my experience and all my knowledge to help the team shortcut the time that is needed to become world champions.
“Will I be behind the steering wheel when that time comes? Nobody knows. It’s impossible to predict. But what is certain is that I will try my best.”
Stroll can be a world champion – Alonso
If Alonso fails in his mission, then should team-mate Lance Stroll succeed, then he claims he will feel proud to have played his part in helping him become a champion in his right.
Alonso has no doubt Stroll has all the credentials required despite the Canadian never finishing higher than 11th in the drivers’ standings and third in a grand prix.
“I will still be very proud if the team wins without me in the car,” remarked Alonso. “I will be very proud of the process and my contribution to the project.
“In Lance, the team has a driver who is super young, super talented and has the possibility to be world champion.
“To see him achieve that and have played a part in that, whether that’s behind the wheel or not, will be special for me.
“He has the speed, and he has the talent. He has shown it many times, especially in wet conditions.
“I remember Lance’s pole position in Turkey and some of his other excellent performances in the wet.
“To perform at that level in difficult conditions you have to have a special feeling with the car.”
