Alonso's F1 plight likened to Spurs’ title challenge

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has compared his football team’s bid to win the Premier League to Fernando Alonso’s situation in Formula 1. 

Spurs currently sit second in the Premier League and four points adrift of leaders Liverpool despite making no signings and suffering a number of injuries to key players this season. 

Double world champion Alonso quit F1 at the end of 2018 having endured a number of frustrating years in uncompetitive and unreliable machinery at McLaren. The Spaniard will instead to return to contest the Indianapolis 500 in his ongoing quest to become just the second driver in history to win the Triple Crown of motorsport. 

"When you work in football, it's because you want to win," Pochettino, an F1 fan, said. "When you are a player the only thing you want is to win.

"You can be a winner but if you don't have the tools to win, it's difficult. If you have the car to win and you are good, then you win.

"If you have the same car as another who is good, then one is going to win and the other is going to lose.

"Take the example of Fernando Alonso and compare with Hamilton. If you put Hamilton in McLaren last season and Alonso in Mercedes, it's the same result: Hamilton at the bottom and Alonso at the top.

"I always put the same example. Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton are the best drivers in Formula 1.

"But if you put Hamilton in McLaren last season and Alonso in Mercedes, it's the same history, Hamilton on the bottom and Alonso on the top. That's the reality.

"Where did Alonso finish last season with McLaren? I follow Formula 1. I love McLaren. But it wasn't competitive last season. That's the reality, no? But do you think that's a problem with Alonso or a problem with the car?”