View Poll Results: Who will win?
Felipe "Alonso can have my grid spot or pass me anytime" Massa
0
0%
Michael "so long and thanks for all the fish" Schumacher
0
0%
Nico Rosberg
0
0%
Romain "please see the stewards after class" Grosjean
0
0%
Paul di Resta
0
0%
Nico Hulkenburg
0
0%
Sergio Perez
0
0%
Daniel Ricciardo
0
0%
Jean-Eric Vergne
0
0%
Pastor "i hydroplane in the dry" Maldonado
0
0%
Brunno Senna
0
0%
Vitali Petrov
0
0%
Voters: 77. You may not vote on this poll
2012 Grand Prix of Brazil
12-01-2012, 09:14 AM
#151
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Blame Canada ....
South Park was right again...
It was Canada that cost Alonso the 2012.
Italy will be asking the UN that Canada be excluded from the globe....
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe...rticle5723349/
If they were to construct a Mount Rushmore for Douchebags in honor of Alonso and Ferrari, not even the Himalayas would be a big enough canvas.
After losing the Formula One drivers’ championship by a scant three points on Sunday, a fitting theme song for Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso following the disappointing end to 2012 would have been “Blame Canada.”
The Canadian Grand Prix may be a distant memory, but the points that Ferrari squandered on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve with a poor strategy could have brought Alonso the 2012 title.
The Ferrari driver finished second in Sunday’s season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix, but it wasn’t enough to wrestle the 2012 title from the hands of Sebastian Vettel. The Red Bull driver’s sixth place secured his third consecutive championship by three markers, 281-278. Drivers get 25 points for wins.
“Where did we lose those three points?” team boss Stefano Domenicali asked pensively after the race.
The lyrics of “Blame Canada” point to the obvious answer: “It seems that everything’s gone wrong since Canada came along.” The song from the animated film South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut blamed a Canadian film for corrupting the children of the fictional Colorado town.
Even with the retirements due to collisions at the start of the Belgian and Japanese Grands Prix that Domenicali pointed to as the possible culprits, Alonso likely still would have been the three-time champion crowned on Sunday had the team not made a huge strategic blunder in the closing stages of June’s Canadian Grand Prix.
Now let’s be clear that even had Alonso pulled off a miracle in Sao Paulo and won the title, he never should have been in that situation in the first place. Strapped into the third or fourth quickest car on most weekends, the two-time world champion was easily the driver of the year. Only his massive talent and exceptional race craft dragged his speed-challenged Ferrari up the leaderboard and took the title fight to the last race.
Unfortunately for Alonso, Ferrari made one huge tactical blunder in 2012 that played a key role its driver being runner up to Vettel for the second time in three seasons.
Fans might recall Alonso going from first to fifth in the final six laps in Montreal after his team decided to stay with its one-stop pit strategy even though the evidence on track indicated a change. Needless to say, the team failed Alonso miserably.
In Canada, Alonso fought Lewis Hamilton most of the way and trailed the McLaren by about three seconds when the leader headed into the pits for new rubber with 20 laps to go. Alonso inherited the lead with Ferrari sticking to its one-stop strategy and betting that Hamilton would not be able to catch the scarlet car on its worn tires in the remaining laps.
The team was wrong, and Hamilton quickly showed he had the pace on the new rubber to reel in Alonso and retake the lead. To make matters worse, Felipe Massa was struggling at that point to keep his Ferrari up to speed on tires as old as his teammate’s, which was a clear indication that Alonso would be hard pressed to put up competitive lap times as the race reached its final stages.
Massa ended up pitting with 10 laps to go and once the Ferrari mechanics in the pitlane looked at his worn tires, they should have brought Alonso in knowing he would not be able to hold off the cars chasing him. Instead, Alonso stayed out and was passed by Lotus’ Romain Grosjean with four laps to go and Sauber’s Sergio Pérez three laps later.
Vettel stopped with six laps to go and proceeded to put in a series of sizzling times on his new tires, overtaking Alonso on the last lap for fourth. Vettel’s final lap was also the quickest recorded in the race.
