The Man in Red

Nine days before the start of the 2010 Formula 1 Championship Fernando Alonso spoke to Pino Allievi from the “Gazzetta dello Sport” daily.

Alonso, Italy is waiting for a miracle.
“My father always told me that a driver can win races and even titles, but if he doesn’t drive a Ferrari he hasn’t achieved anything. So here we are. I’m ready, I’ve come to Ferrari to win.”

From whom did you get this competitive attitude?
“I don’t know. Even when I’m eating my pudding I have to finish first. When I was a child coming back from school with my mother we raced, from traffic light to traffic light. And she had to let me win to avoid me becoming grumpy. I was a disaster!”

What does Ferrari have that the others don’t?
“Tradition, coherence, passion. Since the first day in Maranello I’ve seen that even the people responsible for the rear view mirrors show the same enthusiasm as if it was their car. There’s feeling, heart.”

Your teammate is Felipe Massa. Skilful and fast. Are you talking to each other? Did he give you any advice?
“Yes, regarding technical things of the car’s behaviour. The relationship with Ferrari is something personal and everybody lives it his own way.”

The competitors?
“Massa, Hamilton, Button, the two Red Bull drivers, Schumacher: I didn’t expect him to come back.”

There are many good drivers in F1, but in the end what is it that makes the difference?
“The head. The ten best drivers are extremely close together, if we exclude the car, the tyres and the team. The one who gives 100% prevails. There are drivers using 93% of their talent and others 97%: if one gets out 99% in 19 races, he’ll be World Champion.”

You have a family background where danger has always been the order of the day…
“My father was responsible for the explosives in mines. There were some explosions in the company’s depot where he worked and several people died. As I child I didn’t perceive risk at all.”

And today?
“I know what risk means and the one in traffic scares me more. Although the emotions come out before the start of the race, because this is the moment when you’re up for it, when it’s about your and the team’s expectations. But after five or six laps the stress fades out.”

Fatalistic?
“Yes. I think everything is set up for us, everybody has his own fate.”

When did you start earning money with races?
“At the age of 14 I won the kart World Championship and I was offered to change the team. I didn’t accept and they started paying me a symbolic fee for every race. So that’s more or less when I turned professional.

Are you keeping a race diary?
“I always have. I’m writing my feelings down, the changes regarding the car and my observations. I’ve got some notes I’m going through before every race; doubts generate tension. Adrenaline and anxiety generate mistakes.”

Quick decisions or do you meditate?
“Really fast decisions.”

They say that you are a good imitator of Aznar…
“Oh well, not all the imitations work out well.”

But you’re extremely good as a magician: is it important to hide the truth from your competitors in F1?
“Impossible. You’re always working under the eyes of everybody, so you can’t play tricks.”

Can you tell us now when you had the first serious contact with Ferrari?
“Last summer, when we were talking about a possibility for 2010. First we spoke about 2011, which was far away.”

Are you recognised in Italy?
“Yes, and the question was always the same: when are you coming to Ferrari? I was asked that by someone in a red Ferrari jacket when I was skiing in Madonna di Campiglio. He stopped and asked: So, when are you coming to Ferrari? I said: soon.”

Where did you learn Italian?
“Just by speaking it. I’ve never studied it. In fact when I’m writing in Italian it’s a disaster; I’m struggling with ligatures, I never know when to double v or p.”

Your wife Raquel is a famous singer: are you ever going to see her shows?
“Rarely. She’s giving around 50 concerts per year. I’m maybe going to see two. A very low percentage.…”

What did she say about you going to Ferrari?
“She was happy. We’re talking a lot about our respective lives an also about racing.”

You are a football fan: Milan, Inter, Juve or Roma?
“I grew up with Milan, which was the nightmare of my team Real Madrid. That’s why I really respect them.”

Alonso sets dominant Barcelona pace

Fernando Alonso delivered the perfect response to Red Bull Racing's early pace-setting form in the final pre-season test, when he dominated the second morning's running at Barcelona on Friday.

After a frustrating opening day to the test, where he had lost track time through an electrical problem, Alonso spent the second morning working on qualifying simulations to better Webber's time by a considerable margin.

