Alonso shows talent as rain upsets title runners
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Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso paraded his lavish talents overnight, taking advantage of the rain to dominate afternoon practice for Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix.
The 27-year-old Renault driver proved that if the circumstances are right he can still be as fast as anyone on the circuit.
"That was not a real guide to anything," he said after the session. "We cannot beat the others and the best we can hope for in qualifying is a good top ten place.
"For me now the motivation is not to win the races or the title but to do well, score points and help the team to beat Toyota. That is what keeps me going."
He might have added he wants to show teams like Ferrari what they are missing as they keep faith with defending champion Finn Kimi Raikkonen, struggling to find form.
Alonso has no plans for next year but hopes that he will retain his seat with an improved Renault team or move to the Italians, but has not made this clear in public.
Following a week in which Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo defended the inconsistencies of Raikkonen, Alonso kept his counsel to himself.
Instead he talked about how he stays motivated, with just 18 points on the board this season, while watching others scrapping for the title.
"You change your targets. We all want to win, we all want to fight for the championship, but when you realise it is not possible you need to make a new target," he said.
"It doesn't matter if we are fifth or sixth, or 11th or 12th, we need to finish in front of them and hopefully in the points.
"That is the new motivation - you arrive at Monza, Spa, China, wherever, all weekend you are very, very focused because you want to reach your target."
-AFP
