Alonso: I'll prove I'm still the best

LONDON, England (AP) Fernando Alonso is eyeing at least a podium finish before the end of the season to prove that he is still Formula One's top driver.
Renault's Fernando Alonso is determined to prove he is still the best driver in F1.

The Renault ace won the world championship in 2005 and 2006 for his current team and then fought for the 2007 title down to the last race with McLaren.

But he has only 18 points on the board after 11 races this season in a Renault car that is some way off the pace to which Alonso has been accustomed.

"I'll keep fighting for a podium or even a victory this year because that will prove that I'm still here," the former Minardi man told F1 Racing magazine.

"I want to prove to everybody that I'm still the best so I need a super performance to do that, which means a podium or a win.

"And I'll be trying to do it in the second part of the season."

Renault's recent improvements have moved them firmly in contention with Red Bull and Toyota to finish fourth in the constructors' championship.

And it's that battle which is focusing the often-outspoken Alonso's mind.

"There was a bit of frustration when I saw that I wouldn't win races or get on the podium," the 27-year-old said.

"But it's still a challenge to beat our main opponents and that's the motivation to keep doing my best."

He has yet to commit to a team for 2009 and there have been suggestions that having already won two world championships he will not be in F1 long-term.

But Alonso, linked with moves to Honda and Ferrari, is determined to be sat in a race-winning car for many seasons to come.

"After these difficult times, I want to have the time to win enough championships -- everybody will see how determined I am to win and be fast," he added.

"So there are still many years to come from me."

Under the banner of the European Grand Prix, the second Spanish race of the season is next up on the streets of Valencia.

Its debut on the calendar is due to the Alonso effect in his homeland, where F1 has rapidly risen in prominence after years languishing behind motorcycle racing in the popularity stakes.

"The circuit seems very, very well prepared. There's obviously some work to do before F1 arrives, but it's not like a normal street track," he told Speed TV.

"It's something more, it seems wide, it seems like an American type of street circuit.

"I think it will be a nice and interesting grand prix. Not only the race, but also the atmosphere will be quite different. For sure I'm looking forward to it."

 

Uh, following Alonso's logic that a single podium finish in a midfield car would prove he's the best of them all, Timo Glock would be a serious contender for that title... wasn't David Coulthard also on the podium some races ago?

 

And so was Piquet Jr.

 

No matter what one thinks of Alonso, he is one of the all time best. I would not be surprised to see him do quite well in Valencia.

 

Here's hoping he goes to Honda or stays at Renault and continues being an also-ran

 

I respect Alonso given that he is a two-time World Champion. But I also have lost a bit of respect for him over the past few seasons because he seems to be all talk. Of course, being a McLaren fan, I hated the rift that developed between he and Lewis last year. Ross Brawn's comments about him being the best driver in F1 and Honda's desire to bag him as part of their team probably have gone to his head lately. I was very interested in the rumor that he may be headed to Ferrari next year. Massa is making that a hard move for Ferrari with his recent success. I like Massa and would love to see him stay on at Ferrari. He is a very underrated driver. His tragic engine failure in Hungary must have been a real kick in the gut for him. With 4 wins under his belt already and a lead in the world championship points race, he would have been holding a lot of cards.

Alonso is great for the soap opera side of F1. Beyond that, he will have to back up his talk to regain my full respect.

 

I think that sums it up for me as well. It's easy to talk about how good you are when everyone knows the car doesn't compare.

 

FA is a great driver, he has nothing to prove to me.

 

Yes, this year, he has proven to me how good he is. I just wish he would.................shut up.

 

Yeah cause he can beat Piquet jr, woo!!!! Let's see someone who wasn't rumored to lose his job up until a race or two ago, alongside him. Actually in the last couple races, Piquet has been on Alonso's ass.

 

He's currently 8th and losing valuable time. It would seem that if he had stuck it out with a contender team he'd be right up there. Not so sure he can climb back up at this stage and that's if he's with a top team.

 

Alonso is still one of the top three drivers on the grid today. Put him in a Ferrari or a McLaren, and he would be right there in the mix with Kimi & Lewis. He may be a primadonna outside of a race car, but one should not disrespect his abilities in a race car.

 

That article made me laugh!

Especially these parts...

"I'll keep fighting for a podium or even a victory this year because that will prove that I'm still here,"...

"I want to prove to everybody that I'm still the best so I need a super performance to do that, which means a podium or a win.

You tell 'em Alonso!

 

+1

My opinion he's the most complete driver in f1 at the moment

 

Exactly.

Some of the BS posted on this site about Alonso is amazing. You don't win 2 WDC and then back it straight up with a near win in a completely different team, a team that was not 110% supporting you, if you are a mid pack driver.

And he definitely puts more effort in to EVERY single race than Kimi!
Pete

 

Spot on! Its very easy to see he puts 110% into every race.

 

Yes he won 2 wdc while Ferrari was hit with a tire change designed to stop MS and then he nearly won with the MAC while Pedro was feeding him the Ferrari specs from the test track.....Yes he is so good.....Has not really proven anything but that he is full of himself.

 

:yawn:.

Winning those 2 WDCs, he also raced a MS in a car that was turning very SIMILAR lap times as his own car. Infact I remember him holding out MS at Imola when MS obviously had the faster car, so lets give credit where credit is due.

Alonso also made a Minardi look fast too.
Pete

 

Alonso doesn't have a damned thing to prove to anyone other than himself. 2 WDCs speak for themselves. I'd love to see him put in one of those magic drives and put that crapwagon he's stuck with this year on the podium.

 

i honestly think he's one of the best out there. easily in the top 3 for me.

but it would be legendary if he stayed in Renault and pull a Michael magic.

 

He's already done that, in 2005-2006.

 

i actually meant now, or next year. Renault are in a bad form, similiar to Ferrari back in 1996...

 

The two most impressive things to me in this year's season is Robert Kubica's results in the BMW, and what Alonso is able to do with the under-performing Renault.

 

That crapwagon has not improved much with him behind the wheel. I wonder why? Maybe he is in need of a good tester developer like Delarosa. If MS was driving that crapwagon this year you would see what a real driver could do with a backmarker.

 

That's easy to say when you're "god" has retired.... :rollseyes: