Dec.6 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has rubbished F1’s official ‘Power Rankings’.
After each race, a five-judge panel working for Formula 1 give drivers a score out of 10, “taking machinery out of the equation”.
But Alonso, ninth in the drivers’ championship despite driving what he often calls “the slowest or second slowest car”, is not even in the Power Rankings’ top-10.
“Sometimes I see it (the ranking) in the media,” the Aston Martin driver told Spanish reporters in Abu Dhabi. “But it’s useless.
“I don’t even know what position I am in. I see the top-10 and I am not there – when I am ninth in the world drivers’ championship sometimes with the seventh, eighth or ninth car.
“Then I see Lando (Norris) and Max (Verstappen) tied on points and stop paying attention completely.”
It has been a tough season of stalled car development for Aston Martin, and 43-year-old Alonso admits he is ending the unprecedented 24-race schedule with a few health niggles.
He admits he won’t participate in the post-season test next week because he is “tired”.
“I am happy that the season is over,” said Alonso. “It has been very long for everyone. 24 races are very demanding and especially the last triple.
“When the championship is over, for Max in Las Vegas and for us in the summer, where we were already fifth in the championship and nothing to do ahead of us and no threats from behind, the last seven or eight races are a bit long when you don’t fight for anything.
“We are working on next year’s project but apart from that there is not much else. I hope that after the winter we will be much more competitive,” added the Spaniard.
However, he insists his motivation for Formula 1 is still fully intact.
“I’m a little bit used to not having the best car,” Alonso smiled. “I only had that once in 25 years – at Toyota, in the WEC, so I’m quite used to it.
“I’m just enjoying this part of my career. I still feel fast and motivated and soon I’ll start working with people I admire like Adrian Newey, Enrico Cardile, Andy Cowell. People I’ve raced against and now I’ll be able to work with and learn from.
“It’s a good time in my life and career.”