Formula One: Alonso targets idol Senna’s title haul

Opening practice session for Singapore GP affected by rain.

SINGAPORE: Formula One championship leader Fernando Alonso set his sights on matching Ayrton Senna’s career haul of three world titles after equalling his boyhood idol’s number of podium finishes.

The Spaniard finished third two weeks ago in Italy to claim his 80th podium spot, putting him level with the late Brazilian legend. He said he could scarcely believe his achievement after growing up with Senna posters on his bedroom wall. Only Michael Schumacher and Alain Prost have climbed the podium more times.

“I feel extremely proud,” said Alonso, ahead of this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix. “When you equal some numbers of Ayrton Senna it’s always quite a big thing, especially for me. I always followed his races, I had his cars, I had his poster in my room so when you have the same (number of) podiums as him it’s something you can’t believe.”

But Alonso also said he had a bigger target in mind: clinching his third drivers’ title, which would put him level with Senna’s wins in 1988, 1990 and 1991. Alonso, who won back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006, leads the championship by 37 points with seven races to go, starting with Sunday’s night race through downtown Singapore.

“Everything is going well in my career, I feel very well, very happy and I hope to reach more important numbers of Senna. Everybody’s strong at the moment and everybody’s a contender. So there are still five or six drivers that can fight for the title. Lewis Hamilton is a strong rival - I’ve been saying since February that Lewis is the one I respect the most, because I know what he can do with good cars and bad cars, and he’s (lying) second.”

Vettel fastest in wet practice

Meanwhile, defending world champion Sebastian Vettel set the early pace at the Singapore Grand Prix as he timed quickest in a damp first free practice session yesterday. on Friday.

Two hours after a downpour, the Red Bull driver from Germany clocked one minute, 50.566 seconds on the drying street circuit to overhaul McLaren’s Hamilton by 0.049sec. Hamilton’s teammate Jenson Button was third quickest ahead of Alonso, Williams driver Pastor Maldonado and Red Bull’s Australian pilot, Mark Webber. Nico Hulkenberg, Paul di Resta, Daniel Ricciardo and Sauber’s Sergio Perez rounded out the top 10 after the 90-minute session held in high humidity as dusk fell over the floodlit, downtown course.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 22^nd, 2012.