Sunday: Alonso clinches a new podium with Ferrari

Fernando Alonso – 3rd:

« If someone had told me this morning that I would finish on the podium, I wouldn’t have believed it possible. Yesterday during qualifying, we finished far behind, and our expectations for this race were to finish in 5th or 6th position, hoping to score as many points as possible. After several negative experiences, today we can say that we were lucky on several occasions, starting with Pérez and then during the first stop with a completely worn tire – luckily at the last corner – and then with Vettel’s retirement. At the end of a difficult weekend, it was unimaginable to regain so much ground, but now we must try to improve, starting with the next race in Germany. Only there will we understand if we are behind or if this weekend was a unique problem. Until the Canadian Grand Prix, we saw a Ferrari capable of fighting for the podium, but a Ferrari struggling in qualifying, before having a very good race pace, so now the goal is to return to that situation. It is impossible to say what happened with the tires, so it is something that the experts will have to resolve. »

Felipe Massa – 6th:

« I am thrilled with my race, which this time was impeccable. After a fantastic start and a perfect first lap, possibly one of the best of my career, I managed to make an attacking first stint. On lap 10, when I was in the middle of turn 5, my left rear tire had an issue, and I had to pit. After this forced stop, I found myself last, and from there, I began my comeback up the ranks, thanks to numerous overtakes. Without this tire problem, I could have been on the podium because today I had good feelings in the car, and Fernando and I proved that we are in the fight with the best. Now, our biggest concern is safety because even though I can’t say what happened today, it’s unacceptable to drive knowing you are not safe. Even though, fortunately, nothing serious happened, what we witnessed is very dangerous. I had this problem twice in Bahrain, and if nothing is done as soon as possible, I am sure it will happen again. In a few days, we will be at the Nürburgring, a circuit I love and where I hope to have a more competitive car during qualifying, so if I can start a bit better positioned, that should allow me to have another good race. »