Fernando Alonso bounces back in spectacular style
Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso has opined that he needs a podium finish in each of this season’s five remaining races if he is to be crowned world champion once again. Hot on the heels of his sensational triumph with Ferrari at the Italian Grand Prix on the team’s
home soil, Alonso is desperate to consolidate his position in the race for this years’ driver’s title. The win in Italy threw the Spaniard firmly back into the title contention when some pundits had already written off the former world champion for this year’s
trophy.
Speaking to a popular Spanish daily, Alonso stressed that absence from the podium for even a couple of races could very well mean the end of Ferrari’s title hopes for 2010. Alonso said all five title contenders were evenly matched and that made matters rather
complicated for his team. The Spaniard stressed he expected the 2010 title hunt to remain a five-horse race till the season’s ultimate campaign in Abu Dhabi.
Alonso was careful not to underestimate the motivation of rival teams. The Scuderia driver stressed that both Red Bull and McLaren were as bent as Ferrari to see one of their drivers lift the ultimate Formula One silverware. Alonso reassured fans that both
Ferrari drivers, himself and Felipe Massa, would do their utmost to bring pride to the Italian team.
Prior to the Italian Grand Prix at Monza earlier this month, a great deal of uncertainty hung over Alonso and Ferrari’s position with regard to the 2010 championship hopes. The Spanish driver was falling behind in the drivers’ standings after retiring from
the previous race in Belgium – one of the many errors that Alonso has made in his debut year for Ferrari. The Scuderia put on a disappointingly lacklustre show at Spa-Francorchamps after a string of solid Grand Prix performances. The Italian Grand Prix was
scheduled just four days after Ferrari had weaselled their way out of further punishment for violating team order regulations at the German event earlier this year.
In such circumstances, the esteemed Italian team was ostensibly under intense pressure to deliver. To add to the burden of expectation, Team President Luca di Montezemolo publically demanded a victory from his team after the Monza qualifying run.
Fortunately, both Ferrari drivers answered back in style, producing the perfect riposte for critics with a first and third finish. Alonso put on a dazzlingly impressive and flawless display, one that used to be a hallmark of his drives before he joined Ferrari
at the beginning of this year.
Alonso has squandered valuable points this year, and his reputation as Formula One’s most well-rounded driver has come under question with McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton putting his claim for the crown. All of this brought up the essential question of how Alonso
would react to the pressure of racing for one of Formula One’s most demanding teams in Italy.
Alonso appeared to turn a blind eye to all the pressures with the sort of display that had given him the reputation of being the most complete driver on the grid. After relinquishing the lead to Jenson Button at the beginning of the season, the Spaniard
was constantly breathing down Button’s neck to steal back the top spot. Button, the 2009 world champion, admitted after the race that having Alonso chasing him for a large part of the race was not an easy preposition.
Eventually, Alonso was able to steal the lead from beneath Button’s nose after producing a blistering fast in-lap. It was the perfect treat for Ferrari fans to see their team lift the trophy on home soil, and Alonso had finally delivered on his reputation.
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