Guard up, the World Championship is long. Ferrari is under no illusions after the excellent debut and is preparing to fight in the Malaysian Grand Prix scheduled for Sunday 24 March 2013. Says Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali, thinking back to the second and fourth places obtained by Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa in the opening race:
"The first race weekend in Australia was positive for us, we said we were aiming for the podium and we achieved it. However, we must not let our guard down because there is still nothing pre-established in the pecking order in the pit lane. We have witnessed a rather unusual weekend, with Sunday's results turning the outcome of Saturday's tests on its head. The good performances of both our drivers mean a lot, as they give us a great launching pad on which to build a competitive season and I am satisfied with both their results. Seeing Ferrari at the top of the constructors' championship is an excellent reward for everyone who works hard, both here on the track and in Maranello. Obviously it is only the first step of a long season: this it's the time to analyze and evaluate all the data collected in Melbourne and quickly prepare to face next weekend in Malaysia".
The Melbourne circuit is unique from many points of view and Domenicali knows well that in Malaysia the teams will find themselves facing different challenges.
"Sepang is a very different track and we will try to make the best use of the resources we have available. We simply have to wait and see how our car will behave in a very different context. The cars will have to face a course with different characteristics than to those tested in Australia, without considering that this weekend the surface of the asphalt and the unpredictability of the weather conditions will also affect everyone's performance. We know what counts on this track and we will have to find the best compromise in terms of aerodynamic load to face both the most complex section and the two long and fast straights".
Ferrari does not feel inferior to Lotus. On the eve of the Malaysian Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso does not appear worried by Kimi Raikkonen's exploits in Australia:
"I think Lotus' race pace was great but nothing we can't match. They had a pretty clean race, with no traffic and a great strategy, but their pace isn't out of reach and we can fight a little closer here".
Alonso, also mindful of what he experienced at the beginning of 2012, reiterates that Ferrari has a competitive car.
"In Australia everything worked quite well even if it is true that Melbourne is a very strange, unusual circuit, and Sepang will be able to give us some more confirmation of the good sensations we had in the winter tests and in the first Grand Prix of the season. It's a real test for us and getting on the podium again would be a great goal to achieve. This race will be very interesting in many aspects: for us it will be a confirmation to see if we are competitive, just as it could actually be for the other teams. The Red Bulls experienced a big difference in their pace between qualifying and the race, so it will also be a very important weekend for them to understand what is happening. But it's not our problem, we'll try to do our best and then we'll see what the others do".
And Felipe Massa adds:
"The single-seater is certainly better and we have already shown during the Australian weekend, between free practice, qualifying and the race, that it is much more competitive than last year. The single-seater is ten times better, I'm happy and I feel much better more comfortable than at the same time a year ago, when I struggled to understand the car. This year I can be much more consistent and the car is easier to drive, which is good for the team and also for me".
Even though the Maranello team is leading the World Constructors' Championship standings, Felipe Massa preaches calm:
"Remember, in qualifying we were a second slower, even though the track conditions were not homogeneous, so it's difficult to say where we really are. Overall it went well and now we have to make sure we progress race after race. The situation could be completely different in Malaysia, we have to wait and see. Maybe we will have a clearer picture of what the real gap is between us and the others in qualifying, both negative and positive. It's also true that we had an excellent race pace compared to the Red Bulls, after they had been faster than us in qualifying. This weekend will be very important to understand the car and tires as much as possible".
Two hundred times Alonso. Celebrated in his own way, with the usual competitive ferocity, few glances at the past and a lot of ambitious present to fill his gaze. The Australian Grand Prix was a good start, the coveted podium arrived immediately.
“And now we look for confirmation, in another trial by fire, on a track that I love and which can say a lot about our competitiveness. Melbourne is an atypical circuit, I expect the real confirmations here, on a track with a torrid, aggressive asphalt, which puts a lot of stress on the tires with its fast corners. We have already understood what level we are at in the race, as strong as our rivals, in Sepang I want to understand where we are in qualifying. Because the one on Sunday, in Australia, is irrelevant. I could have done better than fifth place, in the first straight I didn't use the moving wing, I forgot and lost a few tenths".
As it happens, he was beaten by Massa in the battle for pole. It is difficult to understand whether the posthumous justification is an alibi for the defeat, with Alonso, very good at fighting nerves and transversal messages, one can never say. He certainly enjoys teasing Vettel. You ask him for a comparison between the past, the beginning of his career, and the present:
"When I was a child I followed Senna and Prost, two idols, with great interest. Then, as a pilot, I began to closely study Schumacher, a legend. He was my biggest rival. I looked at him, I admired him, I tried to imitate him, to steal his secrets. If he was filmed with the camera car, I analyzed his movements, to improve the driving style. Today I don't have a real opponent. The main one is the one with the best car, I'm interested in the cars, not who's inside".