With his F10 fitted with a raft of aerodynamic upgrades for this week's test, Alonso made good use of a more-rubbered in track to pull off a sequence of quick laps early on - despite one brief trip across a gravel trap at Turn 10.

His best effort of 1m20.637s came on the first lap of his fifth short run, before his programme switched to a longer stint before the lunch break. He is expected to focus on a race simulation in the afternoon.

Alonso's fastest time compares with Webber's best effort from the opening day of 1m21.487 - when the track was still very dirty – although it is not clear how the fuel loads of the Ferrari or Red Bull Racing car compare.

Behind Alonso, several other drivers worked through qualifying simulations as they make their final preparations for the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

And it was BMW Sauber's Pedro de la Rosa who emerged as Alonso's nearest challenger, with the C29 maintaining the impressive form it has shown in early testing.

The Spaniard set his best effort of 1m20.973s shortly before the lunch break, to just edge out Vitantonio Liuzzi in the Force India.

Sebastian Vettel managed to better team-mate Webber's best time from the first day of the test with a lap of 1m21.258s as his morning's programme seemed to mirror what Red Bull Racing did on Thursday.

He completed a series of short qualifying-type runs, with his best lap coming in the final effort before the lunch break.

Jaime Alguersuari was fifth fastest, with Toro Rosso completing a series of short runs in the morning – prior to a bit of pitstop practice before the lunch break. The Spaniard is set for a race simulation run in the afternoon.

Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton ended the morning session in sixth and seventh place on the timesheets, as they worked through various programmes – which included pitstop work and some long runs.

The busiest man of the morning was Nico Hulkenberg, who completed a total of 82 laps in his Williams. The German did some short runs early on before moving on to a race simulation run. He ran a 19 lap stint before a pit-stop for new tyres, and then added a further 27 laps before the chequered flag brought a halt to proceedings.

Hulkenberg's fastest lap of 1m23.513 came right at the end of that second long stint.

Behind ninth fastest Robert Kubica, Timo Glock completed 14 laps for Virgin Racing as the team returned to the track for the first time since Lucas di Grassi's crash on Thursday.

Jarno Trulli was the slowest driver, having lost time in the morning with a seat problem before completing 35 laps for Lotus.

Morning times:

Alonso thrilled with Ferrari reliability

Fernando Alonso thinks that the new Ferrari is a 'very strong' car, judging by its solid start to testing.

Although poor weather at Jerez in Spain this week has made it difficult to read much into the testing times, the good reliability the F10 has shown has left Alonso upbeat about what Ferrari has delivered for this season.

"We keep concentrating on the laps - and the number of laps in these days makes the car very strong," said Alonso. "We've pushed some parts of the car to the limit in terms of mileage.

"So we're happy with the car. We did a lot of laps in the wet on Wednesday and also in the dry so we're happy with that aspect and we'll continue working."

Alonso feels that car is providing good consistency over long stints, which was an area that he was focusing on this week.

Speaking about the different feel of the car over a stint, Alonso said: "It was different, but to be honest with the degradation of the tyres, the balance of the fuel - because every lap you have less and less - at the end of the day the car feels very similar every lap.

"You lose a bit of grip with the tyres, but you gain a little bit with the fuel.

"It was a good test. We put the tyres to the limit. We've been working very closely with Bridgestone to discover the limits of the tyres for this year with heavy cars. It's very useful information.

"As always with tests the priority is to have valid information for the races and I think today we had very good answers on some important things."

He added: "I think the car is feeling quite good, as we felt in Valencia. No big problems. For sure there are some set-up possibilities to find a couple of tenths, but there will be time for that."

Lots of enthusiasm for Alonso in the chat

Another day in red for Fernando Alonso after the Wrooom week in Madonna di Campiglio, while he came to Maranello for several meetings with the technicians.

Fernando even had the possibility to see the chassis 281 for the first time, which is about to be assembled at the assembly area of the Scuderia.

