How Alonso plans to exploit Hamilton's untested F1 weakness

Quiet please. Fernando Alonso has something to say. During his time in Formula 1 the double world champion was always vocal, but now he's determined to set the record straight.

He wants to rectify injustices. In the past his words and actions were twisted by knaves and used against him. And he can't understand why.

Alonso famously once said "Formula 1 is no longer a sport". It's a sentiment he still holds today. But he hopes far-reaching changes to the regulations for 2021 will redress the balance and offer him a chance to make a sensational return to a top-line Formula 1 drive. The passion for winning burns as fiercely as ever...

We travel one winter's morning to northern Spain to meet Fernando in his home town of Oviedo. With the snow-capped Asturias mountains as a backdrop, F1 Racing heads to his karting circuit and museum, on the outskirts of the city.

As a chill wind blows across the track, Fernando ushers us inside, into the warmth of his museum. Here we get a personal guided tour. From his very first pedal kart to the race-winning Renaults, McLarens and Ferraris, the wealth of machinery on display makes it one of the largest private collections of F1 cars in the world.

As Alonso reflects on past glories and missed opportunities, he talks honestly about his mistakes, his competitive hunger, the passion for speed, and where he sees weaknesses in his rivals - Lewis Hamilton in particular. This is where we get to see the real Alonso, alone and uninterrupted. There are no time pressures, no media handlers or agents correcting his answers or rushing him to his next meeting. No subject is off the record.

Over the course of the morning, Alonso speaks frankly and revealingly about his current challenges, his desire to return to F1, and his most memorable and career-defining moments.

Silence please. Mobiles off - even you, Fernando.

Working on his comeback

A little over twelve months have passed since Alonso last raced in Formula 1 and he's keen to remind us what was written on his McLaren at the 2018 Abu Dhabi GP. It read Hasta luego which translates as "see you later" not "adios" or "bye-bye."

"I'm not done with F1," confirms Alonso. "2021 is a good opportunity and I feel fresh and ready now. It's something I will explore."

Before then, the two-time F1 champ and Le Mans 24 Hours winner will have attempted the Dakar Rally, which will just have concluded as you read this. He also wants a third crack at the Indianapolis 500. By the summer, he plans to focus his energies on securing a top-line return to F1.

Remember, only Ferrari (Charles Leclerc), Red Bull (Max Verstappen), Renault (Esteban Ocon), Racing Point (Sergio Perez and we assume Lance Stroll) and Williams (George Russell) have drivers already signed for 2021, the season the new technical, sporting and financial regulations come into force.

The key question is, which team would employ a driver at 39 years old who has spent the best part of two years out of a Formula 1 cockpit?

"I don't think age will be a problem," Alonso fires back. "These cars, with no fuel stops, are not so demanding. You drive seven or eight seconds [a lap] slower on a Sunday than you do on a Saturday. Also, with the new 18-inch wheels it will change the handling of the car and everyone will need to reset the way they drive."

It might be worth recalling 2010 when Mercedes hired Michael Schumacher, who had then been out of grand prix racing for three seasons, and had turned 41...

"Michael came back to F1 in an era of Pirelli [2010 was Bridgestone's final season] when the tyres were very sensitive," Alonso adds. "We had developed skills to take care of the tyres and not overheat them and he was struggling more because of that. In 2021 this won't be a problem for me."

Having spoken closely with F1 sporting boss Ross Brawn and given his thoughts on the new formula, Alonso believes that for both the 'show' and the drivers, the regulations are a move in the right direction. It should offer him a better chance to be competitive because the regulations are designed to close up the competitive spread between the teams while enabling drivers to race one another more closely.

"The problem with this sport today is that it's cruel," Alonso says. "There is no hope [if you are in a bad car]. It does happen in other sports. Chelsea or Man City can lose to a second division team, but in F1 it is impossible." If you needed reminding, Alonso's last Formula 1 victory was for Ferrari on Fernando's home turf in May 2013.

"Formula 1 is unfinished business because people think that we deserved more than we achieved - especially in the last few years," Alonso continues. "In the museum there are cabinets with a lot of trophies, but nothing recently and that seems a bit weird.

"The only problem with new rules is some teams could interpret them differently to others. You can join a team that is winning now, but if they make a mistake with the regs will people say I made a bad decision again?"

