Fernando Alonso is confident that he will reach 400 Formula 1 race starts as he is set to break Kimi Raikkonen's record in the upcoming Singapore Grand Prix. Alonso drew level with Raikkonen on 349 race starts at the recent Italian GP - and is set to break the Finn's record at Marina Bay and become the first to reach 350 starts in F1. The two-time World Champion, who is set to remain on the grid until at least the end of 2024 after signing a two-year deal with Aston Martin, sees no reason why he cannot continue on to reach the next big landmark of 400 Grands Prix starts.
Alonso: Record shows team's faith in me
Alonso, who will match Raikkonen's record of 353 entries at Marina Bay (and will eclipse it if entered for the Japanese Grand Prix), believes he is still racing because he is performing to team's expectation, and they would replace him if he wasn't. "I know the number [of starts] because every weekend, we keep repeating but I'm not into this so much," he explained to media including RacingNews365.com. "I'm happy to be in Formula 1 for many years and with the two more [years] coming or however long I will be in Formula 1, I will reach 400 for sure. "That's a big number and it shows my passion for the sport and my discipline to perform at the highest level. "If you are not performing, the teams will not give you 400 Grands Prix." Provided Alonso starts every race in the remainder of the 2022 season, he will end the campaign on 355 starts. There are a planned 23 races on the 2023 calendar. If the same number of Grands Prix are also planned for 2024, Alonso could then add a further 46 races to his tally. He still has a long way to go to beat the record of Richard Petty in NASCAR - who started 1,184 races in the Cup Series from his debut in 1959 to retiring in 1992.
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