06/02/2024
NEWS STORY
Despite being the sport's most experienced driver, Fernando Alonso believes he can be better... and faster.
With 377 grands prix under his belt, the most in the entire history of the sport, there is no doubting that Alonso is the most experienced driver out there.
However, at a time most would be considering retirement or at least easing off, the Spaniard remains as hungry as ever.
As if his string of podiums in the early part of last season wasn't enough to silence the sceptics, his no-holds-barred battle to the finish with Sergio Perez in Brazil proved that the veteran has lost none of his guile or determination to win.
However, the two-time world champion takes nothing for granted, and admits that he still has much to learn and yearns to be even better.
"I'm constantly thinking about ways of getting faster behind the wheel and being a better driver," he admits. "You re-watch some of the races that happened as well and maybe you see different lines, different strategies for all the teams, the drivers, so that curiosity, from the driver point of view, of getting better is always there.
"You never stop learning and you never stop getting better, so you have to be motivated to embrace those lessons."
The Spaniard was speaking having spent time at the Aston Martin HQ where he and the team continue their preparations for the upcoming season, the busiest in the sport's history.
"To win in Formula 1 you have to be extremely focused... hyper-focused," he continues. "To make a difference, you need to give that extra commitment, that extra determination.
"Hyper-focus is definitely the word if we want to succeed in Formula 1. Hyper-focus means total dedication to what you do, to be united now, to also send a message to everyone that we are here to work 24 hours, seven days a week, and be ready for the new season.
"Everyone is 100 percent," he warns. "2023 was an incredible season, and 2024 is going to be even better."
As team boss Mike Krack has previously commented, Alonso's attitude is infectious and has spread throughout the team. Mikey Brown, Alonso's chief mechanic, fully concurs.
"For someone so experienced, to carry so much commitment coming into a new season, is pretty impressive, and also that filters down to all the guys who can see that," he says.
"To come in and do two, three days doing the sim work, doing the training, looking at the new car, getting the seat fit done this early on before we go to Bahrain is pretty impressive."