Eying the best seat in the house

For 2021, one thing is clear: Alonso isn't interested in returning to Formula 1 to make up the numbers. He wants victories and a shot at a third world title. But which, if any, top-tier F1 outfits will hire the Spaniard?

Given the fractious end to the Honda-powered McLaren era, a Honda-powered Red Bull would surely be an impossibility?

He laughs: "I've had a lot of meetings with Red Bull in the past. I think the first was in 2007 when I left McLaren. I met Adrian [Newey] and Christian [Horner]. And again in 2008 before Sebastian [Vettel] moved from Toro Rosso to Red Bull, we had another two or three meetings."

Fernando doesn't dwell on Red Bull any further, so what about Mercedes then?

"They have been dominating for many years and have a strong team right now," he says. "If they decide to make a change it would be difficult to see. When you are winning you don't like to alter things, but let's see how next year goes. Last summer they had some doubts between [Valtteri] Bottas and [Esteban] Ocon. Next year, if they have the same doubts..."

Before considering the option of Ferrari, while we are on the topic of Mercedes drivers, it's worth enquiring what Fernando has made of Lewis Hamilton's achievements. Let's not forget that one of the most explosive periods of recent Formula 1 history was the 2007 'Spygate' season when Hamilton, as a rookie, came up against - and finished the year level on points with - Alonso.

"He's raised the level in the last couple of years, especially in 2019 when the car has not been as dominant as other seasons," Alonso says.

"If he cannot win, he's a very close second - not 20 seconds further back, which is what happens a little bit with Valtteri. A weekend when the car is not as competitive, Bottas is fifth or sixth or a minute behind - but Lewis is not. He's made a step forward, he is more competitive, more prepared. He still has some weak points that have not been stressed yet - no one is pressing that button, that weakness."

Do you know what that weakness is, Fernando? He laughs. "Yes." From when you were team-mates in 2007? "No, from now. If you study Lewis's season there is always a common trend. He starts the year slowly and no one takes the benefit of that. We all get excited that it will be the year of Bottas, but it's not. It would be nice to compete against him [Lewis] in a proper fight. Maybe his weak points are not real and everything is calculated but it would be nice to discover.

"When you have a good package and the other guys crash and you extend your championship lead, everything seems calm. If you are only one point ahead or ten points behind, the stress is different. The mistakes are different and your radio communications are different. We need to see him when the pressure is on."

But can you really imagine Mercedes unsteadying the ship? Toto Wolff has spoken regularly about the damage warring team-mates can cause. Ferrari is now discovering that. But what if Brackley was free of Hamilton, as a courtship between the British driver and Maranello develops? Too many ifs, buts and maybes...

During our interview Fernando's mobile rings and he displays the screen that reads: 'Flavio B'. He turns his handset off and continues to talk. A little later he reveals an amusing WhatsApp video of his former team boss Briatore, who is chatting to none other than... Toto Wolff. They joke about how they've signed a contract together. There's no basis for them actually having done so - but just imagine for one moment, 'what if...?' But, maybe, there is another scenario that is equally tempting. What about a return to Ferrari? Or another of his former teams? Surely not possible...

The best of times, the worst of times

One of the standout performances by any driver in recent times was Alonso's 2012 season. In a Ferrari that was the fourth-fastest car that year, he led for much of the campaign and was unlucky to be taken out in first-corner incidents that were not of his making.

He lost in the season finale in Brazil when Vettel miraculously recovered from a first-lap crash that punched a massive hole in the side of his Red Bull. It was the second title decider in three years in which Alonso came up fractionally short (the 2010 Abu Dhabi strategy blunder being the other). But despite the heartache, he says he looks back on his time at Ferrari with "a smile on my face."

"I know we didn't achieve the championship, but we fought and gave everything we had," he says. "We really worked very hard for every result and life outside the car was great. It was a good time in my life, living in Maranello. I had a lot of friends there, with Felipe [Massa], and Jules [Bianchi] who was with the Academy. Every Friday evening we would play football together with the mechanics and engineers.

"It was emotionally intense. Being a Ferrari driver gives you a lot of satisfaction both in and out the car. We just missed the championship by a couple of points as we hit Red Bull's dominating era."

In the Interlagos pitlane, as Vettel was atop his Red Bull celebrating the 2012 title like a rodeo rider, the camera cut to Alonso, ashen-faced staring straight ahead. It looks as though he was rueing the conclusion of his season. Haunted by grief.

