‘Ferrari have to move up a gear’

Alonso wants a quicker car to challenge rivals.

MONACO:

Fernando Alonso has warned his Ferrari team that they must show improvement at this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix if they are to have any chance of competing for this year’s world championship.

Despite catapulting himself from fourth to first during the start of last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, it was not long before his Ferrari’s lack of pace became evident and the 29-year-old Spaniard was overtaken by three of his rivals before finishing fifth.

“We need to reorganise a little bit inside the team and I am sure that we will do that very quickly because we cannot lose any time,” he said. “We need a quicker car immediately to fight for the championship and we will see what we can do.”

Vettel pips Alonso in  opening practice

Sebastian Vettel set the fastest time during yesterday’s opening free practice.

The defending drivers’ champion clocked a time of one minute 16.619 seconds on his final lap of the session at the Monte Carlo street circuit, pipping Alonso by one tenth of a second.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 27^th, 2011.