Too bad that an inhabitant of single-seaters, a gentleman called Sebastian Vettel, has won the last three world titles. But we know, the two don't love each other, other than imagining them on the same team, perhaps with a red car. Another dig comes when talking about possible regrets. Alonso, it is common opinion, has won little (two World Championships) compared to his talent: isn't he afraid of ending up like Stirling Moss, the eternal second?
"It's a question I don't ask myself. I don't like looking back and in any case, when I do, I will be proud of my journey and my triumphs, hoping to beat Schumacher's world points record, a man with an inimitable career. I would be much more frustrated if I took pole six times in a row and then never won the race".
A bit like what happened to Vettel in Australia. The Spaniard however, in this respect, has little to be ironic about, given that his last success dates back to 22 July 2012. Sepang could be the right place to end the wait. Here he obtained the first pole and the first podium of his career and above all it is the race that he won the most, in 2005, 2007 and last season. Can you dream with the current Ferrari?
"In the race we are not inferior to the Red Bulls. And the pace set by Lotus didn't impress me, it's at our level".
Is this the gift you want to give yourself?
"Even a podium is enough for me. At the beginning they are very heavy. Points and more points. Only in this way can we think big".
But Kimi Raikkonen doesn't give up: the winner of the first round of the World Championship, in Australia, is also the fastest in free practice for the Malaysian Grand Prix. During the second session the Finn managed to precede Mark Webber's Red Bull, who had been faster in the first free practice session. Sebastian Vettel follows, then the two Ferraris, with Felipe Massa, who once again precedes Fernando Alonso, demonstrating his incredible form. Mark Webber - who dominated the first session - is fifth, followed by Romain Grosjean, Nico Rosberg and Paul di Resta. McLaren is still in crisis, even if the rain that torments the second part of the last session prevents them from completing all the scheduled tests. Variable weather conditions, however, which highlight the amazing competitiveness of the Lotus-Raikkonen duo because Kimi shows that he always has a constant and continuously improving pace, the only one on the track who manages to show off this pace with such different asphalt conditions. It is no coincidence that we are talking about the Lotus-Raikkonen pairing: Romain Grosjean, with the same car, despite having set a good sixth time in the end, when the weather worsens he combines a semi-disaster, culminating with a spectacular off-track that transforms his Lotus into gigantic lawnmower. Fernando Alonso says, at the end of the practices:
"We are competitive, we can aim for the front row. It was an excellent Friday, we went well on both dry and wet surfaces. I believe we can fight for the first places on the grid and also for the front row. I have excellent memories on this track, Here I conquered my first pole and last year one of the best victories of my career came. I hope to do well in this Grand Prix. In the lap done with the Medium tires I didn't have the right balance, otherwise I would have been able to improve like I did on the hard tires and I probably would have ended up on the front row. Now we have to see how tomorrow goes, also because here it can rain at any time and tire degradation is much higher than in Australia. In anticipation of a high number of stops, a car that performs better in the race than in qualifying could perhaps be an advantage".
And Felipe Massa adds:
"Overall it was a good day, even if the rain that arrived at the end of the second session made us lose useful time for comparing the two compounds in the endurance tests. The car responded well in both sessions and among the tires made available by Pirelli for this weekend, I found myself much more comfortable with the Mediums, already tested in Australia".
Rain, heat, tires. Three words capable of upsetting a Grand Prix. After free practice in Malaysia, the drivers asked themselves which of these three elements could be the most decisive. Three key factors on which Raikkonen's dreams are based, the fastest in the second session, standard bearer of a Lotus that dreams of a repeat after Melbourne and which suddenly, due to its ability to exploit the tires, finds itself favored in Sepang too, of Vettel, anxious about the wear of his tires, always very fast in the flying lap, but with much less certainty ahead of the race, and of Alonso, optimistic with Ferrari, eager to celebrate the milestone of 200 Grands Prix on a circuit where he has already triumphed three times and last season, in the midst of torrents of water, he mocked everyone. The rain is very scary, also because when the deluge arrives here it is scary, storms that flood the track, forcing the drivers into a thousand ups and downs. And it usually arrives at 4:00 p.m., coincidentally the start time of qualifying and the race. Sebastian Vettel has no doubts:
"The tires are a problem, the heat makes our life difficult, but any discussion makes little sense, if then when we start to ride the hurricane hits. Rain can upset everything and turn the battle into a lottery".