After the race it was clear that the worst Alonso likely would have finished was second had Ferrari reacted to Hamilton getting new tires and pitted to cover the McLaren driver’s stop. Where Vettel would have ended up is anyone’s guess, but second for Alonso and third for the Red Bull driver in Montreal would have meant a five-point swing in the Ferrari man’s favour and the championship would have been his on Sunday by two points. The lap charts appear to show this would have played even if out Alonso waited to pit until a lap or two after Masa made his final stop.
In a second scenario, had the team clued in and realized that Alonso would not be able to hold off the hard-charging McLaren, Lotus and Sauber cars and called him into the pits at the same time Vettel made his second stop, a different champion may have also been crowned on Sunday.
If Alonso pitted when Hamilton got around Vettel with seven laps to go as the Red Bull driver did, the Ferrari would have exited fourth ahead of his rival with both on the same, almost new tires. If Vettel didn’t stop and tried Ferrari’s gambit, the actual race result proved that there’s no doubt Alonso would have re-passed the Red Bull for fourth.
While a later stop may have not left enough time to catch Grosjean’s Lotus, an Alonso who pitted with seven laps to go probably would have still finished third because the lap charts show the Ferrari would have been able to get a tire swap done and get back on track either right alongside Pérez or directly behind the Sauber. With new rubber that would have been much quicker than the Sauber’s worn tires, Alonso should have been able to catch and pass the eventual third place finisher.
It must also be noted that Sauber uses Ferrari engines and that deal may have come into play with Alonso sniffing Pérez’s exhaust.
Many observers felt Pérez was given a coded message in the season’s second grand prix in Malaysia when he was catching leader Alonso late in the race and looked to be heading for a win. When he got within a second of the Ferrari, his team told him: “Be careful, Checo, we need this position,” which many interpreted to mean “do not pass our engine supplier.”
Since Vettel actually pitted and was not able to get past Pérez before the end, it can be assumed he would have still finished behind the Sauber driver while Alonso likely would have overtaken him.
The seven-point difference in Alonso’s favour in that scenario would have had Vettel only six ahead of the Ferrari going into Sunday’s finale, rather than 13. Had that been the case, Alonso would have emerged from the fray in Brazil four points ahead.
Agonizingly, even if Ferrari had simply taken a hard look at Massa’s slowing times and old tires when he pitted with 10 laps to go and then brought Alonso in just to protect the fourth place he eventually lost to Vettel on the final lap, he still would have taken the title on Sunday over the Red Bull driver by a single point.
Had Alonso pitted and Vettel’s passed Pérez for third, the Red Bull driver would still be champion by one point.
But the fact remains that Alonso would likely have been champion in three of the four possibilities with him stopping.
In the end, the decision not to pit for new tires late in Montreal can be seen as not only costing Alonso an easy podium finish, but it also robbing him of the 2012 driver’s title.
It also shows how drivers are exactly right when they say every point scored in every race counts.
So, when he looks back on a 2012 title lost, Alonso can blame Canada.
It was Canada that cost Alonso the 2012.
Italy will be asking the UN that Canada be excluded from the globe....
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe...rticle5723349/
If they were to construct a Mount Rushmore for Douchebags in honor of Alonso and Ferrari, not even the Himalayas would be a big enough canvas.
After losing the Formula One drivers’ championship by a scant three points on Sunday, a fitting theme song for Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso following the disappointing end to 2012 would have been “Blame Canada.”
The Canadian Grand Prix may be a distant memory, but the points that Ferrari squandered on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve with a poor strategy could have brought Alonso the 2012 title.
The Ferrari driver finished second in Sunday’s season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix, but it wasn’t enough to wrestle the 2012 title from the hands of Sebastian Vettel. The Red Bull driver’s sixth place secured his third consecutive championship by three markers, 281-278. Drivers get 25 points for wins.
“Where did we lose those three points?” team boss Stefano Domenicali asked pensively after the race.
