Fernando Alonso has openly criticised Formula 1's official 'Power Rankings', dismissing the system as irrelevant and inaccurate.
The Power Rankings, compiled after each race by a five-judge panel, rate drivers out of 10 based on their performances, purportedly disregarding the competitiveness of their cars.
Despite being ninth in the drivers' championship while often referring to his Aston Martin as "the slowest or second slowest car," Alonso finds himself excluded from the Power Rankings' top-10.
"Sometimes I see it (the ranking) in the media," Alonso told Spanish reporters in Abu Dhabi. "But it's useless.
"I don't even know what position I am in. I see the top-10 and I am not there—when I am ninth in the world drivers' championship sometimes with the seventh, eighth or ninth car.
"Then I see Lando (Norris) and Max (Verstappen) tied on points and stop paying attention completely."
Aston Martin has faced challenges with stalled car development this season, and Alonso, at 43 years old, admitted he's feeling the toll of the record 24-race calendar.
"I am happy that the season is over," Alonso said in Abu Dhabi. "It has been very long for everyone. 24 races are very demanding and especially the last triple.
"When the championship is over, for Max in Las Vegas and for us in the summer, where we were already fifth in the championship and nothing to do ahead of us and no threats from behind, the last seven or eight races are a bit long when you don't fight for anything."
Alonso confirmed he will skip next week's post-season testing, explaining, "I am tired."
Looking ahead, Alonso remains optimistic about Aston Martin's 2024 campaign. "We are working on next year's project but apart from that there is not much else. I hope that after the winter we will be much more competitive," he added.
Despite the difficulties, Alonso insists his passion for racing remains undiminished.
"I'm a little bit used to not having the best car," Alonso said with a smile. "I only had that once in 25 years—at Toyota, in the WEC, so I'm quite used to it.
"I'm just enjoying this part of my career. I still feel fast and motivated and soon I'll start working with people I admire like Adrian Newey, Enrico Cardile, Andy Cowell. People I've raced against and now I'll be able to work with and learn from.
"It's a good time in my life and career."
