Alonso gears-up for hat-trick of titles

Formula One: Fernando Alonso believes he has a shot of winning a hat-trick of Formula One titles next season providing new team…

Formula One:Fernando Alonso believes he has a shot of winning a hat-trick of Formula One titles next season providing new team McLaren can rediscover their consistency.

After five years with Renault, Alonso makes the switch as the sport's youngest ever double world champion, retaining his title yesterday with a second-place finish in the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos.

There is no doubt Renault's reliability has proved the bedrock for Alonso to become one of only eight men to win successive titles.

Now he heads to a McLaren team that for the first time in a decade failed to win a race during the season, and were a long way behind Renault and Ferrari in the constructors' championship.

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McLaren and boss Ron Dennis face a long, hard winter if they are to ensure Alonso has a chance of challenging next year.

The Spaniard is acutely aware McLaren had a poor season by their very high standards, but given the vagaries of Formula One, there is every chance they will be at the front again.

With Alonso replacing Kimi Raikkonen, who is off to Ferrari, the 25-year-old said: "McLaren had some good races this year.

"Kimi finished second in Monza after qualifying on pole, while in Bahrain he was third after starting at the back of the grid. There were obviously some races when they were not very good, so they have been up and down.

"But, hopefully we will find some consistency. If we are regularly on the podium, why not fight for the championship?"

It was noticeable Alonso was already referring to McLaren as "we" with the title-winning champagne barely dried on his racing overalls.

No wonder Renault team boss Flavio Briatore was so dismissive when asked whether he was sorry to see Alonso leave, curtly replying: "I don't want to talk about that."

Alonso did himself no favours in announcing before last Christmas he was on his way to McLaren, a move that hardly endeared him to the team.

That is why he recently made the comment about feeling "alone" at various times this season, and why he is eagerly anticipating working with McLaren.

Even though he is champion again, the switch affords him the opportunity to revitalise himself and prove - like Michael Schumacher at Ferrari - he can also revitalise an ailing team.

"I've no regrets about leaving Renault," insisted Alonso. "I knew 2006 would be a good season for us, and Renault should be on top, fighting for the championship.

"I knew there was the possibility of becoming champion again and we were ready to take the chance. But I feel, for the next three years with McLaren, I will have the opportunity to have a good car.

"Hopefully I will find new motivation with McLaren. It's a new challenge with new people and a new way to work. This is really very important for me and I'm looking forward to this new thing."

Unlike Briatore, there are those at Renault sad to see him go, including head of engineering Pat Symonds, who has been an instrumental figure in Alonso's success these past two years.

"We've known Fernando has been leaving since Christmas, but it hasn't really entered our minds because we've had such an intense year," said Symonds.

"I guess in the coming weeks, as we reflect on things, then we will start to think about it, but for sure I'm sorry to see him go. I guess things change, and there's certainly no bad feeling or anything. I know he is going to be a good competitor to us over the years to come, and we'll enjoy it."

How strong a competitor remains to be seen, as there are many who believe he will come close to breaking Schumacher's many Formula One records if given the right package.

Alonso, though, intimated he is unlikely to be around another 12 years when he reaches 37, the age at which the German retired yesterday.

When asked whether he could match Schumacher's seven world titles, Alonso replied: "I don't think so because I will not be that long in Formula One."

That prompted yesterday's Brazilian Grand Prix winner Felipe Massa to rib him by saying: "Come on! So why not stop now?"

A smiling Alonso said: "It is a good moment, but I am going to continue."