Phrases not very different from those uttered by the usually phlegmatic Kimi Raikkonen, nicknamed a ventriloquist by the Lotus pits for his exhilarating silences, interrupted by calm guttural sounds, during technical briefings. The Finn proved to be the most competitive driver, well supported by a car that features a new front wing (it worked and will remain throughout the weekend) and a new exhaust configuration. The rest of the world fears him, but he whispers:
"Everything is going well, but everything risks making little sense. Because a track soaked in rain can send any hierarchy to hell".
True. But between one puddle and another (at the height of the storm, almost all the drivers preferred to stay indoors in the pits) someone will have to raise their voice. A role that Fernando Alonso, usually cautious, does not mind covering, but not this time. He likes his Ferrari, and now he doesn't hesitate to send it into orbit in his aspirations, despite the fact that in the second session he was preceded by Felipe Massa and had to settle for fourth place, also behind Sebastian Vettel.
"The car responded well both in the dry and in the wet, I feel that we are on the front row, very close to pole".
It's not just the rain that announces twists and turns or the heat that disturbs physical effort. Whatever the climate, crumbling tires are a serious threat and the impression is that those who know how to use them best will smile. Lotus has already proven to be competitive, Ferrari had to interrupt the endurance test due to the rain (Alonso and Massa were starting a sort of long run). The degree of wear remained a question mark, which must be resolved before the start of the Grand Prix. Also because some even expect four pit stops and making one less could guarantee guaranteed glory. The Spaniard invites us to believe it, but it is there, as Massa wittily observes, that the race is decided. Because when it comes to tires, Sebastian Vettel may be vulnerable, but Raikkonen is a hostile rival. On Saturday 23 March 2013, at the end of the third and final practice session, Sebastian Vettel sets the best time. The German precedes Lewis Hamilton and Adrian Sutil. The first nine times are contained within 0.5 seconds. Also in this Grand Prix, as in the first race of the season in Australia, there are problems in the automatic communications between the Federation and the drivers, when the cars are on the circuit. A few hours later Sebastian Vettel takes pole position in the Malaysian Grand Prix. On the wet asphalt of Sepang, the German Red Bull driver dominates the third qualifying heat with a time of 1'49"674. The World Champion will be joined on the front row by the Ferrari of Brazilian Felipe Massa. The Spaniard Fernando Alonso, at the wheel of the other Ferrari, he opens the second row with the third best time, completed by the Mercedes of the Englishman Lewis Hamilton. While Vettel celebrates pole position number 38 in his career and the second of the season, the other Red Bull places himself in third row. The Australian Mark Webber is fifth on the grid and will start next to the Mercedes of the German Nico Rosberg. Behind them the McLaren of the Englishman Jenson Button and the Force India of the German Adrian Sutil. In the fifth row the other McLaren of the Mexican Sergio Perez and Kimi Raikkonen's Lotus: the Finn had sets the seventh time but is penalized by three positions on the grid for having obstructed Rosberg's Mercedes at turn 14. The Brazilian Ferrari driver, Felipe Massa, is happy with the front row won in the Malaysian Grand Prix but admits that the arrival of rain made the performance of his F138 easier:
"I don't know if we would have been second or third in the dry, it was a good qualifying for us. We managed to do a good lap, maybe the rain helped us a little".
While Fernando Alonso says, thinking about the race:
"We'll try to have a good race and bring home as many points as possible. We're not sure about the car's performance in the race because up until now we've been quite inconsistent in the long runs but we'll see tomorrow. However, we have no reason not to be optimistic".
And the Ferrari team principal, Stefano Domenicali, adds:
"That's fine. The real issue tomorrow will be race management. We know it will be complicated but starting ahead is good. We're only in the second qualifying and we have to continue like this. Tomorrow we have to try not to make any mistakes because as we've seen, a downpour unexpected is enough to change the cards. Surprises are possible up until the last corner".
At the end of the post-qualifying press conference Sebastian Vettel loosens up and admits that the pole position achieved in Sepang fills him with joy.
"Qualifying was very interesting, we knew that rain was forecast but it didn't arrive in Q1 and we went out with dry tyres. We had a different approach than the others, then we did Q2 at the limit and I still got into Q3. The circuit was wet and we changed the tyres, it was the right choice, we didn't know if more rain was coming, we did a good lap and I'm surprised by the gap with the other riders. We certainly set a good time and saved some tires for tomorrow".
There is no lack of optimism, but the German remains cautious.