During a break the Spanish driver connected to Ferrari.com, chatting with the fans directly from Maranello, as it had been announced last week. At 3pm Fernando started to answer the fans’ questions from all over the world for about 40 minutes online.

Lorenzo.cloud asked at what stage the new car is and if there is the possibility to fight for victory: “It’s almost ready. I’m here in Maranello today to prepare the seat and other things connected to the debut on the track. I think that the Ferrari will be competitive and I really hope to bring the Drivers’ Title here to Maranello."

Oldfarmhouse wanted to know from Fernando what it is that makes Ferrari so different from the other teams and what impressed him the most at the first impact: " What impressed me the most was the atmosphere. Everybody here lives and breathes racing and has the passion for it. And then I really like that people talk to each other here and they don’t write emails although they sit right in front of each other.”

Vassilis asked the uncomfortable question, if Fernando had changed his mind to when he criticized Ferrari. Fernando defended himself by saying: “I don’t think that I’ve ever said anything tremendous regarding the team. It’s true that on some occasion in the past there has been some discussion with someone, but these things can happen when you’re fighting for the world title. In the end we’re human, not robots!" To Spoli, who asked if Fernando is worried to deal with angry Ferrari fans, the Spanish driver said: "I don’t think that they criticised me that much in the past. Naturally when you’re the competitor it’s different, but I’m sure that I’ll have the Ferraristi’s support."

Many questions were asked regarding the strongest competitor in the fight for the title and Fernando said the same as in Madonna di Campiglio, although he added a sweet introduction: “The ideal would be if my fiercest competitor was Felipe: that would mean that we’re the best team. Although I think that McLaren, Red Bull and Mercedes will be very competitive and hard to beat."

There were also many questions regarding Fernando’s first impact with the world of Ferrari. To Uch and others he replied: "I can only say positive things. They are all giving it all to make me feel at ease, which is very important for me. I already feel to be part of a very special family."

Meanwhile Fernando won’t be part of those racing in rallies, which seems to be en vogue these days amongst the drivers. “For me Formula 1 is the top," he said to Nix and other fans. "I can’t see myself anywhere else. I always wanted to race in F1 since I was a child. Nascar? I like to play it on my Playstation."

To the classical questions (“what’s our preferred race track?; who’s your idol as a driver?) Fernando gave some unsurprising answers ("My preferred track is Sepang, followed by Spa and Monaco. My preferred driver is Ayrton Senna"). To the question by noncsi120, where the place is he would love to go, Fernando said: “Mount Everest”. We already knew that he’s a driver, who’s always aiming at the highest goal.

Alonso: "Ferrari is a dream come true"

Madonna di Campiglio, 14 January 2010 – Today Madonna di Campiglio’s congress centre hosted the press conference dedicated to the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro drivers Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso. The two official drivers from the team from Maranello, who arrived here in the mountain village in the Trentino region last Monday for the 20th edition of Wrooom, the event organised by Philip Morris International to present the novelties for the 2010 season to the international press, took turns in a special meeting with journalists from 95 Italian and international newspapers. For the first time dressed in the colours of Ferrari Fernando Alonso wanted to thank the team’s main sponsor for the exceptional welcome during the Wrooom week, a unique event in the world of Formula 1: "I’m having a fantastic time here with skiing and work, but especially benefitting from this extraordinary opportunity to get to know my teammates Felipe Massa and Giancarlo Fisichella better."

Asked about his first contact with the Scuderia Fernando said that he was positively impressed by the first days spent in Maranello: "I immediately had a good feeling with every part of the team and everybody was extremely available for me, trying to satisfy my needs and my proposals as good as possible. I was really impressed by the passion you can feel in Maranello everywhere in the company and in the city. The legendary history of the Prancing Horse can be seen in everything. I think that Ferrari is much more than just a Formula 1 team. For me like for anybody it’s a dream come true.”

According to the new Scuderia Ferrari driver the changes regarding the rules won’t upset the race: “Considering that the times to change the tyres are more or less the same for all the teams, a good position in the qualifying will be fundamental, so a good Saturday will be more important than the race itself. Naturally the fuel consumption will play a crucial role, but I know that the team is working very hard with Shell regarding this issue, so I’m really calm.”

