20 years ago, Fernando Alonso began his career in Formula 1However, in 2018, with two World Cups in his pocket, the Asturian pilot decided to take a break in his career. He went to try other categories and although it only took him two years to return to the Great Circus, he has assured, in the podcast high performancethat His highest priority is not to get the third title at the wheel of a single-seater.
During the time he was out of F1, Alonso did not stop competing. He won the World Endurance Championship with Toyota, achieved two victories in the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans and also added the 24 Hours of Daytona to his brilliant record. And if that was not enough, attempted the assault on the ‘Triple Crown’ by running in the Indianpolis 500 and also, I tried a different discipline such as Dakar.
With this journey through different categories, the Asturian pilot claims to have discovered where the essence of the engine really is: “I realized that Formula 1 was a false category. The purest motorsport is at Le Mans, Indy or the Dakar“. Alonso argues that the Great Circus is full of glamour, but it is also a “pretty selfish” world.
Fernando Alonso with members of his team
Win in the desert, his thorn in
Since his return to the grill, his victories have become almost an obsession for many fans. In its third season, that triumph continues to resisthowever, this year he has been able to be competitive and get on the podium up to six times. Together with Aston Martin, he works to achieve great things, although Personally, his main objective has nothing to do with the category.
“I would love to win a third World Cup again, but it is not the highest priority. I am enjoying the process with Aston Martin to become a title contender in the future. I love the time I am spending with the team, how we are all growing in many different areas, but 99% will try the Dakar again.”recognizes the Asturian pilot.
Not that the third world title is less important, but winning the Dakar one day is a big priority for me.
Although in the future he hopes to be able to fight again to be F1 champion, winning in the desert would be for him the biggest challenge he wants to achieve. I tried it in 2020 leaving good feelings. He finished 13 and was the best ‘rookie’ of the edition. I promised to come back to win it and it seems that, although now has rediscovered its best version in F1That idea has not left his head for a second.
Fernando Alonso and Marc Coma during the 2020 Dakar Rally
“It’s not that the third world title is less important, but winning the Dakar one day is a big priority for me too. Maybe I have to try for 8 or 10 years until one day I get lucky and can fight for victory. If I win in F1, endurance races and Dakar will be something very special as a driver and as a person. These types of challenges are at the forefront at the moment,” says Alonso.
The need to improve oneself
That insistence, to return to achieve success, makes clear the effort that puts to achieve what you want. In F1 he went from glory to hell in a very short time, but he did not give up for that and at 42 he continues to compete at the highest level. In the Dakar, although he did not make too many attempts, he did not achieve his goal, which was to succeed in the same way as in the other disciplines. In this sense, although it will not be now, he knows that one day he will return to do it.
“Failure is necessary in life. In sports, 90% or 99% of the time you will not succeed. It’s easy enough if you succeed once to make it worth all the things you’ve been trying for many years. I believe that not winning and not fulfilling what you would love is essential for any human being to improve. You need to have that level of confidence and discipline to separate what is a disappointment from what can be a lesson.”
