Ferrari’s Alonso eyes 2013 revenge
Spaniard geared up for an improved show next year.
PARIS:
Anyone within earshot of Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso after the chaotic season-closing race at Interlagos could have been forgiven for believing it was the Spaniard and not Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel who had just won the title.
The 2012 season will be remembered as one of the most thrilling ever — with Vettel crowned Formula One’s youngest ever triple world champion by just three points. But while plaudits rained down on Vettel, runner-up Alonso was mapping out ways to end his Red Bull rival’s supremacy in 2013 after what the 2005 and 2006 champion called ‘the best season of my life’.
Alonso reckoned his title bid was undermined by Ferrari’s lack of competitiveness compared to the super reliable and super fast Red Bull, and rough justice at Spa and Suzuka.
“We definitely did not lose the title in Brazil — that happened in Spa and Suzuka,” said Alonso. “In the end, we lost the title by three points but 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. Next year, we will try and improve the car, trying to start further up the grid, thus avoiding accidents.”
Meanwhile, he also shrugged off any anger he and Ferrari stirred up amongst Vettel’s fan-base in Germany when lodging an ultimately fruitless appeal to the sport’s governing body against Vettel’s Brazil win.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 11th, 2012.
Anyone within earshot of Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso after the chaotic season-closing race at Interlagos could have been forgiven for believing it was the Spaniard and not Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel who had just won the title.
The 2012 season will be remembered as one of the most thrilling ever — with Vettel crowned Formula One’s youngest ever triple world champion by just three points. But while plaudits rained down on Vettel, runner-up Alonso was mapping out ways to end his Red Bull rival’s supremacy in 2013 after what the 2005 and 2006 champion called ‘the best season of my life’.
Alonso reckoned his title bid was undermined by Ferrari’s lack of competitiveness compared to the super reliable and super fast Red Bull, and rough justice at Spa and Suzuka.
“We definitely did not lose the title in Brazil — that happened in Spa and Suzuka,” said Alonso. “In the end, we lost the title by three points but 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. Next year, we will try and improve the car, trying to start further up the grid, thus avoiding accidents.”
Meanwhile, he also shrugged off any anger he and Ferrari stirred up amongst Vettel’s fan-base in Germany when lodging an ultimately fruitless appeal to the sport’s governing body against Vettel’s Brazil win.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 11th, 2012.