Alonso admits to 'several mistakes'
In light of the Italian GP where Fernando Alonso will do his first run in a Ferrari, the Spaniard was asked about how he feels the season went so far, and where he sees him end at the end. As usual, the answer is to aim for the championship.
Many believe that the double champion has committed an unusual number of mistakes this year at Ferrari, while he had before been known as one of the most solid drivers of the field. When asked if he made many mistakes this year, he admitted to that.
"Yes. In the past I made maybe 2 or 3 mistakes a season, but in Ferrari everything you do is more scrutinised and mistakes count double, they show up more. Which one bothers me most? Monaco, the one in practice. We had the car to win the race, the place is special, Ferrari had been wanting a win there for many years, we were counting on it."
Even with the mistakes, the Spaniard was close to the lead in the championship before Spa, and could have still been there had it not been for some unfortunate circumstances.
"We have seen how, with this new points system, the situation can change quickly from race to race and whereas in the past, you had maybe two or three drivers fighting for the title, now we have five or six. It’s true that the fewer races there are, the harder my situation becomes, but I still believe that if I can finish all six events on the podium and win some, then I can be a possible contender at the final race. However, it is true that if I do not get a good result here, or if I had a DNF or a problem, then Singapore is my last chance to stay in the fight. Otherwise it could be “bye bye” to the title. Everyone in the team is remaining calm about it.”
The Ferrari man was asked if he felt this season would be a failure if he was not champion. “No, that is the wrong word,” he maintained. “At the start of every season, your aim is to be world champion and if you do not achieve that, then you and the team are disappointed, but we know we are in a very competitive sport, fighting tough opponents. My first season with Ferrari has been incredible, the best in my life and I am a super-happy man!”
Looking more specifically at this weekend, Fernando feels the F10 should be competitive. “Spa did not go as expected, but we understood what happened there, we made changes and so we have a better package here.” This is the Spaniard’s first Monza appearance in the saddle of a Prancing Horse car and already he has seen signs of enthusiastic support. “I came to the circuit in a Fiat 500 and people were chasing us through the streets,” he revealed with a smile. “Although we give our maximum at every race, you can tell from the atmosphere in the garage that all the guys really want to do well here, for us and for our fans.”
