Interviewed by Jim Rosenthal for ITV
It gives I think a nice description of the 2005 season from his viewpoint... (the underlines are mine)


Jim Rosenthal: Has your life changed much since you won the world championship?

Fernando Alonso: I think everything will change now. I have to prepare myself a little bit more, because a lot more people surround me now. Yes now I have more responsibilities but it is good to have them because it means people have more confidence in you.

Jim: Is it a regret that you can’t go back to Spain without being mobbed?

FA: Well there is a downside yes, but it is good as well to feel all the support of the people's power. They enjoy the races now and I am very proud of this because a few years ago Spain has 200,000 people watching TV, now we have 10 million. So I am very pleased.

Jim:
Your rivalry with Kimi Raikkonen. How much satisfaction did it give you winning the championship in what was perceived to be not the best car?

FA: I think to win this championship in the way we did it, with not the fastest car, is even better for me and my championship. Because if you are winning with the best car then people start saying it is the car that won the championship.

So I am very pleased and happy that people talk about Kimi because it makes the achievement seem bigger.

Jim: How aware were you of the significance of the race in Imola when Michael was behind you for all those laps?

FA:
For me at the time it was a normal race.

Jim:
Normal?

FA: Yes really because it is very difficult to overtake there, so I knew that Michael was there, but it was not easy for him to overtake me so I wasn't too worried. But then after the race we started to think that Ferrari was coming back because they were much quicker than us. So we were a little bit worried after that race with Michael but then it ended up that the McLarens were quick and not Ferrari anymore.

Jim:
You don't tend to give too much away. You never have a go at your opponents, but deep down you must have felt really satisfied that you beat Michael Schumacher in a race like that…

FA:
Yes it was special. It is better always to beat Michael than any other driver and I think with Michael I had some good fights this year. Imola, Suzuka and some other times. It is always very nice to fight with him.

Jim: When you look ahead to next season do you still see Michael Schumacher as the man to beat?

FA:
Yes of course.

Jim: You are the youngest ever world champion. Do you feel you have now reached your peak or is there a better Fernando Alonso around the corner?

FA:
I will improve. Every race, every day I will be a better driver. But in terms of achievements I can there is not any more for a racing driver than to win the world championship so I have to find new targets and new challenges and obviously to win as many titles as we can.