"When you start on pole you can always think of winning, but in such a long race it's difficult to know what your real pace is, I'm happy with the balance of the car, we've made a good step forward. Managing the tires will be crucial, the pace is there , we hope to arrive at the finish line in the same position as today".
What time will it rain on Sunday? If you could bet inside the paddock, the bookmakers would make a fortune. Because yesterday in the pits everyone talked about nothing else. Getting the exact time of the arrival of the flood, before, during or after the race, could be worth the triumph in the Grand Prix. Water, never so cursed, moreover in a place with an unbearable climate, where any form of refreshment should be welcome, is truly the key factor in this race. This became clear during qualifying, with the final ten minutes transformed into a real lottery. The lucky numbers were drawn by Vettel, Massa and Alonso, the first three on the starting grid, good at picking the right performance right at the last minute, when the track was drying out. It takes a lot of effort, because the Ferraris and one of the two Red Bulls returned to the pits to replace the intermediate tires (ideal on damp asphalt, but not soaked) very close to the end of the third round, nothing would have been enough to not be able to complete the lap and instead the three drivers did it great. Sebastian Vettel took pole, as almost always happens on Saturdays, and with a sidereal gap, which surprised him first. But pats on the back also go to Felipe Massa, who hadn't managed to place himself on the front row since March 2010, in Bahrain, and satisfaction, although tainted by the fourth consecutive defeat in the flying lap suffered by his teammate, also for Fernando Alonso, who sees this third time as the ideal springboard for the ambitions of victory. The Spaniard does not hide:
"We are optimistic, we can dream".
Euphoria that also pervades Felipe Massa, finally protagonist, to the point that this result is the best result of the Spanish-Brazilian tandem, formed in 2010 and never started in a race so far ahead. Don't be fooled by the grim face that Felipe Massa presents to the world. He was a little surprised in truth, but he was quick to point out that it was only a question of seeking maximum concentration.
"Because the start went well, thanks also to the help of the rain, but the race will be very tough and it is better to remain cautious and silent".
Right, but one thing must be said: this guy driving the Ferrari is another Massa. Fast, aggressive, almost perfect.
"I feel reborn. I have always believed in myself, the important thing was to be comfortable with the car. Now I'm ready to play my cards to the end".
Another one who is bidding to win the World Championship, in a team, the only one, which at the moment seems to have two frontrunners, given that Mark Webber, unlike Sebastian Vettel, seems to have lost himself even in the single lap. With him, Red Bull was not strategically good, just as Mercedes was not very reactive (very fast in the dry), absurd in keeping Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg on the track. However, the worst happened to Kimi Raikkonen, seventh and then tenth, relegated for having obstructed Nico Rosberg. However, in the race everything could change. Better for Lotus with its traditional suspensions and worse for Sebastian Vettel, poisoned like Red Bull towards Pirelli. What time will it rain? Whoever gets it right wins. In a race that looks a lot like a round of roulette. On Sunday 24 March 2013, before the start of the Malaysian Grand Prix, the Williams team decided to replace the engine on Pastor Maldonado's car, due to the presence of a damaged piston. Shortly afterwards, due to the asphalt conditions, many drivers made excursions to the track during the formation lap: Daniel Ricciardo, Valtteri Bottas, Max Chilton and Mark Webber. The first two also reported damage to their cars but were authorized by Charlie Whiting to replace the damaged parts. At the start, on a damp track, everyone was on intermediate tyres. At the start Sebastian Vettel maintains the lead; Fernando Alonso, who passes Felipe Massa, damages his front wing in a contact with the race leader. During the first lap Alonso was passed by Mark Webber, but then managed to overtake the Australian on the straight opposite the main one. The Spaniard and the team decided not to stop in the pits to replace the wing which gave way at the start of the second lap, forcing him to retire. Sebastian Vettel continues calmly in first position, followed by Mark Webber, then Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, Nico Rosberg, Felipe Massa, Sergio Pérez and Adrian Sutil. During lap 3 Nico Rosberg passes Jenson Button, thus moving into fourth position. On the fifth lap Vettel changes tires and puts on dry tires: however, in the first few meters the German seems to have difficulty keeping his car on the track. Two laps later Hamilton also enters the pits to change tires, but takes the wrong place to park, stopping in that of his old team, McLaren. Astonished, his old mechanics stepped aside. He realized this and continued towards the Mercedes spot ,which, luckily for him (reversing would have been impossible), have the garage further ahead. After the race Hamilton joked, saying:
"Understand me, I grew up there. Now I will have to apologize to my new team".
Which is Mercedes, but which for Ecclestone could have been Red Bull.
