Timing of first title means the world to Alonso
By Dan KnutsonSAO PAULO, Brazil -- Fernando Alonso might get pretty smelly by the end of the Brazilian Grand Prix.
He doesn't intend to take a shower in his quest to become the first driver in six years to beat Michael Schumacher for the World Championship.
There are only two title contenders left -- Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen -- and the latter will need a lot of luck to make up his 25 point deficit on Alonso in the final three races.
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Formula One star Fernando Alonso put
his title chase aside for a moment to visit one of Sao Paulo's many
shantytowns.
Alonso, a UNICEF ambassador since February, visited the Monte Azul shantytown, where UNICEF sponsors a program for impoverished children. "It is a privilege for me to be able to come here with an organization like UNICEF, and to be able to use the famous name I have now to see projects like this and to bring them some more attention and recognition,"' he said.
The 24-year-old Alonso can become F1's youngest champion Sunday
with a third-place finish. |
Raikkonen's boss -- McLaren Mercedes director Ron Dennis -- quipped that he hoped Alonso might trip in the shower and twist his ankle so that he could not race in Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix.
"I will not have a shower all weekend now!" Alonso said, laughing.
Alonso is pleased that either he or Raikkonen will win the championship while the mighty Schumacher is still racing.
"It is much better to win at title with Michael on the track," Alonso said as he talked with reporters in the paddock at the Interlagos circuit. "It is the same as [Lance] Armstrong in the Tour de France. The first winner [of the Tour in 2006] will be maybe because Armstrong [who has retired] is not there.
"With Michael it is the same. If Michael retires and someone wins, everybody will think if Michael was still on the track it would have been a different history. For Kimi and I, who had the opportunity to win with Michael on the track, it is better."
True, Schumacher's Ferrari has not been up to the job this year, but then in seasons past other teams have floundered while Ferrari dominated.
The two top teams this year are, of course, Renault and McLaren Mercedes, and there is a lot of respect between the two squads.
"We had a good competition with McLaren all year," Alonso said. "I enjoy so much fighting for the Drivers and Constructors Championship with them. Anything can happen in both championships. Between Ron [Dennis], Juan [Pablo Montoya] and Kimi [Raikkonen] to [Renault boss] Flavio [Briatore], [Giancarlo] Fisichella and me, we have a lot of respect for each other. It is a good competition."
Alonso is taking it all pretty calmly as he closes in on becoming at age 24 the youngest ever Formula One World Champion. He didn't sleep well on the overnight flight from Europe, but once he got here he has been sleeping soundly.
"At the moment I race for fun," he said. "We have to think about the victory and attack all weekend. I will try to race as intelligently as I can, and make sure I have enough points to reach my goal."
Alonso knew from the first race of the season in Australia that he had in the 2005 Renault R25 a car capable of winning the championship. He qualified 13th because the track was wet and got bogged down behind JacquesVilleneuve for the first 20 laps. From 12th place, Alonso fought through the final 40 laps to finish third.
Now, 17 races later, Alonso is poised to become Spain's first Formula One World Champion.
In the past, motor cycling racing and rallying were the most popular form of motor sport in Spain. Alonso didn't even see a F1 race on TV in Spain until 1999. Now the whole country is F1 crazy. He's become so popular in Spain that he can't live there anymore.
"Now it is impossible because people recognize me too much," Alonso said. "They get crazy, so I cannot really relax between the races in Spain. It is more stressful than the Grand Prix.
"I found a perfect place in England, in Oxford, and I enjoy time there. I have the [Renault F1] factory 10 minutes away, so during the season it is a perfect place to prepare for the races. From London airport I can go anywhere. And from my little town in Spain the [airline] connections were impossible. My life is much more comfortable now."
Far from the maddening crowd, Alonso still has friends going to university. They come and hang out at his house in England between races.
"I always have some friends there, coming from Spain when they have no school or university," Alonso said. "We also have some English friends from the university and we play soccer every Wednesday. I lead a normal life -- sport, computers, video games, going out to dinner, going to the cinema: a completely normal life."
Pretty normal, that is, until he climbs behind the wheel of a F1 car.
"There is a lot of attention on me this weekend," Alonso said, "but when I close the helmet visor and start the race I will do the maximum."
Dan Knutson covers Formula One for National Speed Sport News and ESPN.com.
