The suffering of Fernando Alonso on his return to F1: "I found it more difficult than I had anticipated" | Formula 1

As we have been counting, Fernando Alonso’s speech has been changing since his return to Formula 1 was announced until now. Race by race, the Asturian has been asking for more and more time to adapt, something of which he is aware. And it is that Alonso does not hide that he underestimated the suffering that was going to imply for him to make the most of the car’s potential. “In relation to the driving and the results, perhaps I found it a little more difficult than I had anticipated. Not that he assumed the results were going to come automatically. I knew it needed preparation, hours in the simulator and the tests in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi, I expected that, but I still struggle to make the most of the car’s potential, “said the Alpine driver in Racer.” I believed in three or four races would be one hundred percent and now I think it will take me eight or nine ”, added Fernando Alonso. Fernando Alonso, France target After the Monaco Grand Prix, the two-time champion had indicated:“ From France I hope a new championship for me ”. “The beginning of the season is not the best possible schedule for a driver who is new. I had Imola and Portugal, two circuits in which I did not drive for years or never, like in Portimao, and the others drove four months ago and then two urban circuits, so the first six races are very challenging to adapt ”, he added. For the French Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso expects Alpine to modify his car to be more similar to the one he drove during his previous stage in Formula 1: “It’s more for my comfort, it’s some things for me.This car is different in terms of the approach to the power steering, I want it to be more similar to how I have had it before to improve my feeling. It’s just on my side of the garage and I hope it’s easier for me. This car has a different approach to its behavior. Looking ahead to 2022 it makes no sense to change the philosophy of the car and it is up to me to adapt between now and the end of the year. I hope to do better and I think I will achieve it. ”Alonso has nothing to prove Despite his results, in statements to Racer, Fernando Alonso has also acknowledged that he is enjoying his return to Formula 1 more than he thought:“ I honestly think the joy and excitement is probably greater than you expected. I’m enjoying every lap out there and I enjoy the preparation, the meetings on the set-up of the car. I enjoy things that used to be the worst part of the weekend. Now I enjoy that on the weekend. Not only the time on the track, but also off the track I enjoy more than in the past and I am surprised because you cannot plan how you will feel when you return. ”On the other hand, the Oviedo has taken the opportunity to affirm that he has nothing to do. demonstrate: “It is not about proving anything. I was already quite satisfied with how everything went in my Formula 1 career, but I really enjoy racing. I discovered that passion even when I was out of Formula 1, because of the way I enjoy all the scraps I did, I even surprised myself a little about how I needed to have a steering wheel in my hands. Even two free weekends at home, he was preparing a go-kart race or something because he needed to drive. So after finishing the Dakar, I had the possibility to return to Formula 1 ”.“I studied other categories, but I think that Formula 1 was the only one healthy enough after the pandemic, that it can ensure a competitive championship and races and weekends with some normality, so that was the motivation after my return and love. for racing and for Formula 1 ”, Fernando Alonso has concluded. Alonso is already working towards 2022 Also after the Monaco Grand Prix, the Spaniard insisted that Alpine’s great goal is 2022, the year in which the change of regulation. “We are working, we are trying to help the team as much as we can in preparation for 2022 as well. We are not going to win the Championship this year, that is guaranteed, so in the meantime we are making the team stronger and analyzing all areas. Weekends like these will make us stronger as a team. We are understanding many things thanks to the difficulties, so I am not worried “, stated Fernando Alonso. And, for him:” The car that is born well, leads the decade of that regulation. We saw it with Red Bull and with Mercedes. If you’re in those cars, you win four or five titles. In the past you won one and the next one was a flip ”.