Alonso: I’m definitely at my best

With his first top-ten showing of this season in the bag, Fernando Alonso acknowledges that he is benefitting from his years of experience during this troubled time with McLaren.

The 35-year-old bagged McLaren’s first points of the championship last Sunday in Azerbaijan when he raced to ninth place on the streets of Baku.

It was a relief for everyone with McLaren-Honda with Alonso stating that benefitted from leasons learned in the past.

“I think you know and you learn many things in your career,” he explained.

“If I raced against myself 10 years ago, 15 years ago, I would be as quick as now probably, but you will make little mistakes here and there, you will overdrive sometimes.

“Now you will know when is time to push, when is time to be a little more conservative, you know how precise you need to be on the pit stop now, saving fuel techniques, starts, qualy preparation, tyre preparation.

“You learn so many things during the career that you are a better driver.”

The double World Champion added that he believes he is at his best these days, citing his advantage over Stoffel Vandoorne as proof of this.

“I think everything is frustrating when you are not competitive.

“On the other hand, I know that I’m very happy with this year’s rules, I’m happy with this year’s cars, I’m able to attack the corners and I’ve never had a start of the season like this year in terms of how competitive I felt in the car.

“I never started with a difference with my team-mate as big as this year, ever, and it’s a team-mate that won in all the other categories, so… I’ve a very good reference, you know.

“I’m definitely at my best.

“In terms of keeping motivation and keeping hunger for success, despite the results, because you know and you feel that you are in a very good moment of your driving career.”