Alonso does not falter: “You cannot show weakness in this sport”
The most experienced driver in F1 history, Fernando Alonso, is fully aware of the demands of elite sports and the tremendous effort required to succeed. That’s why he feels capable of facing everything.
If anyone knows how bitter sports can be, it’s Fernando Alonso, a driver with talent and dedication more than enough to rival the best drivers in history, but whose successes have not accompanied him in equal measure.
A clear example of this was his last race in Baku, where he suffered immensely to finish in a disappointing 15th position. But none of this, no matter how much it has been repeated over the years, makes him give up or show, at least, a hint of weakness.
“To make a difference in an ultra-competitive sport, it is necessary to do something extraordinary and something that has never been done before”
The demand for perfection
Fernando Alonso himself has spoken about the demands of elite sports and how Formula 1 requires the pursuit of perfection.
The Aston Martin driver asserts that “you cannot show any weakness in this sport. There are many eyes on us and a lot of attention on everything we do. It is demanding, but all jobs are demanding if you do them to perfection. If you want to be the best at what you do, it is demanding, you have to accept it and enjoy the process of finding perfection.”
“You have to lead by example,” adds Fernando Alonso. “You have to dedicate the necessary hours to perform at your best. You have to perform on Sundays whenever possible. You must be alert and motivated every day during the season to do the work despite the better and worse days.”
Seeking greatness
For a large part of elite athletes, greatness consists of accumulating more successes than others. However, Fernando Alonso sees things slightly differently. For the Asturian, greatness consists of doing extraordinary things.
“Greatness can only be achieved if you constantly seek the next success,” argues Alonso. “To make a difference in an ultra-competitive sport, it is necessary to do something extraordinary and something that has never been done before. You need to be consistent, sacrificing everything for the next success, and that is very difficult to do in life.”
We can say that Fernando Alonso has already achieved that kind of greatness. First, because he has been the only Spaniard to date to be a Formula 1 world champion. Second, because he is also the driver who has competed in the most Grand Prix in the top category. And third, because he is the most versatile driver in modern motorsport, proving competitive in all types of disciplines.
At 44 years old, Fernando Alonso still has several challenges in mind: to fight for a third world title in F1 with Aston Martin and then try to win the Dakar Rally to complete an unprecedented triple in the history of motorsport.
In fact, only one driver has achieved overall victory in both Dakar and Le Mans: Jacky Ickx. And the Belgian never won an F1 World Championship, settling for the runner-up position in 1969 and 1970.
Fotos: Aston Martin F1