Alonso and Ferrari: Between Confidence and Caution Before Hungary

Not content with seeing Fernando Alonso, thanks to his victory, soar in the driver’s championship, Scuderia Ferrari has strengthened its second place in the team standings by increasing its lead over McLaren and Lotus as well as closing within 53 points of Red Bull after trailing by as much as 67 points following the Canadian Grand Prix. However, the men from Maranello do not intend to rest on their laurels: “It’s nice to see our fans happy with the last result, but no one in Maranello is under any illusion,” cautions Stefano Domenicali. “The fact that we lead the Drivers’ Championship with Fernando doesn’t make us think that everything is fine and that we are sailing with the wind at our back: quite the opposite in fact. Red Bull has always been very strong in Budapest these past years and McLaren showed in Germany that they are back in great form, after a slight dip during their home race. Then there’s also Mercedes as well as Lotus and other teams like Williams and Sauber, which have proven that in certain circumstances, they can also fight for the podium. Clearly, the competition is as numerous as it is strong.”

Fernando Alonso, who secured his third victory of the season in Germany, shares Stefano Domenicali’s cautious outlook: “We have become good. However, I do not forget that McLaren and Red Bull were stronger than us not long ago. Up until now, in July, we have taken 43 out of the 75 possible points [editor’s note: 43 out of 50 points not counting the Hungarian Grand Prix]. We are trying to finish the job,” the Spaniard confides in the columns of La Stampa.

The native of Oviedo remembers that the Hungaroring was the scene of his first victory in the top category, and the 2012 Hungarian Grand Prix will be an opportunity for the Ferrari driver to try to celebrate his thirty-first birthday with a thirty-first victory that would put him in an even more favorable position for the title: « I like the track. But I am convinced that it will be the Ferrari that will help me. The car has improved a lot, now it is strong in traction and acceleration. I see no problem in this area. I will give 100% of what I have because the championship is still long. […] I don’t want anyone to arrive in Hungary better prepared than me, physically or mentally, but also more motivated than me. […] I expect to do well in Budapest and there is no reason to be pessimistic. However, I do not forget that Red Bull and McLaren were faster [at Hockenheim]. »

The Asturian therefore expects another demanding weekend for all drivers as qualifying will play a more decisive role than usual: « Budapest is a very unique circuit, short and twisty. I can imagine that there could be a gap of two or three tenths between the top ten in qualifying. It will therefore be important to be well prepared for this race; we must have a perfect weekend without making mistakes. Not starting at the front could become a disaster. We will also have something new on the F2012: I am quite confident, » indicates the Spaniard still in La Stampa.

But the Scuderia is already looking beyond this Hungarian Grand Prix, and on Ferrari’s official site, Stefano Domenicali assures that no one in Maranello is yielding to the euphoria of victory while the road ahead is still long and fraught with obstacles: « After Budapest, we will face two very difficult races with Spa and Monza where we must show that we are also competitive on fast circuits. The performance of the F2012 has improved since the start of the season, but until we have the fastest car on the track, we cannot say we are happy. The road ahead remains long with many obstacles in front of us, the first and indeed the most dangerous being to get caught up in the euphoria coming from the outside. But I am calm because I am immune to this kind of thing. »