The Spanish driver didn’t want to comment Bernie Ecclestone’s proposals, while the head of Formula 1 arrived in Madonna di Campiglio yesterday evening for his traditional greetings. “There’s a commission working to add more show to this sport and we drivers trust in them, because our main commitment is to stay concentrated on our work."

Regarding Schumacher’s return Fernando said: "For a driver, who was at the top it must be difficult to stay at home, because the adrenaline remains. He accepted this opportunity, because he feels to be ready and still competitive. I think that his comeback can only help this sport, especially after such a difficult year as we had in 2009. His presence on the track will be a further impulse.”

Alonso said that he is not worried about the new challenges ahead at all: “Racing with Ferrari was my objective and I’ll certainly end my career with this fantastic team. I think that it’s impossible to find the same passion somewhere else. I need to adapt rapidly to the car, despite the few days for testing, although I think that to reach the best performance we need to wait until the third or fourth race.”

Testing days not enough - Alonso

Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso says there is not enough testing ahead of the start of the Formula 1 season, although the Spaniard concedes he accepts the rules if it helps the sport reduce costs.

Teams are not allowed to test until next month, with the season beginning in early March, meaning, at best, a driver will get some seven or eight days of testing before the first race.

Only relatively inexperienced young drivers were allowed to take part in the final test of 2009 in December.

Alonso reckons seven days of testing is simply not enough to get ready for the start of the season.

"I think the test ban is not an easy thing to solve," Alonso told reporters during Ferrari's media event in the Dolomites.

"For sure the seven or eight days before the championship are not enough for any driver. It doesn't matter if you are new to a team or if you are at the same team as last year.

"I think there is no other sport in the world where you test for seven days before the championship. I cannot imagine a tennis player testing seven times before Roland Garros, or a football player training seven days before a world cup, so this is something strange in our sport.

"If it's the best for the future and for saving costs we are happy, because it's what they think it's best."

The Spaniard also downplayed the significance of Michael Schumacher's test in a GP2 car this week, as he reckons it will not give the German an advantage.

"Michael's test, the GP2 car is so different that it's not a very good reference," he said. "For him, after some years out of the car, to do this test is good, to check that everything is okay and that he is comfortable driving.

"I think there's nothing wrong or against the regulations. It's just a test in a GP2 car and if he's allowed I think it's okay."

Alonso: Equal driver treatment at Ferrari

Fernando Alonso is not expecting his Ferrari team to make him the number one driver, and says he has never asked for preferential treatment before.

The Spaniard also hit out at his former team McLaren, suggesting Lewis Hamilton was treated as the number one driver during a part of his troubled time at the British team in 2007.

"I'm not saying to the team that I want to have anything better for me," Alonso told reporters during at Ferrari's ski retreat in Madonna di Campiglio.

"What I do is work 110 per cent with the team and if the team is not working 110 per cent too it's not right. I'm a guy who will push everybody to do their best job possible, as their push me to do the best job possible.

"I never asked to be number one driver in any team in my career and that's coming from nowhere, and keeps repeating again from a minority.

"But what I don't want to be, for sure, is number two, like it happened sometimes in 2007," Alonso added, referring to his season at McLaren.

The double world champion insisted he is getting along just fine with his new team-mate Felipe Massa, despite a spat during the 2007 European Grand Prix.

"I think it's very good, and I think having a team-mate that is not new to the team is good for me, and it can help me, because if both drivers are new to a team, sometimes you are lost with the technical people," he said.

"With Felipe this is not the case, he knows the team, and I think we can be a very strong pairing. What happened in 2007 it was a race, we are competitive people, and again, this is the past.

"We are in 2010 and some minorities keep remembering this 2007 thing, but you can't keep talking about this forever."

Alonso’s debut in red approaches

Maranello, 9 January 2010 – There’s a little under forty eight hours until Fernando Alonso makes his debut in red. The Spanish driver will in fact arrive in Madonna di Campiglio on Monday afternoon, where he will take part, along with his new team-mate Felipe Massa and the Ducati Marlboro Team, in the twentieth running of Wroom, the traditional pre-season event for the media.

