Fernando Alonso has opened up on the one box he feels he has yet to tick in a remarkable life that has seen him accomplish so much throughout his motorsport career.
Alonso is a two-time F1 champion still chasing a third title after he won his second now 17 years ago, and a 32nd grand prix win a decade on from the last time he stood atop a podium.
During his hiatus away from F1, the 41-year-old has also won the World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans – twice.
In the third season of his F1 comeback campaign with Aston Martin, Alonso is arguably driving better than ever.
But for Red Bull’s dominance this year, it is almost certain he would have ended his long wait for a long-overdue 33rd GP win.
Naturally, after achieving more so far this season with Aston Martin than he anticipated after agreeing to join the team last summer, scoring four third-place finishes in the opening five grands prix, he is far from sated.
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He knew that when he left F1 at the end of 2018, he had so much more to achieve.
“When I finished, it was on a low, and I didn’t want that because my performance, my competitiveness, was as high as ever back then, but people didn’t see it,” said Alonso, speaking to this writer in an interview for The New York Times.
“Now, I’m proving I’m still fast, at whatever age – that’s part of the comeback story. Winning the 33rd grand prix or fighting for a championship would add even more drama to the story.”
Alonso’s F1 career is some way from ending
When he is performing as he is at present, he concedes he does not know when he will next decide to call it a day.
“I don’t have a clear date to say bye bye, but at the moment I feel fast, I feel motivated, and I feel fresh,” he said.
Friendships and family key for Alonso
When Alonso does retire for a second time, he concedes he needs “to spend more time” with his friends, and to “recover some of the friendships that I gave up in Spain when I dedicated my life to Formula 1”.
Beyond that, however, he added: “And I want to have a family. This is my biggest dream in life, to have kids, to have a family, and I’ve still not succeeded in that because of my way of living.
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