Alonso: Age won't be a problem if I return to F1

Fernando Alonso disputes the suggestion that a Formula 1 team might not fancy recruiting him for the 2021 season due to his advancing years, saying it will not be a problem.

Next season the sport will introduce radical regulation changes, including a spending cap, to try and level the playing field and close the gap in performance between the midfield and the elite trio of Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull.

Alonso will be 39-years-old by the time that commences, but that doesn’t mean he still couldn’t succeed, according to the man himself.

"I don't think age will be a problem,” he responded to F1 Racing magazine when asked if he thinks his age will present a problem to a potential return.

"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.

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"Also, with the new 18-inch wheels [that F1 is introducing as part of the 2021 rules package], it will change the handling of the car and everyone will need to reset the way they drive."

The Spaniard has won two world championships, with the last coming in 2006, but many fans and pundits believe his talent should have led to more, with only poor career choices holding him back. He describes having “unfinished business” within F1.

"Because people think that I deserved more than I achieved - especially in the last few years," he explained.

"In the museum [Alonso's own exhibit space at his Oviedo kart track] 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?"

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