A day later, Fernando and Felipe will be joined by Team Principal, Stefano Domenicali and they will stay in the mountains until Saturday 16th.

Meanwhile, in Maranello, the team is totally focussed on the preparation of the new car, which is due to make its testing debut on 1st February at the “Ricardo Tormo” circuit, at Cheste, near Valencia, during what will be the first joint test session for the teams taking part in the 2010 Formula 1 World Championship. In the car assembly area, work has been going on for several days already on the first chassis, which goes by the code name of 281, while also on-going is the series of crash tests necessary to homologate various components.

Ferrari hit out at Kimi after Alonso's visits

The demise of Kimi Raikkonen's relationship with Ferrari and his apparent lack of motivation have, according to an unnamed Ferrari team member, been highlighted by Fernando Alonso's recent visits to Maranello.


Despite winning the World title in his first season with Ferrari back in 2007, Raikkonen's relationship with the Italian marque soon began to deteriorate.


The downward spiral first saw the powers-that-be question the Finn's motivation and his commitment. They later progressed to publicly casting doubts about Raikkonen's future at the team and whether he suited being a Ferrari driver.


"It's a matter of personality, because Kimi is the type of person that shows little emotion, he keeps everything inside," said Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo. "These things don't help with the exchange of information inside the team."


The end result was a mutual agreement between Ferrari and Raikkonen to end his contract a year early, allowing Ferrari to sign double World Champion, Alonso, as his replacement.


And although he's still contracted to Renault, Alonso has already paid two visits to Ferrari's Maranello headquarters, the most recent being last week when he spent two days there talking with the team's engineers and familiarising himself with the Fiorano circuit.


Alonso's second visit led to a thinly-veiled dig at Raikkonen's absence during his time with Ferrari.


"In the two days he (Alonso) has seen more of the Maranello factory than others in two years," a team member told Marca.


The Spaniard, though, knows he still has a lot of work to do to earn the respect of his new team members.


"I have to earn the trust and gain the confidence of the team and begin a good relationship with the engineers and mechanics," he said.


"That is what I am trying to do in these months, in order to arrive at the first race with a good understanding with the team so that we all feel comfortable together."


Meanwhile, new team-mate Felipe Massa, who will return to racing next season after an injury lay-off, said in a separate interview with Marca that he is not afraid of being upstaged by Alonso.


"Alonso is a great driver, everyone knows that, and I think we will have a good relationship off the track," he said.


"I think we can form the strongest partnership in the Championship. I think his arrival will change nothing in my career or within Ferrari: we are two great drivers, and his recruitment is good for the team."

Alonso testing with Ferrari

Maranello, Two very intense days for Fernando Alonso at his second semi-official visit in Maranello. The Spanish driver arrived yesterday morning at the Scuderia, where he proceeded, together with the technicians, to get to know the team and next year's programme. With a little spare time yesterday and today Fernando had the possibility to visit the works, where the cars from the Prancing Horse, for the road and for Formula 1, are made as well as the Ferrari Classiche department, where, amongst others the single-seater from the 1954 Indianapolis race was present: the unexpected guest received a warmhearted welcome and numerous autograph requests. Before he left, Fernando drove several laps on the Fiorano circuit, first with a 458 Italia and then with a 599: for the red Formula 1 car we've still got to wait a bit!

Massa: I won't play second fiddle to Alonso

Felipe Massa insists he won't be playing second fiddle to Fernando Alonso when the two team up at Ferrari next season.


After years of rumours, Ferrari finally confirmed Alonso's signing back in September with the double World Champion replacing the ousted Kimi Raikkonen.


And with his two World titles behind him, many are expecting Alonso to automatically take the role of number one driver, leaving Massa to play second fiddle.


The Brazilian's chances of asserting dominance over the Spaniard also haven't been helped by his recently lay-off as he's been out of action since July's Hungarian GP after a life- and career-threating injury.


