Many believe that the 40-year-old Fernando Alonso who made his return to F1 this year after a hiatus of 2 years is pretty much back to his best. Sure, it took him a couple of races to get into the groove, but given the fact that these cars are very different from the 2018 cars he had driven last and there is minimal pre-season testing these days, this was bound to happen. But boy, when the Spaniard got his groove on, he showed masterful race craft. And many believe that he is proving to be again close to his best, which won him the world title in 2005 and 2006. The Spaniard who hasn't won a race since leaving Ferrari at the end of the 2014 season, hopes to be back to his winning ways with the refreshed rules that beckon.
Also Read: Alonso Feels He Should Have Left After Ferrari Stint
The Spaniard had admitted that he should've left F1 at the end of his Ferrari stint instead of joining the ill-fated McLaren Honda project where he was pretty much driving the slowest car on the grid for at least three years which was riddled with reliability problems. But now he is finally happy as he often competes in the top 10 if not for the podium.
"I am very happy with my return to F1 after being away for a year. Personally, I wasn't quite comfortable in the first races and adapted in the fourth or fifth race. The goal was to use a year to get to the top in 2022. I think I will reach my top then," he said.
The legendary Spaniard struggled initially but now has been back to his old self
Alonso put up a massive fight against Lewis Hamilton in Hungary to thwart him from managing to catch up to his teammate Esteban Ocon who ended up winning the race. He himself managed P5 and has had some really impressive drives in an Alpine which is either the 6th or 7th fastest car on the grid.
In the hands of Alonso it often becomes the 5th fastest car, something that has been a talent the Spaniard has been blessed with, which was keenly witnessed by the entire world in the 2012 season when he almost won the world championship with a lowly Ferrari in the year against Sebastian Vettel's mighty Red Bull.
His performances have been so good that Laurent Rossi renewed his contract for the 2022 season and there is chatter that the 40-year-old will remain with the team for a couple of more years. Many believe him to be the greatest driver since Schumacher even more so than Hamilton because of his grit, resolve and the fact that in his time away from F1 he won Le Mans twice competed in the Indy Car a couple of times, and also came P5 in the dangerous Dakar rally.
If Alpine is able to come up with a competitive car for the 2022 season, many believe Alonso will be very dangerous. It is a well-known fact that Alpine is working on an all-new engine but it has lagged behind aerodynamically, but the lack of development also points towards the fact that the French team has been working towards the 2022 regulations.
