Fernando Alonso admitted he has had to make major changes to the way he trains as age makes preparing for Formula 1 action more difficult.
The Spaniard turns 42 this year but has shown no signs of slowing down just yet. He embarks on a new chapter of his F1 career with Aston Martin and plans, under his new deal, to continue competing in the sport for at least a few more years.
It is remarkable that he remains considered one of the fastest drivers on the grid despite being old enough to be the father of some of the younger racers he shares the grid with. But even Alonso has to admit that he is "not 20 anymore".
"I’ve had to change many things," he told reporters. "The moment of my career now, the physical aspects, I have to change a few of my training routines, my travelling, events.
"Formula 1 is very demanding on energy off-track as well, so I have to really be more efficient on more of the things that I do on the weekends or in the weeks. On the physical aspect, for sure, I have to do much more than what I'm used to because I'm not 20 anymore."
It remains to be seen how well Alonso will be able to do this year with his new team. Alpine fared far better than Aston Martin last season, but the offer of a multi-year deal tempted the two-time champion to switch allegiance.
Aston Martin have talked a lot about their ambitions but are yet to provide much concrete evidence that they are on the way to achieving their lofty goals. Despite that, Alonso insists he has made the correct call and that he will be able to have success with his new employer.
"Happy to finish this chapter and start with new motivation," he told reporters after the final race of last season. "Of course, I'm very grateful and I will always think of Alpine and Renault with good memories. We won the two championships, I spent nine years of my life in F1 with Renault or Alpine, so I will be thankful always.
"With Aston, their project is amazing what they are doing in terms of recruiting people, facilities, investment. So yeah, I think good times are coming." Alonso will make his competitive debut with the Silverstone-based team at the Bahrain Grand Prix in March.
