Alonso stays "calm" before big push for championship lead
He dropped 20 points after last month’s British Grand Prix, but Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso is now a mere 20 points shy of regaining his lead over Red Bull’s Mark Webber thanks to his second podium race at Hungary. “I think we have to be happy with our championship so far,” Alonso told Ferrari’s official website, and with seven races to go the championship is still within his grasps.
“We had some good races and some disappointing races as well, but overall I think we are in a really close position in the championship to the leader. There are five drivers fighting for the championship and there are seven races to go now. Anything can happen in these seven races, so we need to be the best one in this last part of the championship.”
Alonso knows that the team must remain calm in light of the challenges that lie ahead of them in the final races of the season. He is confident that the team will maintain their focus, and will come back after the four-week summer hiatus refreshed and ready to go after that winning title.
“We are in a position now that we are able to take the lead of the championship if we win one race,” said the three-time champion. “I think we have to remain calm. We know that four or five drivers will fight until the last race, but we need to use our experience as a team.”
Alonso doesn’t see his position a disadvantage as much as it the opportunity to perform stronger, faster, and better than he has in the past. While drivers leading the points standings will be stressed about every point they lose, drivers coming up from behind can only do better. Not that one position is less stressful than the other; he knows that when you are behind near the closing of a season the advantages to get ahead are fewer and thus more important.
“If you are behind there isn’t any room to make mistakes. You need to take every opportunity, so it’s also very stressful because you have to recover points.”
Alonso took second place at last week’s Budapest race in Hungary, fighting hard to keep up with the dominance of Red Bull’s package. Red Bull No.2 Sebastian Vettel placed third only 1.2 seconds after Alonso took second, and has Alonso worrying about Ferrari’s ability to keep up with the RBR-Renault team.
“In Hungary obviously this was not possible, we were not as quick as our competitors, Red Bull, so there was a little bit of frustration, a little bit of disappointment in Budapest. I think with the medium to high-speed corners, and with not many straights, it was a perfect circuit for Red Bull, and we knew that.”
The best way to earn another win is to “stay calm,” and focus on what the team does well. The summer hiatus is frustrating but Alonso will use the opportunity for training and reflection on the Hungary race in preparation for the Belgian one.
“I think in the situation we are now nobody feels they are leader of the championship and no one feels fearful. It is time to deliver now.”
The biggest disadvantage the team will face is that five of the next seven remaining Grand Prix races are taking place outside of Europe, “so it won’t be easy for us.” Alonso and the rest of the Ferrari team still have the Spa-Francorchamps track to tackle, which the teams will race on in the last weekend of August. After that the Formula One racers will head to Italy, Singapore, Japan, Korea and then Brazil before the season ends in Abu Dhabi.
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