The lyrics of “Blame Canada” point to the obvious answer: “It seems that everything’s gone wrong since Canada came along.” The song from the animated film South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut blamed a Canadian film for corrupting the children of the fictional Colorado town.
Even with the retirements due to collisions at the start of the Belgian and Japanese Grands Prix that Domenicali pointed to as the possible culprits, Alonso likely still would have been the three-time champion crowned on Sunday had the team not made a huge strategic blunder in the closing stages of June’s Canadian Grand Prix.
Now let’s be clear that even had Alonso pulled off a miracle in Sao Paulo and won the title, he never should have been in that situation in the first place. Strapped into the third or fourth quickest car on most weekends, the two-time world champion was easily the driver of the year. Only his massive talent and exceptional race craft dragged his speed-challenged Ferrari up the leaderboard and took the title fight to the last race.
Unfortunately for Alonso, Ferrari made one huge tactical blunder in 2012 that played a key role its driver being runner up to Vettel for the second time in three seasons.
Fans might recall Alonso going from first to fifth in the final six laps in Montreal after his team decided to stay with its one-stop pit strategy even though the evidence on track indicated a change. Needless to say, the team failed Alonso miserably.
In Canada, Alonso fought Lewis Hamilton most of the way and trailed the McLaren by about three seconds when the leader headed into the pits for new rubber with 20 laps to go. Alonso inherited the lead with Ferrari sticking to its one-stop strategy and betting that Hamilton would not be able to catch the scarlet car on its worn tires in the remaining laps.
The team was wrong, and Hamilton quickly showed he had the pace on the new rubber to reel in Alonso and retake the lead. To make matters worse, Felipe Massa was struggling at that point to keep his Ferrari up to speed on tires as old as his teammate’s, which was a clear indication that Alonso would be hard pressed to put up competitive lap times as the race reached its final stages.
Massa ended up pitting with 10 laps to go and once the Ferrari mechanics in the pitlane looked at his worn tires, they should have brought Alonso in knowing he would not be able to hold off the cars chasing him. Instead, Alonso stayed out and was passed by Lotus’ Romain Grosjean with four laps to go and Sauber’s Sergio Pérez three laps later.
Vettel stopped with six laps to go and proceeded to put in a series of sizzling times on his new tires, overtaking Alonso on the last lap for fourth. Vettel’s final lap was also the quickest recorded in the race.
After the race it was clear that the worst Alonso likely would have finished was second had Ferrari reacted to Hamilton getting new tires and pitted to cover the McLaren driver’s stop. Where Vettel would have ended up is anyone’s guess, but second for Alonso and third for the Red Bull driver in Montreal would have meant a five-point swing in the Ferrari man’s favour and the championship would have been his on Sunday by two points. The lap charts appear to show this would have played even if out Alonso waited to pit until a lap or two after Masa made his final stop.
In a second scenario, had the team clued in and realized that Alonso would not be able to hold off the hard-charging McLaren, Lotus and Sauber cars and called him into the pits at the same time Vettel made his second stop, a different champion may have also been crowned on Sunday.
If Alonso pitted when Hamilton got around Vettel with seven laps to go as the Red Bull driver did, the Ferrari would have exited fourth ahead of his rival with both on the same, almost new tires. If Vettel didn’t stop and tried Ferrari’s gambit, the actual race result proved that there’s no doubt Alonso would have re-passed the Red Bull for fourth.
While a later stop may have not left enough time to catch Grosjean’s Lotus, an Alonso who pitted with seven laps to go probably would have still finished third because the lap charts show the Ferrari would have been able to get a tire swap done and get back on track either right alongside Pérez or directly behind the Sauber. With new rubber that would have been much quicker than the Sauber’s worn tires, Alonso should have been able to catch and pass the eventual third place finisher.
It must also be noted that Sauber uses Ferrari engines and that deal may have come into play with Alonso sniffing Pérez’s exhaust.
