Fernando Alonso still believes his best chance for success will come in 2022 despite Renault’s strong gains this season.
The double world champion stepped up preparations ahead of his return next year by completing a filming day in the 2020 car in Barcelona on Tuesday.
That came just two days after Renault scored their first podium since 2011 at the Eifel Grand Prix, putting them firmly back into contention for third in the Constructors’ Championship.
However, while it appears the potential is there for Alonso to run near the front next season, in terms of catching the likes of Red Bull and Mercedes, the Spaniard only sees that chance when the new cars are introduced.
“We all have high hopes inside the team, looking at the team’s progress in the championship, and the positions on the weekends,” he said after his first F1 running since April last year on Tuesday.
“At the same time, we also have to have the feet on the ground, knowing the regulations will be more or less the same until 2022. We know that the deficit the midfield teams have this year will carry on next year.
“With the feet on the ground and a lot of positive energy and optimism for next year I think we have a great team, talented people in the team, great sponsors, a lot of fans around the world. I think we have all the ingredients to do a good 2021.”
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Those who watched Alonso during his first stint in F1 will know the now 39-year-old doesn’t lack self-confidence and certainly isn’t afraid to hype up expectations.
So when he was asked about the new Netflix docuseries about his career, which calls him the “most complete driver”, unsurprisingly he agreed.
“I must agree. I consider myself to be quite complete – maybe I score nine in everything,” he claimed.
“Maybe there’s a faster driver in wet conditions or on Saturday or on the starting line, one that’s better than me… But I think I’m close to the top in many circumstances and categories, and in the championship that’s a good thing to have.
“It’s like when you have any top athlete doing good in every single category, in the end, you win.”
And it is that ability to adapt and be competitive in any situation which, Fernando says, makes him like he is.
“Throughout my career, when the engines were V10 or V8, we were there all the time, with Michelin, Pirelli, we were still there in the top positions,” he added.
“The wet conditions were always good for me, and now when I’ve gone to other categories, to go to the Dakar Rally and be amongst the top five was a good surprise for me. To jump in a car and be able to lead in the Indy 500 was a surprise to me.
“So you discover yourself as a driver who can adapt to any car, circumstance or category, and you start to harness that for your own benefit.
“You’re aware of your limitations – you try to hide them to not give any openings to your rivals or opponents, but your qualities, you try to emphasise them and that’s what I intend to do – I try to emphasise them better than others.”