"There are lies about my career that are not the truth," he says now. "I got out of my car and I was looking at Felipe, who for some reason could not stop crying. He was with his mechanics and wife, so I was standing there waiting for him, seeing if he was okay. The story was that I was in shock or sad - no I didn't care that much. I wanted to give Felipe a hug.

"I've heard people say that I was selfish in my career. At Ferrari and at other teams I always used to share my prize bonus with my mechanics. I thought if we were getting a podium or race win, it was not only me but team work. So, if I won $30,000 I would share it with my team.

"When I join a project, I commit 100% with that team and I dedicate my life to that team and those guys and they appreciate it. The last thing that I am is selfish. Why is it that I have performed better than my team-mates? I cannot say sorry for that."

Alonso says he never wanted to leave Ferrari but after Stefano Domenicali departed in early 2014, there was more criticism that Fernando was responsible for poor results.

The previous summer, Alonso memorably told the media that for his birthday he would like "someone else's car" - a statement that enraged Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo, who threatened to turf Alonso out of the team.

"No, I said I wanted the fastest car," Fernando counters. "I was 0.8s slower in the Ferrari and Italian TV asked if I had a wish for my birthday and I said to have the fastest car. The headlines the next day said I wanted a Red Bull. Which, arguably, yes, as it was the fastest car I did, but I didn't want to paint the Ferrari blue. There is a difference. I wanted an extra push as we were fighting for the championship. Massa was saying the same thing - or even worse."

Alonso's eventual departure from Ferrari led him to be reunited with Ron Dennis at McLaren. The pair had put their differences behind them following the damage of 2007. McLaren believed the only way to beat Mercedes and Ferrari was to forge a new relationship with a rival manufacturer, but having Honda as power unit supplier was doomed from the off.

Reliability, top speed and driveability were poor and frustration quickly grew. Racing at Honda's home track of Suzuka in 2015, Alonso memorably described the power unit as a "GP2 engine". It's a comment he now regrets: "It came from a place of frustration and maybe I should not say that, but I didn't say it in the TV pen or the press conference. I was talking to my engineer in a private conversation [which was broadcast]. It was not meant to be public.

"But the engine was very bad. The first year in Jerez, in four days we did seven laps. Now Honda wins a race and I receive a lot of messages that read: 'GP2 engine wins now, it should be a sad day for you.' I'm very happy, but the engine I had in the car was not the same as the one winning in Brazil.

"If a top driver today goes through the performance that I went through, I could not imagine what they would say. In 2015 I was always fighting to get out of Q1 and had 575 places of penalties. I say things that I think and that I believe. That's because I believe those things are the truth. Sometimes I can be wrong. But I don't see things that I do that others are not doing. I don't read extra things from what others are saying, but I see mountains and mountains of the things I say..."

The never-ending story

Alonso is keen to return to new-look F1 in 2021, but it might be too late if the doors to Maranello, Milton Keynes, Brackley, Woking or even Enstone are slammed shut in his face. But he feels a break from F1 has done him a world of good. Do we see a wiser Alonso before us today, whose motivation has been rekindled?

"I had to breathe last year when I finished and I decided to stop because F1 is a very demanding sport," Alonso says. "When you have been racing for 18 years, you have no time off to relax. You need to eat, sleep, train - everything for F1 and I had to take that weight off my shoulders.

"People have told me I can start doing what I love now I'm not in F1 and I say, 'What I love is to drive and where do I want to drive? Monaco, Suzuka, Silverstone, these are the races I love to do'. Speed and adrenaline fires my passion. When I ski, I avoid cornering because I want a clear view and empty piste to go down as fast as possible. I even hold a bicycle computer to record the speed and try and achieve the maximum I can.

"When you do events like Dakar you meet different people with different philosophies I will be ready to come back [to F1] stronger and, if in the right package, [I] will win."

With his love of racing and desire for success, Alonso is not yet ready to give up on his dream of returning to the top of the sport and winning. He admits he competes in other sports with trepidation if he feels he doesn't have a chance of coming out on top. He regales us with an anecdote about a doubles tennis match and he's nervous about contesting it in case he loses. Failure is not an option for Fernando, it hurts too much.

But there is one sport he has no doubt about being victorious in. The only question is whether he will get the opportunity to test his mettle one last time. "With driving it's different," he says. "I have so much self-confidence that I know I can take any car and if everything goes well, I should win. Driving is the only thing in life that I know I do well at."