As a Formula One double World Champion, two-time winner of the Le Mans 24-hour race, and victor in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Daytona, Fernando Alonso might appear to have achieved pretty much everything there is to achieve in the realm of elite motorsport.
Despite this, though, the 41-year-old Spanish legend feels he is far from “done” with motor racing. So, what keeps powering him onward?
“When you chase perfection, you quickly discover it’s a moving target,” says Fernando with a grin. “As you pursue it, you need to open your mind, broaden your vision and approach the target with the belief that nothing is impossible.”
“By nature, I’m a racer,” says the man who will be the oldest driver on the F1 circuit this year. “I’ve always been very competitive. Whatever I do, I do it to win. It’s number one or nothing for me.”
The pursuit’s back on
His passionate pursuit of perfection is partly what brought Fernando back to the discipline where he made his name, following a sabbatical that began in 2018. The experience of the intervening years is one that he feels has left him even better equipped for his return.
“What I did away in my time away has made me a more complete driver,” he explains. “Different cars, competing in various race formats and applying varying driving techniques gave me even more insight into the philosophy of motorsport.”
“When you’re in F1 for many years, you get used to a very strict routine of driving these cars and managing your skillset around it. By leaving for a few years to chase other motoring pursuits, I learned new things from scratch. And I have no regrets, only fantastic memories.”
Now signed to the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One® Team (AMF1 Team) Fernando is convinced that, together, he and his new team can close in on success.