"To break the record of championships" - Fernando Alonso exclaims that only record that matters is with Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher
Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso has said that Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher have the only record that matters to him in F1: most world championships (7).
The two-time world champion said that the aim is to match the world titles record of Hamilton and Schumacher, as he considers that an absolute mark of greatness in the sport. The 41-year-old, P3 in 2023, though, knows that achieving seven titles is unrealistic at his age.
In an interview with the team's sponsor, Fernando Alonso said:
“When you race for many years, obviously you start breaking records. But I think the only thing that matters is to win and to break the record of championships. At the moment that’s probably unreachable because seven of Michael and seven of Hamilton are out of the possibility. But that will be the aim ultimately.”
Alonso has had podiums in the first three races of the season.
“The aim for the team is just to have a good season" - Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso has said that his main aim for the 2023 season is to guide the British team forward, get podiums and not think about getting closer to Hamilton in the championship tally. He said:
“That’s the aim, for sure. But, I think, at the moment we have to keep our feet on the ground. The aim for the team is just to have a good season. They were struggling a lot in 2022. So I think we have to walk before (we) run.
"And I think this 2023 campaign is just about getting better, getting to know the car better, start a new project from day one. That’s where we are at the moment. Hopefully, we will have more podiums. Hopefully, we fight for race wins. But, I think, to fight for the championship, I think we need to, as I said, set the team a little bit before doing that.”
Fernando Alonso, who will turn 42 this year, added that he initially planned to race in F1 for 7-8 years:
“When I started in Formula 1, my idea was to be (here) for seven or eight years. Then I won the two championships, and I thought, I will race for maybe one or two more years and then I will stop. So that was my idea."
He continued:
"Now I find myself with the longest career ever in Formula 1, and I’m still fresh. I’m still motivated. I am still enjoying every single day. I wake up in the morning, and I’m happy with what I’m doing. So there are a few more years I think more for me, and hopefully, with a title contender in the future.”
It will be fascinating to see if Fernando Alonso can challenge for the title in 2023 as he seeks his third world championship.