Alonso: 'In Formula 1 you have to talk about everything, including age'

08:53, 12 Jul 2021
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After a break from Formula 1, Fernando Alonso is back to drive for the Alpine team this season. At 39 years old, the driver is one of the oldest on the grid.

"Everyone goes their own way. Age is given much more importance from the outside. This year it's been exaggerated, the questions I've had to answer about age and the clichés I've had to listen to seem totally unacceptable," Alonso told Marca.

The Spaniard left Formula 1 at the end of 2018 to focus on other things, including the Indy500. He returned at the beginning of this year, but he's noticed that the questions about his age keep coming.

"My whole sports career has been the other way around. I've always been the youngest of those who raced, in every category. I have never in my life answered questions about age. Now I do, Formula 1 being what it is, it's very media focused and you have to talk about everything. Also about age."

Can Alonso get another title?

Alonso does not believe that age is important, otherwise there would only be young drivers on the grid. It's the times that are important in Formula 1.

When asked if a world championship is still achievable at his age, the driver said the following: "I don't know. It certainly won't be because of age. If the car you have and the team you are in has a moment of dominance in the sport and superior performance, then the two drivers who drive that car win. So, like I said, age is totally secondary."

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Mech Engineer 12 July 2021 at 09:07+ 55040

With the newer generation of cars which are so electronic and computer controlled, its fast becoming a sport for the younger generation. You dont need an 'experienced' old man to man-handle the heavy steering or drive a stick shift manual like in the olden days. F1 race cars are much closer to driving a good simulator nowadays, and that is why the older drivers on the grid do not like or do much simulation driving while all the younger kids love them! Most of the really good F1 drivers currently on the grid are below 30 years old, more specifically in the 22 to 26 age group. If you took away the ages of the 4 oldies, Raikonnen, Alonso, Hamilton & Seb the average age of the rest of the field is only 26 years old.