Summer break is over and Fernando Alonso can't wait to get back behind the wheel of his Honda powered McLaren this weekend for the Belgian Grand Prix, held on the legendary Spa Francorchamps circuit.
The Spanish racer hasn't been taking it too easy over the break, ensuring that he is at his peak of physical fitness to cope with the demands of the lengthy Belgian track.
“I love the first race after the summer break! It's a great feeling to come back feeling rested, relaxed and recharged, and ready to go again for the second half of the season. I've enjoyed time away with family and friends, worked hard on my training and now I'm really looking forward to getting back in the car,” he said.
Spa-Francorchamps is one of the most popular and historical tracks on the calendar and is a tough circuit for the car with the long straights and various high-speed corners. It's also one of the most difficult but favourable tracks for drivers, as they are able to prove their own skills and courage through some difficult sections such as Eau Rouge, one of the toughest corners on the F1 schedule.
“Spa is incredible – for many of us it's one of our favourite tracks. It's got a legendary reputation and it's totally deserved. The feeling when you drive Eau Rouge is completely different to any other corner on the calendar. You're so low in the car and the gradient is so steep that as you go up it you can only see the sky – it's completely surreal,” Alonso continued.
The Woking based squad had a positive wrap-up to the first half of the season in Hungary with a double points finish then they collected some precious data for improvement at the in-season test in the following week.
Now as they embark on the second half of the year, they see Spa-Francorchamps as a challenging circuit with its power-hungry features, however Fernando will be giving his all to have a good race and maintain the momentum he acquired in Hungary.
“As the season goes on we're getting stronger and stronger, and I hope the second half of the year will bring us some more points-earning finishes. This race is a difficult challenge for the whole team – the engineers and the mechanics – as you're on the throttle for almost three-quarters of the lap, which makes it's a tough circuit for both the car and the driver. We know we'll have to work hard to get any kind of result there, but it's a long lap and there are plenty of overtaking opportunities, so we'll keep pushing to get everything we can from the weekend.”
