Alonso delighted at thought of doing battle with old-rival Schumacher

London, Feb. 13 (ANI): Fernando Alonso has said that he is looking forward to his "very, very special" race against his old rival Michael Schumacher, and beat him.

"I always enjoy the big names and the big battles. And for sure it's very, very special to race with Michael again. If you have a fight and you win a race it's always nicer to have a battle with Michael than any other driver," The Mirror quoted Alonso, as saying.

The long-running adversary sprung up between the two racers when the seven-times F1 legend missed out on successive titles in 2005 and 2006 to the Spaniard before announcing his retirement.

At the age of 41, Schumacher is back, setting competitive times in testing and claiming he is hungrier than ever.

At Maranello, Alonso and his team are immersed in the nitty gritty of testing in Jerez his week just down the paddock from Schumacher.

"The team spirit is very good, very special. You feel part of a big team, part of a legendary team, and it's a nice feeling. The team is very, very friendly with me and I felt at home straightaway," he said.

"This could be a great year for Spain in both football and Formula 1. We're in a good moment in Spain with many sports at the top level, and hopefully Formula 1 can again get a chance with a Spanish driver this year," he added. (ANI)