Breaking news
Dakar
Alonso not just "having fun" with post-F1 challenges
Fernando Alonso has hinted at contesting an off-road event to achieve "something that has no precedent" and insisted he is not just having "fun" in his post-Formula 1 challenges.
Scott Mitchell Roberto Chinchero
Edited: Aug 9, 2019, 1:44 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Last year, the two-time world champion won the Le Mans 24 Hours alongside his farewell F1 season, and has added Rolex 24 at Daytona and Sebring FIA World Endurance Championship victories to his CV since walking away from grand prix racing.
Alonso, who is preparing for his second attempt at the Indianapolis 500 next month, has also tested Toyota's Dakar machine.
Despite previously ruling out competitive rallying, Alonso has insisted he is taking every opportunity he gets seriously, and hinted at targeting "some other things I can maybe do outside the asphalt".
"It's something that probably has no precedent in the sport and I am looking for that, for challenges," said Alonso after testing McLaren's 2019 F1 car in Bahrain this week.
"It's not to have fun. Sometimes I read that when I'm testing something that, 'we're happy that you're having fun but please come back to F1'. Like, 'please come back to the real job'.
"When I try one of those cars I have no idea. They need to tell me how they do it. Full throttle and brake at the same time, in rally style, and things you need to learn from zero.
"Definitely there is a lot of effort I put behind every challenge that I take, a lot of study behind it. I'm not doing it for fun. I'm doing it for the difficulty, for the challenge, and just to hopefully be better as a driver. "
Alonso says his desire to try as many different things after F1 is part of his mission to "be the best driver in the world".
He grew tired of lacking a competitive package in F1, where he said "everyone thinks we are the best…but you have the right package that season or you can't prove it".
Asked how many more years he felt he had left in him to continue driving competitively, Alonso said he would carry on until someone was better than him.
"As long as I have the power to do it, and I feel competitive," he said. "Maybe one day I jump in a Formula 1 car and there is one guy with the same car that is quicker than me.
"Or I jump in another car and one guy is quicker than me with the same car. As far as I know, it never happened so far. So I will still keep driving."
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Dakar signs five-year agreement with Saudi Arabia
Next article Dakar confirms move to Saudi Arabia for 2020
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Scott Mitchell
Alfa Romeo must do better in "chaotic" races - Vasseur
Formula 1
Formula 1
Alfa Romeo must do better in "chaotic" races - Vasseur
Honda: Verstappen relationship 'like a young Senna'
Formula 1
Formula 1
Honda: Verstappen relationship 'like a young Senna'
Key team personnel shouldn't be F1 boss - Ferrari
Formula 1
Formula 1
Key team personnel shouldn't be F1 boss - Ferrari
More from
Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso backs IndyCar Barcelona race but warns against wider global expansion
IndyCar
IndyCar 17 h
Fernando Alonso backs IndyCar Barcelona race but warns against wider global expansion
On this day: Fernando Alonso wins the world title, Michael Schumacher retires from F1
Formula 1
Formula 1
Brazilian GP
On this day: Fernando Alonso wins the world title, Michael Schumacher retires from F1
Latest news
Red Bull identifies two "key focus" areas after Max Verstappen's promising start in Austin
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
12 min
Red Bull identifies two "key focus" areas after Max Verstappen's promising start in Austin
Supercars Gold Coast: Chaz Mostert dominates wet race for Walkinshaw Toyota
Supercars
SUPC Supercars
Gold Coast 500
44 min
Supercars Gold Coast: Chaz Mostert dominates wet race for Walkinshaw Toyota
Alex Marquez says overtaking Marc Marquez was “too risky” in Australian GP sprint
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Australian GP
1 h
Alex Marquez says overtaking Marc Marquez was “too risky” in Australian GP sprint
Jorge Martin declared unfit for Australian GP after suffering fracture in sprint
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Australian GP
1 h
Jorge Martin declared unfit for Australian GP after suffering fracture in sprint
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe