Citing Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso Hits Back at Questions Over His Age

Fernando Alonso will be driving his first F1 race after three years in Bahrain. The 2-time world champion’s comeback was widely celebrated, but there remain doubts about just how long he’ll be able to continue. Moreover, at the age of nearly 40, would the Spaniard be anywhere near his best? Ahead of the season opener, Alonso answered the question in quite a blunt manner.

Speaking at the drivers’ press conference, the Alpine driver said he doesn’t have a particular deadline in mind over when to call it quits. He stressed that his job is to help the French team win.

He said, “I am surprised about that. The guy that dominates the sport is 36 years, so it’s not the case I am 20 years older. The goal is to help the team winning races and championship, but there’s no clear time schedule for it.”

However, if pre-season is anything to go by, it doesn’t seem plausible for Alonso to deliver on his objective this season at least. The Spaniard himself had previously admitted that the season at hand may be tough and that he doesn’t expect spectacular results.

But knowing the skills Alonso possesses, certain pundits have touted him to be back on the podium sooner rather than later.

Also Read: Hamilton, Verstappen Could ‘Overwhelm’ Fernando Alonso on F1 Comeback: Hill

Fernando Alonso wants to grow with Alpine

Fernando alluded to the fact that they might not be in the running for the title this year. However, he hopes he can help the team progress and take them back to what he achieved with Renault during his glory days.

He said (translated via Google), “I will be happy if we grow as a team in the coming years and can join the fight.”

It’ll be quite the story if Alonso can get the French team to title-winning ways in the future. But for now, it’s all about taking the small steps.

For this season, he’ll be embroiled in an intense mid-field battle. The priority for the Spaniard would be to get off to the best possible start in Bahrain. A top 6 finish, if possible, would be brilliant. If he can manage that, he’d set a solid base for Alpine to target a best of the rest finish.