Massa, though, is confident he can match Alonso, who he rates as a "great driver...one of the best in Formula 1", as he says Ferrari work as a team and that the situation in the past where Michael Schumacher was the clear number one was because the seven-time World Champ had earned that honour.


"Whoever comes to Ferrari is always going to be a very strong driver, because they always have the best ones," crash.net claims he told Brazilian radio station Jovem Pan FM.


"I will do as I always have done - try to win.


"The work within a team is always collective. Schumacher carried a great influence at Ferrari because he earned it; he arrived, worked and created a competitive team.


"To have that position you have to work hard and achieve results."

Alonso to attend Ferrari World Finals

Fernando Alonso will be able to attend the Ferrari World Finals in Valencia this weekend, after the Renault team allowed the Spaniard to be at the event with his new team.

Alonso, who will drive for Ferrari from next season, was in doubt for the Spanish event as he still has contractual obligations with Renault.

However, the two-time champion will finally be able to attend the event.

Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali was thankful to Renault for the gesture.

"We are pleased that Fernando will be able to attend what, for us, is a very important event," said Domenicali.

"It will be a great opportunity for all our fans who will be able to give him a warm welcome and for Fernando, who, for the first time, will be able to see and experience an insider's view of the world of Ferrari.

"I wish to thank the Renault F1 Team for making it possible for Fernando to be in Valencia; a generous gesture which is much appreciated."

The Ferrari World Finals, the event which traditionally brings the Maranello squad's racing season, takes place this weekend at the Ricardo Tormo circuit.

Alonso makes first visit to Ferrari factory

Fernando Alonso paid his first visit to his new Ferrari team today.

The double world champion has not yet been released from his Renault contract and cannot test for Ferrari until the testing ban ends in February next year, but went to Maranello to meet his new colleagues.

Alonso had meetings with team boss Stefano Domenicali, the Ferrari engineers, and chairman Luca di Montezemolo, as well as visiting the windtunnel to check progress on the 2010 car and working on his seating position.

He also took to the Fiorano test track in a Ferrari 458 Italia road car.

Alonso not surprised by Q1 exit

Fernando Alonso admitted he was not surprised after going out in the first segment in qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The Spanish driver, in his final race with the Renault team, qualified down in 16th position, going out in Q1 for the first time in his career.

Alonso conceded that, given Renault's pace since the start of the weekend, his result was not a surprise at all.

"Totally expected. We are at the back, we have been very slow all weekend so we were out in Q1 deservedly," Alonso told Spanish television.

The two-time champion, who will drive for Ferrari next season, played down the significance of his early exit despite being his last race at Renault.

"The team knows that I've given 100 per cent the seven years that I have been here," he added.

"We know that we probably have the worst car of the grid and we are doing everything we can, both me and Grosjean. But that's the way it is.

"It's the final race so let's hope to complete all the laps and cross the finish line. Logically reaching the points is almost impossible but we will try to put on a fight."

Alonso set for 'emotional' Renault exit

Fernando Alonso is aiming for a great result at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, in what the Spaniard says it will be an emotional farewell.

The two-time champion is competing with Renault for the final time before he moves to the Ferrari team, where Alonso is hoping to finish his career.

The Spanish driver, who won his two titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006, admits it will be an emotional final race in Abu Dhabi this weekend.

"Absolutely, I would love to finish the season and my Renault career with a great result," said Alonso. "It will be an emotional race because I have enjoyed so many special memories with this team and I am leaving behind a lot of friends.

"Renault is one of the great teams in Formula One and I look forward to fighting with them on the track in the years ahead."

Team boss Bob Bell paid tribute to Alonso, who he concedes will be missed by Renault.

"He's made a huge contribution to the team, especially winning two world championships in 2005 and 2006 so he will be missed enormously," said Bell.

"It's often said that he is the best driver on the grid and I wouldn't disagree with that so we're understandably sad to see the end of our very successful relationship.

"But we're also looking forward and we're all delighted to be welcoming Robert Kubica to the team as I believe he will quickly show that he is of the same calibre as Fernando.

"He's a strong team player, a great motivator and incredibly quick so we have plenty to look forward to as we enter a new era for the team."