Fernando Alonso has hit back at suggestions his body language gave away his extreme frustration at the end of a dire 2015 season.
After yet another engine problem during practice in Brazil, images of the Spaniard sitting alone on the guard-rail appeared symbolic. It comes after McLaren-Honda boss Eric Boullier warned that a driver’s motivation is “like a flower than starts to wilt”, and Alonso’s admission on Thursday that he needs to “improve for next year”. “When you’re at the front and have more motivation, it helps,” he said.
When told that his quiet and hunched perch on the Interlagos guard-rail was perfectly symbolic of his awful 2015 season, however, Alonso said: “To be honest, I don’t know what people expect me to do in that situation. “You are waiting for a scooter or a car to take you to the pits, so you just need to stay where you are. That’s what I did. “I would not say that I’m more frustrated than I was before, because now I am already preparing mentally for next year.
“I would prefer to have more problems continuing tomorrow and in Abu Dhabi as well, so that we don’t have any problems in 2016,” Alonso added. “We continue to learn, and sometimes it’s a painful process, but it’s the only way to succeed.”
And Alonso insisted to Spain’s El Confidencial that he is not depressed. “This year I do not fight for the championship but I’m happy in a team that supports me and I have a good salary, so I am happier than in previous years. “Hopefully next time I am in Brazil it will be for the podium and if I am fighting for a title, even better,” he added.
