Fernando Alonso isn’t buying Lando Norris‘s optimistic prediction about this Formula 1 season having many race winners.
“Now that he has the winning car, he says that,” Alonso joked when told about Norris’s claim that more than 14 drivers could win races this year. “When he was in the fifth or sixth team, he was saying that only one team will win all the races.”
The two-time world champion has already acknowledged that McLaren seems to have an edge this season.
“This is a normal confident speech. It is good for him but it’s going to be difficult,” Alonso explained.
He pointed to several factors that make surprise winners increasingly rare in modern F1.
“Reliability is so good these days. There are not many retirements, not many incidents. Strategies are quite defined.”
The Aston Martin driver believes the sport has become too predictable.
Even before race weekend begins, teams have everything mapped out. “Even on Thursday, before coming to the Grand Prix, you know exactly it’s going to be one stop, two stops, which tyre you will use. Everything is so perfect now that it’s difficult to change or to make a race unpredictable.”
According to Alonso, only extraordinary circumstances might shake things up.
“It has to be crazy weather or something.”
Despite his skepticism, the veteran racer remains hopeful for an exciting season ahead.
“Hopefully there are multiple winners and it’s going to be a tight championship. Last year was already a very good one and hopefully this year it is even better.”
