Alonso: Ferrari is the least risky bet

Fernando Alonso says that moving to the Ferrari team is the safest option for any driver, despite their relatively disappointing 2009 season.

The Maranello team, last year’s constructors’ champion, finished in fourth place this year with only one victory to their name, thanks to Räikkönen in his backyard of Spa-Francorchamps.

However, despite Ferrari’s poor campaign, Alonso remains confident that the team will be in contention for the titles again next season.

«You have to try to be naturally optimistic,» Alonso told the radio station Cadena Ser. «I think what calms me is that going to Ferrari is synonymous with serenity, because you know they give their best. It’s a team and a brand born for competition, and so you know they will give everything for their car, and you know that Ferrari is generally among the frontrunners.»

Sometimes they win titles, sometimes they don’t, but they never have a truly bad season. I think going to Ferrari is the safest option for any driver. Apart from the names of the drivers on the grid, we don’t know how things will be next year, everything is still a big question mark, and we will see how well the new cars perform.

«But I think that being with Ferrari or McLaren, or in the good teams, gives you more peace of mind than any other team because anything can happen.»

The Spaniard, who also had a difficult season in 2009, believes that Felipe Massa and himself will form a strong pair of drivers. « Everything I have heard from the team is that Felipe is fully recovered and that he will be my teammate. I believe that together we can have a very strong team,» added the Spaniard.

Massa has demonstrated that he is a very fast driver, that he has grown a lot over the last two or three years, and I think we can challenge the strongest teams like McLaren or Red Bull.