Abu Dhabi: It’s been an annus horribilis for two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, but the redoubtable Spaniard insisted in Abu Dhabi on Thursday that his never-ending “struggles” were “necessary” to spur him on.
Alonso returned to former team McLaren at the end of last season, following four years at Ferrari, but has scored only 11 points in 18 Grand Prix this season to lie 17th in the 21-strong drivers’ championship.
This follows a traumatic campaign, in which he and teammate Jenson Button have been hamstrung by an extremely unreliable Honda engine.
This has left McLaren languishing in ninth place out of 10 teams in the constructors’ championship, ahead of this weekend’s Formula One Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
But Alonso, who is rated by many pundits as the best driver on the grid after winning successive world titles in 2005-06 with Renault, remains “very positive” about better times ahead.
“Well, it’s been tough year, obviously difficult and [we’ve been] struggling with the pace all year and the reliability, so definitely a difficult season for us,” the 34-year-old said at the pre-race press conference at Yas Marina Circuit.
“But personally, I think it was necessary. It was a step forward in my career after the two championships, after five fantastic seasons fighting for the world championship but arriving second, so I needed some new motivation, some new project that I could trust and I could believe is the only way to become champion again.
“After one difficult season, as I said, I learn so much. I enjoy working with McLaren, with Honda, with all the Japanese discipline and Japanese culture into the team.”
“I still remain very positive,” he added. “I’m very, very happy and looking forward to next year being a little bit easier than this one that, as I said, has been difficult in terms of results.
Alonso will be making his 253rd Grand Prix start this weekend to stand fifth on the all-time most experienced drivers’ list.
Does he have any goals left next year and beyond?
“At the moment there’s a question mark, I guess, where McLaren-Honda can be next year. There are a lot of expectations in the team. I think we worked all season, being united in some difficult moments and always moving forward, so I think for 2016 the main goal for the team is to come back to where we belong, we think, and being competitive, fighting for the top positions.”
Alonso said he was not sure whether McLaren would be capable of mounting an unlikely title challenge next season, or even winning races “in a very complex sport like Formula One”.
“There are definitely some big challenges ahead in this winter and I see all the things that the team has done in the last couple of months and these seem very logical, very positive and I’m confident that it’s going to be a completely different season next year and I’m happy with the progress,” he added.
