Alonso struggled initially on return: 'I'm not 20 anymore'

Many people wrote him off after Fernando Alonso left Formula 1 to win the 'triple crown'. The triple crown is an unofficial but impressive title in motor sports, reserved for drivers who win the Monaco Grand Prix, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Indy 500. The Spaniard has won two of the three, but has yet to win the Indy 500.

Nevertheless, the Spaniard thus returned to Formula 1, with the Alpine team, and he is doing so very respectably. In an interview with Auto, Motor und Sport Alonso talks about his comeback and the criticisms he initially received. "I knew what difficulties could come my way. We saw that with Michael's [Schumacher] return. Having driven so many different cars, I didn't know exactly what it would be like to drive a Formula One car again."

Nevertheless, it was soon clear to Alonso that race fans would not tolerate him simply riding along in the margins: "I always have to deliver. People expect that little bit extra from me. If I perform as well as my teammate, it's usually seen as a disappointment. That creates high expectations around me. Still, I'm happy with the comeback," he says.

Although a two-year absence from Formula One doesn't sound like a very long time, Alonso says it wasn't as easy as people tend to think. "It was a big challenge to adapt mentally and physically to these cars. After two years the neck is not used to the load, and I am not 20 anymore."