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Alonso & F1
Fernando Alonso has the confidence of a big-game hunter. And he'll need it this year!
Fernando Alonso has the calm confidence of a big-game hunter and he know he will need it to face Michael Schumacher as the defending world champion fights back.
Alonso proved his ability under pressure to seize a thrilling victory over Schumacher in the San Marino Grand Prix when the young Spaniard, showing the verve and calm temperament of a future champion, steered his Renault to a third straight win.
And he shrugs off suggestions it will be even tougher living up to the expectations of Spanish fans at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona on Sunday.
"It will probably be the best race ever for me," he told The Guardian.
"But, you know, it's still 10 points for the winner and eight for the second place and six for the third. It will change nothing. The circuit should be good for us, and I hope to do a good race. But I'm not too stressed about it."
By the time he turns 24, on the weekend of the Hungarian Grand Prix in July, the title could be as good as won, although Schumacher's speed at Imola suggested real war was about to break out.
But Alonso refused to get carried away.
"It's my character. "I have always been very calm on the outside. I'm not too stressed now just because I'm in formula one. For me, tomorrow will be another day whether I finish first or last. I have to do the maximum and I cannot ask any more from myself."
And he says he is not scared by the sight of Schumacher in his rear-view mirror.
Alonso spent 2002 as Renault's test driver, working with the engineers to make improvements for race drivers Jenson Button and Giancarlo Fisichella.
"I could have gone elsewhere, but it was not possible and it was frustrating because for me testing is not fun."
He got his reward at the end of the year when Renault showed Button the door.
And he says his good relationship with the engineers has helped him mature.
"You do the maximum in terms of working with the engineers, speaking to the tyre guys and trying to explain how you feel in the car. You look at your competitors and see what they're doing, where they are faster than you, and you try to analyse it. There are always little things you can do."
But he plays down talk of him being the next champion.
"It's nice to hear but at the same time I don't believe anything.
"At the beginning of the season it was not a real target for the team or me, but regarding how it's going now it's starting to be a dream getting close.
"Obviously we would like to fight for the title this season and I think we're in a good position to do it. We have to work even harder now and take care about every single thing in the team, to be ready and to avoid having Ferrari or McLaren catch us very quickly.