Many observers felt Pérez was given a coded message in the season’s second grand prix in Malaysia when he was catching leader Alonso late in the race and looked to be heading for a win. When he got within a second of the Ferrari, his team told him: “Be careful, Checo, we need this position,” which many interpreted to mean “do not pass our engine supplier.”
Since Vettel actually pitted and was not able to get past Pérez before the end, it can be assumed he would have still finished behind the Sauber driver while Alonso likely would have overtaken him.
The seven-point difference in Alonso’s favour in that scenario would have had Vettel only six ahead of the Ferrari going into Sunday’s finale, rather than 13. Had that been the case, Alonso would have emerged from the fray in Brazil four points ahead.
Agonizingly, even if Ferrari had simply taken a hard look at Massa’s slowing times and old tires when he pitted with 10 laps to go and then brought Alonso in just to protect the fourth place he eventually lost to Vettel on the final lap, he still would have taken the title on Sunday over the Red Bull driver by a single point.
Had Alonso pitted and Vettel’s passed Pérez for third, the Red Bull driver would still be champion by one point.
But the fact remains that Alonso would likely have been champion in three of the four possibilities with him stopping.
In the end, the decision not to pit for new tires late in Montreal can be seen as not only costing Alonso an easy podium finish, but it also robbing him of the 2012 driver’s title.
It also shows how drivers are exactly right when they say every point scored in every race counts.
So, when he looks back on a 2012 title lost, Alonso can blame Canada.
12-01-2012, 09:27 AM
#153
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The conclusion is clear...
Alonso simply can't win a WDC without Flavio Briatore, Pat Symmonds and Michelin.
So let's see....how to guarantee a WDC next season....
This year we bolted the entire rear half of a Sauber to our tub and almost won. Not good enough.
Next year we just use the entire Sauber, painted red, and run Michelins with reprinted sidewalls to say Pirelli, Ferrari hires Pat Symmonds, Flavio is hired by Luca as Team Strategist and Piquet Jr. is assigned by the FIA to be the permanent driver representative for the Race Stewards.
Alonso simply can't win a WDC without Flavio Briatore, Pat Symmonds and Michelin.
So let's see....how to guarantee a WDC next season....
This year we bolted the entire rear half of a Sauber to our tub and almost won. Not good enough.
Next year we just use the entire Sauber, painted red, and run Michelins with reprinted sidewalls to say Pirelli, Ferrari hires Pat Symmonds, Flavio is hired by Luca as Team Strategist and Piquet Jr. is assigned by the FIA to be the permanent driver representative for the Race Stewards.
12-01-2012, 06:15 PM
#154
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Blame Canada, Blame Canada
It seems that everything's gone wrong
Since Canada came along
Blame Canada, Blame Canada
PS: If I had my way Canada would not even be in the UN, but that is a different can of worms.
12-02-2012, 08:52 AM
#155
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Woke up feeling awful today, so rather than taking Dilaudid, I looked up Santander's stock price since Alonso joined Ferrari.
http://www.google.com/finance?q=NYSE:SAN
I feel a little bit better now ....
http://www.google.com/finance?q=NYSE:SAN
I feel a little bit better now ....
12-02-2012, 10:55 PM
#156
...and it's still not quite over. Luca and Bernie trade salvos, age insults ensue, Ferrari wants to field a 458 next year.
Montezemolo replies to Bernie
"Respect for your elders"
Milano, 02 December 2012
The president of Ferrari did not mince his words as he replied to Ecclestone's criticism of the Rampant Horse's decision to ask for clarification over Vettel's overtaking: "Old age is incompatible with certain roles. And let's put an end to this Formula One which is all about aerodynamics and no testing"
"Ecclestone?
You have to show respect for your elders, especially when they get to that stage in which they are no longer in control of what they say. However, old age is clearly incompatible with certain roles and responsibilities". This was how Luca Montezemolo, president of Ferrari, replied to Bernie Ecclestone, who had been scathing in his criticism of the team from Maranello after they had asked the FIA for clarification over an overtaking by Sebastian Vettel in Brazil. The head of the Formula One circus had described the action of the Rampant Horse as being "not Ferrari-like" and said the alleged episode was "a joke".
