Fernando Alonso will celebrate 400 F1 races in Mexico and arrives at the same round number as the number of ‘commitments’ to the United States GPa record that needs to be seen if anyone beats it one day, as next on the list is Raikkonen (retired) with 353 commitments and Hamilton, with 350. The Asturian plans to continue at least until 2026 and will decide if he will continue. In that sense, He’s sure he’ll add “another 40 or 50” appointments (there are 24 races on the calendar) and those numbers will increase, but he made it clear that this is something that is of little importance to him.
“That’s great. I appreciate it, but those are some of the statistics that I’m not interested in. I want to go halfway and win another championship, or win more races, that’s the important statistic I want to achieve. However, at the same time, it shows my love for the sport and the discipline of trying to perform at a very high level for more than twenty years,” Alonso said in remarks reported on the ‘Motorsport.com’ portal .
Alonso debuted in 2001 and is still at his peak 23 years later, nearing the end of his 21 years in F1 at the age of 43.
“I hope I can have a good weekend and, as I normally say, I’m not thinking about the next 400 grands prix, because it will never happen, but at least 40 or 50 more in the next two years,” he noted .
More races on the calendar?
Fernando Alonso He also referred to a current debate in F1, the number of races on the calendar. Currently, the F1 season has 24 rounds, a record number. When Alonso started in 2001, there were only 17 appointments in a campaign. Even in 2003 there was one short for a total of 16. That means, 7 or 8 less per year than the current calendarfull of races and trips that tire not only the drivers, but above all, the mechanics and logistics workers of the ‘Great Circus’, with many consecutive races in the form of doubles and triplets synonymous with months away from home and away from their family.
In that aspect, Alonso focused on the negative side of having so many races for the driver’s body.
“It’s not good for your back, for your neck, but I think Formula 1 technology has also changed compared to the past. I think racing is a bit more driver friendly now. It is true that the race with ground effect cars is a bit more difficult, but, apart from the last two years, I think the technology has also changed: the seat, the comfort, the safety, the equipment, everything has changed to be a better place for drivers, and that’s good. And I think the pace of the single-seater is very slow compared to the past.”
“When we put fuel, we have to manage the tires, the energy and so on. I think the only physically stressful moment is on Saturdays (in qualifying), something that is very short,” he argued.
“It’s not a problem for young people in terms of maintaining physical conditions, it’s more mental: travel, events, pressure, which is probably the most difficult for you right now.”added the Aston Martin Spaniard.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
