Alonso: A Ferrari “at the level of 2012” in China
For Fernando Alonso, the Chinese Grand Prix was good, with the driver feeling that his car has become more enjoyable to drive and more efficient. He believes that the road to a potential title fight is still long.
After a Chinese race finished on the podium, the first of the season for Scuderia Ferrari, Fernando Alonso does not want to celebrate too quickly. Currently 3rd in the drivers’ championship, with 41 points, the Spaniard is pleased with this result but does not want to give in to too much optimism. Achieving more than just secondary places will be challenging.
Thus, the podium must be celebrated but everything remains to be done: We must appreciate the result today, but there is still a long way to go and we cannot promise anything for Barcelona, he admits to our British colleagues at Autosport. In terms of the result, we must remain very calm and see how the development goes during these three weeks. [China is] a unique track, with the front experiencing graining that you need to take care of.
The development, precisely, seems to have been a key ingredient in Fernando Alonso’s strong performance: « We have brought in new parts that seem a bit more competitive, but we need to see if we can bring additional new parts for Barcelona. »
He compares the F14-T, in China, to the F2012 which had allowed him to compete for the title until the last race: « I personally had an extremely good weekend, probably at the level of 2012 in terms of driving and comfort with the car. »
He measures the progress made: « In Bahrain, we were one minute behind the leaders, 9th and 10th, and today we are on the podium, 7 seconds behind Nico. But Kimi was one minute behind the leaders. » However, as Alonso himself pointed out, the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain did not suit the Ferrari due to its fast nature.
After four races during which Mercedes demonstrated its superiority in all conditions, winning 4 victories and securing 3 one-twos, is the title still attainable for the Reds? For the moment, it seems very distant because they have a big advantage and we must work very hard if we want to have this possibility. There is nothing really specific that we must do, just not give up; we are in fourth place in the championship, there is still a long way to go but, being very realistic, knowing that the gap is very, very big, it’s going to be very difficult, he confessed to Sky Sports.
