07/05/2021
NEWS STORY
Despite an unconvincing start to his season, Fernando Alonso insists there is no cause for concern.
While some doubted the wisdom in returning to F1 following a two-year hiatus, others were confident that Fernando Alonso would be as feisty as ever, both on and off the track.
However, three races in and he has been out-qualified by his teammate, Esteban Ocon, twice, and also trails the Frenchman in terms of points.
While, certainly in the opening two races, the Alpine has been disappointing, it was generally felt that with his vast experience, not to mention his 'never say die' approach to his race-craft, Alonso would be performing better than he is, essentially scrapping with the back markers.
Nonetheless, the two-time world champion, while admitting that his season hasn't got off to the best start, insists that there is no cause for concern.
"I'm still thinking the same, that I am at one point in my life where I feel good, and I feel capable of driving better than ever," he said, according to Motorsport.com. "But, that doesn't mean that you don't find difficulties while entering a new adventure, or in this case a comeback.
"I had one weekend where I was not totally comfortable," he continued, "in Imola. And the problem is that in Formula 1 there is a lot of media, a lot of articles, and unfortunately two weeks between races, because if it was back-to-back from Imola to (Portimao), there (would have been) much less talk.
"And it was also a coincidence of not only me, but a few other drivers not being totally confident in Imola," he added. "Some of them, they changed team this year. And that was a coincidence that induced a lot of talk.
"But, overall, I'm not overthinking too much of this, not worried too much of this."
Asked about the challenge of returning to F1 after two years away - even though Kimi Raikkonen did it - the Spaniard replied: "I don't tend to agree with this, and things are getting bigger than what it is.
"I was the first to admit that I was not 100% in Imola, and not comfortable, and probably underperforming. But it was one race, and one race that with that underperformance, I finished two tenths of a second behind my teammate!
"So, you know, it cannot be a big thing. At the end of the year, we talk. At the end of the year, if I underperform the whole season, and everything was more difficult than expected, ok, maybe there is a point to really discuss and go deep into the questions of why it is more difficult than the previously or something.
"But, in Bahrain, I was happy and probably over-performing, in Imola, underperforming."