Fernando Alonso would trade ‘half of my 400 F1 races for one more championship’

This weekend’s US Grand Prix will bring Fernando Alonso one step closer to achieving a unique milestone of having entered 400 races — and that’s a time ripe for reflection.

Speaking to media ahead of the upcoming race in Austin, Texas, Alonso took time to consider the span of his decades-long career — and what he misses most about his first years in Formula 1.

Fernando Alonso: ‘I would love to race half of the 400 and win one more championship’

Fernando Alonso will crest 400 Formula 1 Grand Prix entries next weekend in Mexico City, hitting a milestone that would have once seemed unimaginable in the motorsport universe.

Speaking to media, including PlanetF1.com , ahead of the US Grand Prix, he reflected, “It’s obviously nice, and I acknowledge the number, but some of these statistics that you are not really interested [in].

“I would love to race half of the 400 and win one more championship, or win more races. That’s the important statistics you want to achieve.

However, Alonso was content to acknowledge that the statistic “shows my love for the sport and the discipline of trying to perform at a very high level for 20-plus years.

“Hopefully I can celebrate in Mexico with a good weekend.
“I’m not cheering for the next 400 because it will never happen, but at least 40 or 50 more with the next two years coming.”

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Alonso was in a reflective mood ahead of the race at COTA, mentioning that such constant strain on his body has taken a physical toll.

“No good for your back, for your neck, for your spine,” he said when asked what competition does to the body.

However, he also noted that things have changed during his 21 years in the sport, taking some of the strain off of the drivers.

“I think Formula 1 technology also changed in the past and I think the cars are now a little bit more friendly with the driver,” the 43-year-old Aston Martin driver said.

“It’s true that the ground effect cars are a little bit harder, but the last two years, I think technology did change as well. Seat comfort, safety equipment, helmets, everything has been evolving into a better place for the driver.

“So that’s a good thing.

“I think the pace of the car on Sundays are so slow compared to the past, when we put in fuel. We have to save tires and energy and so on.

“The only stressful time in the weekend physically, or demanding, is normally qualifying, and it’s very short.

“So it’s not a problem of keeping up with the youngsters in terms of physical conditions. It’s more mentally. Traveling and events and pressure, that is probably the thing that hits you harder at this time and stops you racing at one point.”

PlanetF1.com asked Alonso to elaborate further on the parts of Formula 1 that he misses — the things he experienced at the start of his career that have since been phased out.

His response highlighted the visceral nature of Formula 1 in years past, saying, “Refueling. Fast cars on Sundays. The sound of the engine. Bigger sponsors. Grid girls. Grid boys.”

Another big change, he said, comes down to the way the sport is marketed.

“Now it’s all about social media. Before, it had to be more in the real world.

“I think we’re in a good place now. The sport of Formula 1 is very popular around the world, especially here in the US. This is thanks to Liberty Media and all the actions that they are making.

“Teams are now very professional — a lot of discipline, budget caps. So I think we are probably the best moment of Formula 1, but it’s true that in the past, especially the pit stops, gives you a lot of strategy possibilities — starting with higher fuel, lower loads, going for three stops, one stop. We didn’t have to manage as much as we do now.

“And the race is, you know, because we race with 30 kilos [of fuel] on board… the qualifying versus race pace was one second slower or something like that.

“Now between the battery and the fuel load, sometimes in races we are seven seconds slower or something at the beginning of the race.”

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