Normal sleep brings Alonso's dream to life.

New world champion Fernando Alonso insists that he approached the Brazilian Grand Prix no differently to any other race, but admitted to hearing more noises from his car in the last few laps as the title neared.

The Spaniard's stress levels were reduced by the knowledge that he only needed to finish seventh in each of the final three races to ensure that he took the crown in China next month, but he admitted that he was pleased to have ended the tension two races from the end.

"Last night, I slept like every night, this morning I had breakfast, I had the meeting for the race strategy, and I slept again before the race," he smiled, happy to show how relaxed he had been, "I was not really stressed about this weekend at any time. I knew that there were still three races to go, and three seventh places were enough for me to win the championship, so I was not really stressed about this race."

The stress levels may have risen in the closing stages, however, as Alonso admitted to every winning driver's phobia of late mechanical problems striking down an otherwise healthy car. He was running in third place behind the two McLarens at the time, enough to provide the six points required to secure the crown.

"I was a bit worried about the car, the tyres and things like that," he confessed, "It wasn't easy, with the weather at the beginning causing some doubts for everyone, then the tyre wear, which seemed quite high at the last part of the race, and then Michael [Schumacher] running quite quickly behind me."

Alonso admitted to driving with one eye on the title, and did not resist eventual winner Juan Montoya when the Colombian made a move on him at the lap three restart.

"I knew that Juan Pablo was quicker than me in the first stint - well, for the whole race really - and, the first opportunity he had to overtake me, I knew that I had no chance to fight. It was not a day to take a risk.

"I was extremely careful overtaking the Minardis and Jordans after what we saw with Monteiro in Turkey and Pizzonia in Spa. I knew that anything could happen in the race, and that every lap was a risky moment for me. I just tried to complete the laps, but 71 was obviously a very long race for me. It will be quite different at Suzuka, for sure."

Alonso, who is not likely to be able to return to his native Spain until after the final round of the championship, in China, next month, said that he did not expect the enormity of his achievement to sink in for a few days, although he realised he was champion the moment that he crossed the finishing line at Interlagos.

"For sure, it is a dream come true for me, like any racing driver," he said, "but there won't be too many emotions here because it is too early. However, in the next two or three days, I am sure that I will realise what I have achieved."

Having become the youngest world champion on record, eclipsing previous record holder Emerson Fittipaldi by over a year, Alonso admitted that he would need to find new marks to shoot for.

"I am 24 and, after this, I think there is not much more to do," he said, "I am the youngest world champion in Formula One, and now I need to find new targets because this one is over."