Brazilian GP, ​​Alonso: “A victory for Felipe would be welcome”

Fernando Alonso's usual Thursday appointment with journalists took place earlier today than usual in order to meet the needs of European newspapers.

The meeting, however, was very similar in form to that of the last races: the subject of the comparison, therefore, was his attempt, and that of Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, to win the world titles. “Nothing has changed in our approach, even if we are now a few points ahead of our opponents. Precisely in Korea we had a clear example of how things can change in a single race with a retirement", explained the Spanish rider. “So our priority for the next two races is to be consistent. Our goal is to get on the podium twice. After the Abu Dhabi race we will see if it was enough to win the Championship. We have to exploit the full potential of the car and also hope for a bit of luck, like in the last Grand Prix. Luck is an important element in all championships."

Even though Alonso is leading the Drivers' Championship, the Spanish driver does not underestimate his rivals. “We are aware that the Red Bulls are to be considered the favorites on any circuit. They dominated for much of the championship, and were particularly strong in qualifying, where they occupied the entire front row of the starting grid 90% of the time,” said Alonso. “We will therefore face very strong opponents, not only Red Bull, but also McLaren. With four or five cars fighting, it's easy to find yourself fifth on the starting grid. For us it's simply a matter of giving our best, while having respect for our opponents."

“At the moment I'm relaxed, and it will be like that on Friday too. On Sunday I'll tell you how I feel! Obviously this is an important race, but there have been others, like Monza and Singapore. In fact the last races were very important for us, because a retirement in one of the last four or five events would have meant saying goodbye to the championship. We raced with a lot of pressure in these Grands Prix, but everything went well because we were concentrated and focused on the race. We have to continue like this. It won't be easy to fight until the end with strong opponents, but we have a car that has improved a lot over the last three months and the performance has taken a step forward."

This will be the home race for Fernando's teammate and Massa has always proved formidable in the Brazilian GP, ​​winning the race twice. What help does Alonso expect from Massa now that the Brazilian driver is no longer in the running for the title? “Felipe is very strong here and the best thing for the team, also for me, would be for him to win this race because he would take 25 points away from my rivals,” was Fernando's logical response. “The difference between being first with 25 points and second with 18 is the largest under the new scoring system, while the gap between the remaining points positions is smaller. The worry, for me, is therefore those 25 points, or that one of my rivals can win them. The hope is that Felipe can win the last two races, for me that would be the best thing. Together we will try to do our best for the team, but we have to see how things go. Historically Felipe has always been very strong here and therefore a success from him would be very welcome."

After answering with his usual calmness all the questions asked of him, a journalist asked Fernando the last time he lost his temper and got really angry. Fernando, after thinking about it for a moment, replied: "maybe last night, towards the referee during the Real Madrid - AC Milan match", thus jokingly concluding the press conference.