Fernando Alonso admits the realisation that his Formula 1 career may soon be over is making each race “more emotional than normal”.
The Spaniard has just four rounds to go before ending his 17-year stint on the grid and though the results and level of competitiveness is not what he would have hoped, it is at least allowing him to soak each moment in.
“I’ve found myself recording the parade laps in the last couple of races with my phone,” Alonso told CNN.
“I’ve never done that in my life, but now it’s like I want to record everything. I want to have that last memory of each race.
“From August, when I decided to announce the retirement, every single race has been a little more emotional than normal.
“Every driver’s parade, every fan session has been a little bit different… it gets even more difficult.”
On Sunday, the double world champion was back behind the wheel of the Toyota LMP1 car at Fuji for the latest round of the WEC, where he would eventually finish second as the Japanese manufacturer scored a 1-2 on home turf.
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This week he’ll cross the Pacific to Austin for the United States Grand Prix in a country where most expect him to be in 2019 competing in IndyCar and these new challenges are what Alonso considers his main focus.
“I achieved much more than what I dreamed of when I started [in F1],” he said. “I think it’s the right time now because there are some other challenges out of F1 that I’m very, very interested in now.
“My idea is to win all the iconic motorsport races in the world.”