Alonso Puts Crash Memories Behind

Fernando Alonso has said he has no fear about returning to the track where he suffered his mysterious testing accident, as he claimed McLaren are proving their critics wrong despite their woeful start to 2015.

Alonso missed the start of the season after his unexplained crash at the Circuit de Catalunya in February. The Spaniard was concussed, blaming a steering failure while the team said there was no evidence that the car had failed. He has promised to take the doctors and nurses who treated him out for dinner over the Spanish Grand Prix weekend.

The two-time champion was wearing sunglasses in the drivers’ press conference because of a sty, but he said that allowing his eye to recover was his only worry before heading out onto the track where he had the accident which put him out of the Australian Grand Prix.

“No concerns,” Alonso said. “That was an accident that happened three months ago and unfortunately it was a little bit longer to recover. The impact was a little bit unlucky and it put me one month out of the car. But yeah, I’m coming back here with full confidence and full motivation to do well.”

Alonso and his team-mate, Jenson Button, are yet to finish in the points this season following the return of Honda as engine supplier. But the Spaniard said: “I’m enjoying the challenge, we started at the bottom and we are climbing the mountain and doing it quicker than everyone expected.”

Alonso, one of the greatest drivers of his generation, has not won a championship since 2006, and has gradually begun speaking about what he might do after Formula One. He drove Ayrton Senna’s iconic McLaren from 1988 in a filming day earlier this week, and has for many years been obsessed about equalling his idol’s tally of three titles.

“If I can fight for a world championship or not, only time will tell us — but I’m a very happy person so it’s no problem to wait,” Alonso added. “If I could sign now that in four years I will win, yes [I could wait] — but it is not guaranteed. This is Formula One, it’s a very complex sport.”

Meanwhile, the former headquarters of the Caterham team have been put up for sale for bids in excess of £5.5 million. The base in Leafield, Oxfordshire, was home to more than 200 staff but the team went into administration towards the end of last season.

-The Daily Telegraph