Championship leader Fernando Alonso believes it is almost impossible to describe the sensation a driver experiences inside a modern day Formula one car.
The Renault driver, who currently leads the championship race with a 28 point lead over rival Kimi Räikkönen, says when everything works he feels almost invincible.
“It is very difficult to explain what you feel as a driver inside the car – I don’t think you can ever really make people understand if they have not done it themselves,” he says.
“From the outside, the noise and the braking are what surprise people when they see Formula 1 for the first time. But in the car, the amazing thing is the grip and the g-forces through the corner – you find it hard to believe the car will actually go round the corner at the speed you are doing.
“There are so many different factors to make a quick car in F1, but sometimes everything is suddenly working perfectly – maybe just two laps in a whole weekend. And when that happens, it is an amazing feeling. It seems like there are no limits at all – you almost feel invincible.”
Alonso insists his role within the Renault team is simply to drive as quickly as possible. “I have a simple job – to get in the car, and drive it as quick as we can. But the job cannot stop there,” he explains.
“I wouldn’t say I enjoy all of the technical briefings, but I know their importance, trying to solve problems so that they don’t happen again. It means that when we get to the next race, we can get in the car without worrying about anything but the race, and that is the benefit.
“After that, the drivers play their part in developing the car – if we know we want more front grip, or better braking performance, then the team works 100 percent in those areas. I think we have a big part to play.”
