Alonso: “Ferrari in Monza to offer a great show to the fans”

The Italian Grand Prix in Monza could only inevitably see the participation of both Scuderia Ferrari drivers at the FIA ​​press conference on Thursday. Another reason for Fernando Alonso's presence, then, was represented by the two victories achieved by the Spanish driver on this track.

“Racing in Monza is very special, for the design of the track, for the speed, for the fans, and also for its location inside the park,” began Alonso when asked what makes this race so special. “Last year it was amazing to arrive here for the first time as a Ferrari driver, to experience the all-Italian passion for Ferrari. Our goal for this weekend is to offer a great show to the fans in the stands. It's something special for us, because a lot of Ferrari staff will be in the audience with their families. Even though we always give one hundred percent in all races, everyone in the team will put an extra dose of attention to make sure everything is perfect from Friday to Sunday."

The hope of fans is that the difficulties encountered by the Ferrari 150° Italia in the last few races due to cool temperatures will not influence performance on a weekend that promises to be dry from start to finish. “It's true that we encountered difficulties on cold tracks,” said Fernando. “We've had a difficult summer in the last four/five races, but I don't know what changes in terms of performance we can expect here. As always, we will fight against McLaren and Red Bull, but I also expect Mercedes to be fast on the long straights of Monza."

Alonso's name has been engraved twice on the winner's trophy at this track: in 2007 when he achieved success with McLaren, and last year with the famous victory for the Prancing Horse. “They were two very different victories,” said Fernando. “It was much more exciting last year, not just on Sunday, because when you drive the Ferrari you notice the difference when you arrive at the airport, at the hotel, in the paddock and generally you are engaged in more activities than at other races. It's fantastic to see from the podium how happy the fans are for the success of an Italian car. The 2007 victory, however, was similar to any other first place achieved on other tracks."

As for next year, the Spanish driver declared what the team's clear objective is: “We are working hard to be competitive from the first race, and we are aware that it will be a difficult job from now until we start testing winter races that will lead us to the first Grand Prix. However, it is impossible to have certainties in Formula 1, this is a very complex sport: when you take the car out on the track in February, you can have surprises, positive or negative. But I know that at Ferrari there are the right people to be competitive. For the rest of this season we will have minimal updates from now on, so our level of competitiveness will vary depending on the track. For now, however, let's focus on trying to win again in Monza."