Webber: Alonso making mistake to mix F1 with endurance

With this Mark Webber was asked for his opinion on Alonso, one of the drivers the Aussie got on well with during his years in Formula 1. He has no axe to grind with the Spaniard.

Asked by AutoMoto if he felt Alonso was doing the right thing, Webber replied, "No, it's a mistake, they are two totally different things absorb a very high level of mental energy."

"If you do the Formula 1 you cannot afford certain distractions, I say that after having run the season and run in Le Mans. You need to choose Le Mans to do it properly and focus on it, working on it for three weeks preparation with a maniacal focus will not work, Formula 1 is all-encompassing and there is no room for compromise."

Asked if Alonso would struggle to adapt to the different cars, Webber, who drove in WEC immediately after his F1 retirment, replied, "Not at all, if you think that the difficulties are to adapt to a different car, you will spin off the road. To drive a prototype, even if heavier than an F1 is not a problem."

"That is resolved immediately, just understand the reactions of the vehicle and look for the limit, but in the endurance races the limit is not the ultimate goal, there are other elements and challenges to overcome."

"For example, an F1 driver is not used to sharing the cockpit with other drivers. The greatest challenge that Alonso will have to overcome will be the right chemistry with teammates."

"While in the cockpit of a single seater everything revolves around you, from the buttons to the diameter of the steering wheel."

"With a sportscar, you have to share the cockpit with others, so you have to adapt to the standardised settings that suit all, difficult to find the optimal position, so you have to adapt, adapt and make it happen"

"The same for the driving position and the seat, consider that you have to make the driver change and you have to be positioned in the right way to drive well and not waste time in the pits. "