Fernando Alonso says winning three world titles is his goal in Formula One, as he aims to mix his name with the sport's greatest drivers.
"I want to win three world titles," Alonso told the Daily Mail. "To win one may mean you had the best car on the grid. To win two is a great achievement.
"But to win three. Well, all the big names in F1, and all the drivers we remember, won three or more world titles," added the Spaniard, already the youngest two-time champion in history.
"And if you ask me which is more important: winning three titles with Renault or winning three titles with two different teams, then the answer is easy. Even my grandmother will understand how much better it is to be world champion in two different cars with two different teams.
"So it's always been my plan to switch teams regardless of how well I did at Renault, and especially switch to this team."
Alonso left the Renault team at the end of last year after winning two titles in a row, and he will race for McLaren this season.
The Spaniard has reiterated he was growing tired of life at Renault, and admits he feels rejuvenated thanks to the challenge of joining McLaren.
"I needed the challenge, and I needed motivation, both in my career,and in my life," Alonso added. "I was growing tired. I'd seen it and done it all at Renault, twice. I knew how the car worked, I knew my job, I knew the people.
"It was just doing the same old thing over and over again. It was like eating the same plate of paella every night. It was making me feel old at 25. I wanted to feel young again.
"Now I do because it's a new job, with new people and a new car. I am lucky, though, because I've gone from one good team to another. I made my decision in 2005, without knowing how good a car McLaren would have in 2007. Now I know we have a good car."
The 25-year-old reckons the move to McLaren will help him become a better driver, even if he fails to win the title this year.
"I will be a better driver at the end of this season, too, even if I finish seventh in the drivers' table, because it will have been another season under my belt," he said. "I am a lot more confident and I am totally happy with life.
"Before I was very frustrated because, at 23, I was young and talented but everyone was expecting me to win the world title one day.
"I felt as if I had to keep proving myself to everybody. Now I don't have to prove myself to anyone and that makes me more relaxed.
"I've also learned to switch off a lot more in between races and that makes me a better driver. I know what it takes to win a world title. It is a very intense experience. It is not just the actual race, but all the testing and all the race preparation.
"When you are at the top everyone is after you. You cannot afford to have a bad day at the office. You can't relax. It is too demanding.
"The F1 season is like one long race, starting in March and ending in October. If you don't take some time out between races, then you will burn out very quickly."
The Stig
Welcome
Guests: 233
Hidden: 0
Users: 1
Users Online:
