Fernando Alonso will nose his Renault out on to the blistering hot Istanbul Park circuit that will host the first Turkish Grand Prix wondering if he can translate his virtual fantasy into victorious reality. The man who could be Formula One’s youngest world champion has raced this circuit in imaginary Grands Prix a hundred times, but only on his PlayStation in the living room of his Oxford home. And he has won every time.

But Alonso, 24, has never had the hot breath of Kimi Raikkonen on his neck as he practised the art of negotiating corners that will be so demanding this weekend that his neck will feel as though it has been pummelled by Ricky Hatton. Nor has he had to worry about Michelin tyres that could shred over the 200 miles of Sunday’s race, turning his car into a 200mph skateboard.

The virtual world is infinitely more predictable than a Grand Prix and Alonso knows that his place in history is at stake over the final six races of the season, from Istanbul this weekend to China in eight weeks. He has led the championship since the second race and now is 26 points ahead of Raikkonen. It might seem a handsome lead but Raikkonen is a formidable opponent in a formidable car. This is not a time for Alonso to relax or try to play a strategic game of grabbing points and leaving the winning to Raikkonen.

“You might think on Sunday night you have done well to get points,” he said. “But you have to approach every race wanting to win. We all know that McLaren is the quickest car but we have to try to achieve the perfect weekend to beat them.”

Alonso’s rapid promotion has surprised even the man himself, who admits to starting the year hoping for a third or fourth place in the championship.

“I am surprised but I will be really disappointed now if I do not win,” he said. “I have come this far and I have to make sure I do not lose it in the last race of the season.”