Alonso: I feel that Mercedes cycle of dominance will end

A couple of the many sideshows that the Spaniard will be following this year in the top flight include the remarkable comeback of his mate Robert Kubica while keeping an eye on Ferrari and the new era that his former team is embarking on.

Kubica's incredible story is well told, and like most F1 fans Alonso intends to keep tabs on the Pole's progress, "I will follow Kubica. His story is extraordinary, until a few months ago Robert seemed to have lost all hope but now he has nothing to lose."

At Ferrari, for whom he drove for from 2010 until 2014, there has been much change as the Italian team bank on the experience of Sebastian Vettel and the youth of Charles Leclerc while Mattia Binotto takes up the helm at Maranello.

Alonso continued, "Leclerc at Ferrari... he is young, intelligent and talented. He needs to learn to score points regularly to help the team. He must not be in a hurry while keeping in control the excitement and the emotion of driving for the team."

With regards to the promotion of Binotto, "I think it's a good thing. Mattia has demonstrated his leadership skills, he is in charge of the technical management and I am sure he will do everything to make Ferrari even stronger."

Mercedes have been mighty ever since the dawn of the F1 hybrid turbo but in 2014, but with a host of new rules being introduced their rivals may or may not reel in what is one of the most dominant teams in the history of the sport.

The double F1 World champion mused, "I'm curious to see if the Mercedes cycle of dominance will end. I feel that the moment is near."

Last year Alonso toiled hard in a McLaren that was simply rubbish. Almost single-handedly he managed to take the team to a respectable sixth place in the F1 constructors' championship, prompting many to suggest that if he had been driving Vettel's SF71H the title would have gone to Maranello.

But the 37-year-old played down the speculation, "These are difficult subjects. Whoever is ahead, fighting to win always has everything to lose."

"Perhaps he lost important points but also Hamilton lost them. Vettel did much better than Raikkonen and he fought until the end, he is a champion."

"When he won four world titles all spoke of him as a phenomenon and now the same is happening with Hamilton. The truth is that it's never easy when you've got so much attention and pressure focussed on you," explained Alonso.

After winning the Daytona 24 Hours in style last month, he will continue with Toyota Gazoo Racing in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) Superseason and, in May, he will spearhead McLaren's Indianapolis 500 foray in his quest for the Triple Crown of Motorsport.

Testing for McLaren may also be on the cards for Alonso who claims he has unfinished business in F1.

https://www.grandprix247.com/2019/02/05/alonso-winning-a-third-f1-title-would-be-the-greatest-joy/