Alonso: 'I've sacrificed a lot for F1, but am enjoying it more than ever'

Fernando Alonso has declared he is "enjoying Formula 1 more than ever" as he admitted that Grand Prix racing had made him "sacrifice" a lot.

Alonso has raced in F1 since 2001, aside from a two-year break in 2019-20, and is set to reach 400 Grand Prix starts at the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix.

The two-time World Champion switched teams for the seventh time in his career at the start of the 2023 season, joining Aston Martin, with whom he enjoyed his best season of the turbo hybrid era, and overall since 2013.

Fourth in the standings was Alonso's best since runner-up to Sebastian Vettel in 2013, with his eight podiums unexpected as the team continues to build up from midfield runners.

Despite the success, Alonso has detailed the effects of over two decades in Formula 1 has had him on and what he has sacrficed.

"You make sacrifices, and sometimes you're aware of those when you're making them and sometimes you don't realise until five years later," Alonso explained.

"That might be things you'd like to do, or family and friends you don't see as often as you would like.

"I have sacrificed a lot for F1, but I have no regrets.

"I'm a very family-oriented person. I love to spend time with my family. At this time of my life, I thought I'd already have a family and kids, all these kinds of things, and I found myself at 42 without any kids yet.

"At the same time, I'm doing what I love to do. I'm doing what I'm the best at doing – and I've never tried anything other than motorsport. So, when I look in the mirror in the morning, I'm happy with who I am and what I'm doing.

"I feel like I'm enjoying it maybe more than ever, and I go to the races with a different spirit. A lot of that is to do with the team.

"It's very young, very enthusiastic, and there's a lot of good energy in the garage and back at Silverstone. The new campus provides a lot of motivation – it's a real statement about the ambition of the team.

"Also, thanks to my experience, I know what is important and what is less important, and I know where to expend my energy and where to save it.

"It's important to be able to focus on performance on Sunday but also to ensure there is a good team spirit and good morale in the garage. I'm enjoying every part of the job."