Sunday: Alonso makes his tires last and puts Ferrari on the podium in Hungary

Fernando Alonso (#14) – 2nd

The Spaniard clinches his second podium of the season and congratulates his team: « This podium means a lot to me and to the whole team, because after so many tough races, we managed to take advantage of everything, also taking some risks, and the second place feels like a victory. »

The last stint on soft tires was the key to this podium, as he explains: « Doing 31 laps at the end on worn soft tires was a big challenge. At that moment, the strategy suggested that if we made a third stop, we would have finished 4th, but we decided to go to the checkered flag. The race showed that anything is possible when there are unusual conditions like today, with a start on a wet track and the appearance of the safety car. We managed to seize all the opportunities that came our way, making the best decisions even in difficult moments. »

He remains realistic, however: « Obviously, the characteristics of the circuit, with limited overtaking opportunities, helped us, and that is why we need to be realistic and continue working on the car to improve all aspects. »

Kimi Räikkönen (No. 7) – 6th

The Finn, starting in the middle of the pack, believes he did his best: « Today’s race was difficult, but much more fun for others, as I had a good feeling with the car, the pace was good, and I felt I could attack. After yesterday’s qualifying, 6th was the maximum we could hope for. At the start, I got off well, but I lost crucial time behind a Sauber and when I caught up to the Williams’ Massa, I couldn’t get past: here, in general, overtaking is not easy and we lack speed on the straights. »

« Of course, it’s a good team result, but we must not get too excited because even if there are signs of improvement, we still have to work a lot in many areas to get to where we want to go, » he concluded.