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Fernando Alonso's primary focus for the Belgian Grand Prix weekend in Formula 1 will be ensuring he gets home in time to watch the Spain vs. Argentina World Cup final on Sunday.
The Spanish driver's Aston Martin team has struggled in Formula 1 this season, securing only one point from nine rounds.
In 2010, the last time a Formula 1 race coincided with a major football match, Alonso was with Ferrari and contending for victories. Spain, then European champions, won the World Cup in South Africa and are now chasing their second title against current holders Argentina.
"It will be different. We don't have high expectations for the race this weekend," two-time world champion Alonso told reporters in Belgium. "Honestly, the main focus on Sunday will be getting home to watch the match. It will be tough because we're flying back home. So maybe again on Sunday, the second half will be when I watch the game. And the first half, I'll just miss it," the two-time champion added.
The final is scheduled for 10:00 PM Bulgarian time, while the Formula 1 race starts at 4:00 PM Bulgarian time. Argentina's Franco Colapinto, who races for Alpine, and Spain's Carlos Sainz in Williams will face similar scheduling challenges.
"I'll definitely be much more nervous for the match than for the race. Yesterday in the semi-final against England, we had a lot of fun, we suffered a lot. But if you don't suffer at all, you're not Argentine. That was one of those matches where you're really nervous, but then you celebrate a lot. So it was a long night, but a lot of fun," Colapinto said.
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