Fernando Alonso of Ferrari confident of a podium finish at 2011 Korean Grand Prix – Formula 1 news
Fernando Alonso of Ferrari is quietly confident of making it to the podium at 2011 Korean Grand Prix despite finishing in the sixth place during the qualifiers on Saturday, October 15, 2011.
The Ferrari driver will be starting Sunday’s race from sixth on the grid, while his teammate Felipe Massa will be one position ahead of him. The Spaniard clocked 1 minute and 36.980 seconds in his 150 Italia, 1.160 seconds off the pace of pole sitter Lewis
Hamilton of Vodafone McLaren-Mercedes.
“I can't be happy with sixth, but the position reflects our current situation: McLaren and Red Bull are stronger than us so it just leaves us to fight between ourselves for fifth and sixth places,” Alonso said, “That’s how Saturday goes, but maybe tomorrow
will end up like Sunday in Suzuka and we will find ourselves again fighting for the win.
Even if Alonso starts the race from sixth on the grid, that does not rule out his chances of winning.
The Spanish driver is optimistic that he can still outperform his rivals in the race on Sunday, just like he did in Suzuka where he started 5th from the grid but drove his way through to secure a second place in the race.
Alonso is currently third on the drivers’ championship standings with a total of 202 points to his credit. The Spaniard had clearly stated earlier that he is no more aiming for a runners-up position rather he is more focused on winning a race or two, if
he can. He just wants to enjoy the sport without any pressure on him as he knows that Jenson Button of McLaren-Mercedes who is presently at an 8-point lead from him poses a mighty challenge backed by his competitive car.
Alonso expects tyre degradation to be a major issue at the race, and he plans to make a detailed strategy with his team regarding effective tyre management and pit stop plan to avoid any surprises.
The 2011 Korean Grand Prix starts Sunday, October 16 where all the teams drive on soft and super-soft tyres from Pirelli on the high-speed Korea International Circuit. The weather conditions are predicted to be dry as of now.
Let’s see how Alonso performs for his Italian squad at the race.
Tags: