Alonso sets deadline for legacy-building third title

Fernando Alonso has insisted he is still aiming for a third world championship to add to his F1 legacy.

The Spaniard secured his first podium since 2014 at the Qatar Grand Prix and sits 10th in the drivers' championship, knowing an overhaul of regulations next year could provide an opportunity to regularly battle at the top.

Alpine driver Alonso won the second of his titles 15 years ago and left F1 due to a lack of competitive opportunity after a difficult spell with McLaren but returned after a sabbatical filled with WEC, IndyCar and Dakar Rally experiences.

“I’m really looking forward to the third championship and I will do what is in my hands and even more in the next coming years," the 40-year-old told the Beyond the Grid podcast.

"It will mean a lot in terms of maybe a legacy after my career finishes in Formula 1, of how to always push to the limit, always try to find the excellence on things you do, having a very high discipline in the way you do races, in the way you approach racing.

"It’s not [that] I’m desperate to get it and that will change, you know, my whole career, or it will change my way of seeing the sport. I’m a competitive person as we touched before, you know? In everything I do.

“It doesn’t matter if you are 19 or if you are 42 or 43, it’s a way of living and a full dedication to the sport.

"That probably is the biggest thing if I win the third championship – that kind of legacy and message for future generations."

Asked if he saw a future in the sport past the end of 2022, Alonso replied: “Oh yes I will be, and even if the car is not so good.

"Yes, my plan is to stay at least two or three years more."

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