‘I’m fitter than ever’ – Veteran Formula One star Fernando Alonso still believes he can win third world championship with Aston Martin where he is ‘happier every day’

Two-time Formula 1 world champion Fernando Alonso believes he’s ‘fitter than ever’ at the age of 41 and can still compete for the title.

The Spaniard joined his sixth team in F1 over the summer, arriving at Aston Martin – 22 years on from his debut back in 2001.

Shortly after his initial arrival in the sport, Alonso took it by storm where he twice beat the legendary Michael Schumacher to world titles to make himself an F1 great.

No title has followed since his 2005 and 2006 heroics despite being a combined eight points from three more championships, but he’s still not giving up.

“I do believe that there is a possibility [to win the title],” he said at the launch of the AMR23. “I don’t think this year, I’m honest on that, I have my feet on the ground.

“We want to have a good car to start with and develop for the second half of the season when maybe we can get closer, if there is an opportunity, changeable conditions, we will not miss that opportunity, but at the beginning I expect some difficult races.

“I trust this project, I know it’s probably my last team to drive for but I know Lawrence [Stroll, team owner] and Lance [Stroll, teammate] for many years and now we have this wonderful opportunity to work towards Aston Martin hopefully competing for championships in future years.”

He continued: “I’m very demanding on everything that I do, I expect a lot from people that I work with.

Despite his advancing years as the most experienced driver in F1 history with 358 races under his belt, Alonso is still as fit as anyone despite being in his 40s, a fact that baffles many of his competitors.

And they have been warned that things are only getting tougher, as Alonso explained to the media.

“I’m fitter than ever,” he said. “But I think it’s the way you understand yourself, the way you train.

“The last two winters have been difficult. In 2021 I had the bicycle accident and couldn’t move for two or three months and last winter I had to remove the plates from my face so this was the first winter that I could do a normal preparation.

“I’m even more happy [than when I arrived] every day I’m happier, I’ve been coming to the factory regularly in January. There is a lot of teamwork at the moment and I love that.”