Scandalous —
"Someone said that it was scandalous that we asked the FIA for clarification over the yellow flags and that we went a bit too far. Ferrari's actions were perfectly transparent - repeated Montezemolo - as we saw the video of what happened after the race, a video that was shown on websites all over the world. We received thousands of requests from our fans and decided that a request for clarification was the most simple, correct and logical action to take. The FIA declared that for them there had been no infringement and so the matter was closed. Congratulations to Vettel and Red Bull because whoever won after such a difficult season deserved the title and because at Ferrari that is what we do. And we would like everyone to congratulate us next season if we win the world championship. We were nevertheless one of the main protagonists this season. We challenged for the title right till the end and next year will be very important for us. The most important thing is to be there at the top. We will have to work very hard to give our two drivers a winning car".
Counter-attack —
On Ferrari Day in Valencia, Montezemolo went on the counter–attack, replying to Ecclestone. "There are a number of things that are not right in Formula One and the moment has come to finally sort them out in the appropriate places" stated the number one at the Rampant Horse during the press conference. "It is not acceptable that Formula One no longer transfers technology to our road cars. The aerodynamics is now becoming something which has nothing to do with the research. This cannot be a sport in which there is no longer testing on the track. We have run out of patience. We are car manufacturers, not sponsors. As Ecclestone said, 'it's a joke...'".
"Respect for your elders"
Milano, 02 December 2012
The president of Ferrari did not mince his words as he replied to Ecclestone's criticism of the Rampant Horse's decision to ask for clarification over Vettel's overtaking: "Old age is incompatible with certain roles. And let's put an end to this Formula One which is all about aerodynamics and no testing"
"Ecclestone?
You have to show respect for your elders, especially when they get to that stage in which they are no longer in control of what they say. However, old age is clearly incompatible with certain roles and responsibilities". This was how Luca Montezemolo, president of Ferrari, replied to Bernie Ecclestone, who had been scathing in his criticism of the team from Maranello after they had asked the FIA for clarification over an overtaking by Sebastian Vettel in Brazil. The head of the Formula One circus had described the action of the Rampant Horse as being "not Ferrari-like" and said the alleged episode was "a joke".
Scandalous —
"Someone said that it was scandalous that we asked the FIA for clarification over the yellow flags and that we went a bit too far. Ferrari's actions were perfectly transparent - repeated Montezemolo - as we saw the video of what happened after the race, a video that was shown on websites all over the world. We received thousands of requests from our fans and decided that a request for clarification was the most simple, correct and logical action to take. The FIA declared that for them there had been no infringement and so the matter was closed. Congratulations to Vettel and Red Bull because whoever won after such a difficult season deserved the title and because at Ferrari that is what we do. And we would like everyone to congratulate us next season if we win the world championship. We were nevertheless one of the main protagonists this season. We challenged for the title right till the end and next year will be very important for us. The most important thing is to be there at the top. We will have to work very hard to give our two drivers a winning car".
Counter-attack —
On Ferrari Day in Valencia, Montezemolo went on the counter–attack, replying to Ecclestone. "There are a number of things that are not right in Formula One and the moment has come to finally sort them out in the appropriate places" stated the number one at the Rampant Horse during the press conference. "It is not acceptable that Formula One no longer transfers technology to our road cars. The aerodynamics is now becoming something which has nothing to do with the research. This cannot be a sport in which there is no longer testing on the track. We have run out of patience. We are car manufacturers, not sponsors. As Ecclestone said, 'it's a joke...'".
12-02-2012, 11:15 PM
#157
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"The aerodynamics is now becoming something which has nothing to do with the research"
Memo to Luca: people in glass houses ....
You've been beaten by a man who uses a drafting table and a pencil.
It's got nothing to do with your wind tunnel.
However, I've heard that the makers of Midol are willing to sponsor you when Santander leaves.
