Fernando Alonso has trusted his abilities all season
You get the impression that if Fernando Alonso clinches the world title on Sunday, he’ll be saying “I told you so” to many of his critics.
When the Spaniard was 47 points adrift of the championship leader after finishing 14th at the British Grand Prix in July, he believed in his team, and said he would be world champion in 2010. Over the team radio, the Ferrari driver said: “Okay guys, keep your heads up – we will win the championship.”
After that disappointing race result, Alonso went on to say: “We are only halfway through the season and there is plenty of time to recover. We have a great car, we proved that to everyone this weekend, and confirmed it with this fastest race lap [which he set towards the end of the race]. It is only the first half, we know we have to do better in the second one – and we will do exactly that.”
They were words of encouragement for Ferrari, and the incentive Alonso needed to try and swing the title in his favour. His conviction seemed misplaced at the time, but not anymore.
As we all know, Ferrari told Felipe Massa to move aside and let Alonso through to win the next race in Germany. They were fined $100,000, and if Alonso goes on to win his third crown, it’s not a bad price to pay at all for a championship.
On the other hand, a penny for the thoughts of Massa at the time?
“We just have to knuckle down.... Then, the results will come,” Alonso said in July, and the results certainly have come.
Since the infamous win for Alonso, he has gone on to win four of the last eight races. From being 47 points behind, he has turned the championship on its head and is eight points clear of Red Bull’s Mark Webber heading into the season finale at Abu Dhabi. Events in Germany though could overshadow all of the hard work that both Ferrari and Alonso have done to get themselves into this winning position.
The Red Bulls were supreme at the last race in Interlagos, Brazil, with Sebastian Vettel leading Webber in a one-two finish, and they confirmed their pace all season by sealing the constructors’ championship. Alonso finished third, and led the best of the rest.
Alonso must finish ahead of one of the Red Bulls in Abu Dhabi to win the title, and he says he just wants to keep things simple. “The Interlagos result allows us to be in charge of our own destiny. With a win or a second place we won't need any more calculations,” he said.
“Our approach hasn't changed for this all-important race. We know that if we get everything perfectly right, then we will have the chance to reach the target that we set ourselves at the beginning of the season,” added the 29-year old, who would become the youngest triple-world champion, beating Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna, who were both 31.
If Alonso loses out to the best-placed Red Bull of Webber, he still thinks he has had a memorable debut season for Ferrari. “We are at the final round of a season that will remain wonderful whatever happens,” he said.
Favourite for the title, Alonso could be set to have the last laugh if it goes his way.
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