FORMULA 1 MOTORSPORT NEWS

Fernando Alonso says ‘it’s sad’ what Formula 1 has become

Fernando Alonso probably won’t be celebrating one of his Formula 1 milestones this weekend in Barcelona.After all, the fact is it’s been five years — the 2013 F1 Spanish Grand Prix, to be exact — since Alonso has won a Grand Prix in the Formula 1 series. That was his 32nd, and likely final, F1 victory.
That is, unless the series goes through a major competitive overhaul in the very near future to bring the midpack teams and even backmarkers closer to the front.
Don’t take our word for it, either. Only three different teams (Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull) have won F1 races since 2013. Alonso, whose last victory came when he was driving for Ferrari, knows that it will take something just short of a massive crash that wipes out three-quarters of the field for his McLaren F1 team to find its way back to the top step of the podium this week in Barcelona.
At least Alonso got to taste the champagne in Spa last week, when he got a victory in the World Endurance Championship race as a member of the Toyota Gazoo Racing team.
“The biggest thing here (in F1) is how predictable everything is,” Alonso said during the drivers’ press conference in Barcelona on Thursday. “We can put on a paper now what will be the qualifying here on Saturday, what (it) will be in Monaco, in Canada and in Silverstone, so that’s something you need to take into account for future decisions. This is sad, in a way, for Formula 1, the direction in which everything went.”
Alsono, 36, was also asked in Barcelona what would be cause for bigger celebration at this stage of his career — an F1 win this weekend in Barcelona at the Spanish Grand Prix or a WEC win in sports cars at Le Mans in June.
“A couple of years ago I would say the Spanish Grand Prix,” Alonso said. “Winning a race in Formula 1 is obviously something that we dream for a long time, when you are a go-kart driver and you dream for Formula 1. Now that I have won a couple of times here in Spain, obviously for me it would be winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans, because it’s the biggest race in the world. But I think everyone will have different answers in different parts of his career.”
Alonso also steered clear of saying that last weekend’s victory at Spa was enough to energize him or his team for a big effort — or even a win — this weekend in Barcelona.
“The win last weekend in Spa will not change anything,” Alonso said. “I think it’s two different series and two different worlds. It will not change anything for me. Every time that I will have a car that is close to victory, I will go for it. I did some better races in the last five years, even if the last victory was five years ago.
Source: Autoweek