"We will have to work very hard to give our two drivers a winning car"
Why? If Massa outqualifies Alonso, you will cut the seal on his engine next year.
If Massa catches Alonso, he will be ordered to keep back and block faster cars behind him.
You might as well just build the Safety Car for the FIA and put Massa behind the wheel.
I've often wondered why after all these years, I have yet to ever see a Ferrari and say "I'd like to own that someday" ... now it is obvious.
Memo to Luca: people in glass houses ....
You've been beaten by a man who uses a drafting table and a pencil.
It's got nothing to do with your wind tunnel.
However, I've heard that the makers of Midol are willing to sponsor you when Santander leaves.
"We will have to work very hard to give our two drivers a winning car"
Why? If Massa outqualifies Alonso, you will cut the seal on his engine next year.
If Massa catches Alonso, he will be ordered to keep back and block faster cars behind him.
You might as well just build the Safety Car for the FIA and put Massa behind the wheel.
I've often wondered why after all these years, I have yet to ever see a Ferrari and say "I'd like to own that someday" ... now it is obvious.
12-03-2012, 11:45 AM
#158
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So it wasn't Canada after all
I believe an official apology is owed to Canada ... it was now Belgium and Japan's fault....
Perhaps someone should tell Stefano Domenicali
Alonso: 2012 the best season of my life 03 Dec 2012
Race winner Fernando Alonso (ESP) Ferrari celebrates in parc ferme. Formula One World Championship, Rd2, Malaysian Grand Prix, Race, Sepang, Malaysia, Sunday, 25 March 2012 Race winner Fernando Alonso (ESP) Ferrari F2012 punches the air as he wins the race. Formula One World Championship, Rd8, European Grand Prix, Race Day, Valencia, Spain, Sunday, 24 June 2012 Race winner Fernando Alonso (ESP) Ferrari celebrates on the podium. Formula One World Championship, Rd8, European Grand Prix, Race Day, Valencia, Spain, Sunday, 24 June 2012
A week after narrowly missing out on winning the Formula One drivers’ title at the final race of the season in Brazil, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso has spoken of the great satisfaction he takes from what he describes as a “spectacular” 2012 campaign.
“I am happy with the way things went,” he said. “In the end, we lost the title by three points, however I did the best season of my life and now I can only think of the year to come. It was a miracle to see, race after race, what we managed to achieve: we definitely did not lose the title in Brazil; that happened in Spa and Suzuka. Next year, we will try and improve the car, trying to start further up the grid, thus avoiding accidents. Let’s hope we also have a bit more luck…
“I think in terms of strategy, pit stops, starts, reliability, this has been a perfect year. We all agree the one thing lacking was the car, which meant we could not match the best teams for most of the year. It’s the only thing we need to improve, but it’s also true that it’s the hardest thing to do. With all the difficulties we had, I’m thinking for example of how far behind we were in winter testing, to be able to fight right to the very end for the title means we are a great team.”
In the three years he’s been with Ferrari, Alonso has twice gone into the final race of the season with a chance of winning the title. He’s been unsuccessful on each occasion, but the 31-year-old Spaniard believes the experiences have benefited him.
“Ever since I’ve been at Ferrari, I think I have grown a lot, especially this last year,” he said. “Before, the people had a more or less good opinion of me, but now I notice a whole different level of respect. And then, to be one of the greats of Formula One, it’s not enough to win titles, you must also tackle seasons like the one just ended. Next year? I hope to score three or four points more.”
Alonso will lead an unchanged driver line-up at Ferrari in 2013, as team mate Felipe Massa starts his eighth season with the Scuderia.
