Mar.25 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has ruled out calling it quits amid the McLaren-Honda crisis.
Asked how he is coping with a third consecutive year with an unreliable and uncompetitive Honda power unit, he told Corriere della Sera: “I have the answer — you work hard.
“I am going? Where would I go? What would I do at home? Watch television on the couch or cook dinner?
“The solution is to work hard and demand a response from the team,” Alonso added.
The 35-year-old’s contract runs out this year, but the faster cars of 2017 mean Alonso is dropping many hints that he will definitely not retire.
“The fact is that for four years we drivers drove horrible cars. But now the situation has improved,” said Alonso.
As for the possibility of a third world title, he added: “I am more than ready. I train harder than ever. In the corners there is no one faster than me.”
Some might say Alonso has made bad decisions since winning his titles over a decade ago, while others say it was bad luck.
“Speaking of bad luck with everything I’ve experienced would not be right,” he insisted. “My choices? If I had a crystal ball, I would have guessed better which car to take.”
Now, Alonso is still one of the highest paid drivers in F1, but how much would he give up in exchange for a Mercedes engine?
“Not one cent,” he insists.
“This is not my question. It is a matter of projects. As we can see, they were wrong in Japan so we have to figure out what is missing and change course.”