Alonso: I haven't had a normal life since I was in my 10s

Although Fernando Alonso is reluctant to change that, he admits he has "lost something" as an F1 racer.

Now, Alonso is preparing for his 19th season in F1, when he made his debut at Minardi in 2001 at the age of 19.

In 333 grand prix races, the Spaniard has won 32, made 98 podium appearances and won two world titles. Because of his success in the sport and the longevity of the sport, he admits that it doesn't allow him to live a "normal life," especially at home.

Asked if he missed something because of F1, the 40-year-old driver said: "I would say yes, but (I) don't know if I've detailed what I've missed or what I've paid in normal life, and I can't say exactly what I've missed or lost. Of course, from the time I entered the paddock at 19 to now when I'm 40, I'm sure I've lost something in my life. Obviously, you spend most of your time away from family and friends, and maybe you'll lose some of them. ”

He added: "When you get here (F1), you're just living in a dream. When you're a go-kart driver, your goal is to be an F1 driver and then you come here and you're ready to sacrifice everything that this dream brings. We haven't had a normal life, we've been racing go-karts internationally since we were 10 or 12 years old, etc. I don't know what it really means to live a normal life. ”

At the end of the 2018 season, Alonso left F1, after which he competed in the Dakar Rally, won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the second time, participated in the World Endurance Championship and tried to win the Indy 500 for the third time.

He said: "I tell you, those two years were very stressful, I changed cars almost every weekend. I drove for Toyota at the World Endurance Championship, but the following week I drove a Dakar race car to surf the dunes and learn how to drive in the sun. The following week, I was on the Oval Track in Indianapolis, and it was a very, very stressful two years, and I kept changing cars. So again, I haven't had a normal life. ”