Perhaps someone should tell Stefano Domenicali
Alonso: 2012 the best season of my life 03 Dec 2012
Race winner Fernando Alonso (ESP) Ferrari celebrates in parc ferme. Formula One World Championship, Rd2, Malaysian Grand Prix, Race, Sepang, Malaysia, Sunday, 25 March 2012 Race winner Fernando Alonso (ESP) Ferrari F2012 punches the air as he wins the race. Formula One World Championship, Rd8, European Grand Prix, Race Day, Valencia, Spain, Sunday, 24 June 2012 Race winner Fernando Alonso (ESP) Ferrari celebrates on the podium. Formula One World Championship, Rd8, European Grand Prix, Race Day, Valencia, Spain, Sunday, 24 June 2012
A week after narrowly missing out on winning the Formula One drivers’ title at the final race of the season in Brazil, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso has spoken of the great satisfaction he takes from what he describes as a “spectacular” 2012 campaign.
“I am happy with the way things went,” he said. “In the end, we lost the title by three points, however I did the best season of my life and now I can only think of the year to come. It was a miracle to see, race after race, what we managed to achieve: we definitely did not lose the title in Brazil; that happened in Spa and Suzuka. Next year, we will try and improve the car, trying to start further up the grid, thus avoiding accidents. Let’s hope we also have a bit more luck…
“I think in terms of strategy, pit stops, starts, reliability, this has been a perfect year. We all agree the one thing lacking was the car, which meant we could not match the best teams for most of the year. It’s the only thing we need to improve, but it’s also true that it’s the hardest thing to do. With all the difficulties we had, I’m thinking for example of how far behind we were in winter testing, to be able to fight right to the very end for the title means we are a great team.”
In the three years he’s been with Ferrari, Alonso has twice gone into the final race of the season with a chance of winning the title. He’s been unsuccessful on each occasion, but the 31-year-old Spaniard believes the experiences have benefited him.
“Ever since I’ve been at Ferrari, I think I have grown a lot, especially this last year,” he said. “Before, the people had a more or less good opinion of me, but now I notice a whole different level of respect. And then, to be one of the greats of Formula One, it’s not enough to win titles, you must also tackle seasons like the one just ended. Next year? I hope to score three or four points more.”
Alonso will lead an unchanged driver line-up at Ferrari in 2013, as team mate Felipe Massa starts his eighth season with the Scuderia.
12-03-2012, 11:55 AM
#159
Rennlist Member
Felt so when it happened. I was in CA and knew this could come back to bite Ferrari.
I was able to watch the race last night as it was replayed by Speed. Lots of action. Vettel got lucky with some of the SC deployments for sure but he did an amazing job to finish on the podium. This was Alonso's chance to make up on points, which obviously didn't happen.
I knew Ferrari's decision in CA to not pit Alonso for a fresh set would come back to bite them. Vettel pitted, picked new rubber and passed Alonso. This could very well be the difference in this yrs championship. Ferrari has been too conservative in its approach and it will bite them. They have been in "prevent defense" mode most of the yr.
Raj
I knew Ferrari's decision in CA to not pit Alonso for a fresh set would come back to bite them. Vettel pitted, picked new rubber and passed Alonso. This could very well be the difference in this yrs championship. Ferrari has been too conservative in its approach and it will bite them. They have been in "prevent defense" mode most of the yr.
Raj
12-03-2012, 12:37 PM
#160
Ironman 140.6
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12-03-2012, 01:33 PM
#161
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^
I am currently in negotiations with www.fathead.com , asking them (actually begging them) to please make this image available.
They specialize in Big Heads ... so if the shoe fits....
It would be the perfect gift for the Alonso fan on your XMAS list.
They could lie in bed at night, looking up at Alonso, wondering "why didn't I take Santander's money and go to Sauber?"
On a related note, I believe the long standing love affair of "every driver wanting to drive for Ferrari" is a bit over rated in these times.
I am currently in negotiations with www.fathead.com , asking them (actually begging them) to please make this image available.
They specialize in Big Heads ... so if the shoe fits....
It would be the perfect gift for the Alonso fan on your XMAS list.
They could lie in bed at night, looking up at Alonso, wondering "why didn't I take Santander's money and go to Sauber?"
On a related note, I believe the long standing love affair of "every driver wanting to drive for Ferrari" is a bit over rated in these times.
