F1: Fernando Alonso: “I'm not too old to return to Formula 1”

“Hamilton has a lifestyle that would not be right if he had a normal car; his bosses will not be happy,” said the Asturian driver in an interview in 'La Gazzetta dello Sport'

For Fernando Alonso, who will turn 39 next summer, his end is still far away. Immersed in the adventure of his first Dakar, in an interview with the Italian newspaper 'La Gazzetta dello Sport', which is not “too old” to return in the future to Formula 1. However, his main goal of the year is to win the 500 Miles from Indianpolis.

“At the moment I only think of the 500 Miles. After May, it will be time to make an important decision for 2021, even if I have not yet thought well. In 2019, without Formula 1, I was very busy with Endurance, Daytona, preparation of the Dakar, “says the Spaniard. “This year I do not want to program anything after Indianpolis, but think well in 2021. I want to reflect on whether I want to return to Formula 1 yet a few years, I am not too old to return,” he adds.

The Spaniard granted the interview before contesting the tenth stage of the Dakar, in which he suffered a turnaround when crossing a dune in an area of ​​spectators that was one kilometer from the exit of the test. His car turned two bells and was again on all four wheels, but suffered some damage such as the loss of the windshield, which forced the champion of Formula 1 to stop for more than an hour.

Alonso explained that returning to F1 is an option that shuffles, such as the eventuality of “playing the entire Indy championship, or running the Hypercar in the WEC”, something that entails prolonging his career “still a few years.”

“Being fast in a rally car is a personal challenge”

And it is that the Asturian pilot looks for constant challenges and the Dakar is one of them. “It has been a great change, the Dakar is a test that you have to think about in the long term. In this sense it is one of the biggest challenges. You should not always drive one hundred percent, but eighty. You spend 20 minutes at 150 km / h an hour at 15 km / h between the rocks. Adapting is difficult, “he said.

“It's a personal challenge, I want to be fast in a rally car. It's an adventure, but winning the 500 Miles is a more competitive challenge. All winning is my only goal. I'm close to running with the team Andretti“add.

Alonso also referred to Formula 1, where he was champion in 2005 and 2006, and considered that Lewis Hamilton, which won its sixth championship in 2019, is able to reach the German Michael Schumacher like seven times world champion. “Hamilton can win the seventh World Cup. Each has his character, both Schumacher and Hamilton dominated thanks to the performance of the cars, something that has allowed them to do what they wanted outside of Formula 1. Michael had more discipline and preparation, he was more in team dynamics. Lewis has another character and a lifestyle that would not be good if he had a normal car, because his bosses will not be happy, “he says.

And I praise the talent of Monegasque Charles Leclerc, great hope of Ferrari for the future after twelve years without a driver's title. “Leclerc is young, has talent and has done well from very soon. Hopefully he has many years ahead with chances of winning,” he said.