"He wanted to go there".
Tells the boss of F1.
"Vettel would have had no problem living with Lewis, then Webber stayed and the deal fell through".
Again during the frenetic tire changes of the first laps, a contact occurs between Charles Pic's Caterham and Jean-Éric Vergne's STR. After these stops the new leader of the race is Mark Webber, ahead of Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Jenson Button, Nico Hülkenberg and Felipe Massa. The ranking remains unchanged until the second series of stops, between lap 19 and lap 21. Problems are encountered in fixing the wheels on the Force Indias, which are both then forced to retire.
Meanwhile Felipe Massa passes Nico Hülkenberg and climbs to sixth place; subsequently the German driver also cedes his position to Romain Grosjean. From lap 30 to lap 32 the drivers in the top ten return to the pits to change their tyres. Jenson Button thus moved into first position and remained there until lap 35, when he was passed by Mark Webber, who regained the lead of the race. One lap later, when the Englishman returns to the pits to change tyres, his team incorrectly mounts the right front tyre, causing Button to miss the opportunity to finish the race in the top ten. Upon exiting the pits Vettel lost a position to Hamilton, but returned to the track shortly before Rosberg took over. Three laps later Sebastian Vettel overtook Lewis Hamilton on the main straight, moving back into second place. The fourth series of tire changes takes place between lap 41 and lap 43. Webber manages to maintain first position, followed by Vettel, albeit by a few metres. The battle for first place immediately broke out between the two Red Bull Racing drivers, which ended on lap 46, with Vettel passing his teammate. There is also a battle for third position between the two Mercedes: Nico Rosberg, however, is advised against overtaking in Ross Brawn's radio communications. Felipe Massa makes his final stop on lap 47; with new tires the Brazilian first passed Pérez, then the two Lotuses, thus returning to fifth position. The Mexican from McLaren, with his tires now worn out, gave in to Hulkenberg and was finally forced to make an additional stop with two laps to go. Sebastian Vettel wins the Malaysian Grand Prix, ahead of Mark Webber and the two Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. For the German it is career success number 27, while Red Bull Racing wins victory number 35, like Brabham and Renault. Felipe Massa is fifth, followed by Romain Grosjean, Kimi Raikkonen, Nico Hulkenberg, Sergio Perez and Jean-Éric Vergne. The Malaysian Grand Prix ends with harsh controversies in Red Bull and Mercedes. That is, the teams responsible for the one-two and third and fourth places: Sebastian Vettel won but to do so he had to almost kill Mark Webber (he grazed a wall at 300 km/h while attempting a very difficult overtaking) and ignore team orders, while Nico Rosberg has repeatedly asked in the pits to be able to attack Lewis Hamilton. Red Bull doesn't like it, and they told Sebastian Vettel over the radio, after the checkered flag:
"Good, but then we have to talk...".
And in those very seconds Mark Webber crosses the finish line far from the wall, a gesture of annoyance in the language of the drivers. Not only that: then Webber gets out of the car angrily, ignoring Vettel who calls him. Tense looks. For the judges everything is in order, but evidently this is not the case for Red Bull. We'll see some good ones. In any case, no party at Red Bull's house and a one-two finish ruined. Vettel, for his part, recognizes in retrospect that he made a very serious mistake by ignoring a team order, and apologizes to his teammate for overtaking him in a risky manner.
"I made a very serious mistake. I had to keep position. I don't want to change the truth and I apologize to Mark".
Webber, who was leading when he was overtaken, accuses the German of not respecting team orders. Vettel appears repentant in the press conference.
"I shouldn't have ignored the team order, I should have behaved better. If there is something to say we will do it internally. We have enough time for this. Now I am the black sheep. I can only apologize to Mark. Obviously the maneuver was intentional, but I didn't want to ignore the strategy. I have a responsibility towards the team and the people who work in the factory all year round".
Although he acknowledges that they are not best friends, Vettel also assures that he respects Webber as a driver.
"I'm not proud of what I did. If I find myself in a similar situation again I will behave differently, but I can't change things now. At first I didn't know I had made a mistake, but when I returned to the garage and exchanged a few words with the team and with Mark I realized that I was wrong. I won, but Mark had a great race and he should have won".
This is how Mark Webber explains what happened when he was overtaken by his Red Bull teammate, Sebastian Vettel, who took away the victory at the Malaysian Grand Prix.
"Everything seemed fine at the end of the race, we had Lewis Hamilton behind and the team said that the race was in the final part, so we made the decision to manage the tires and take the car to the end. Things were going like this, I was going at cruising speed, but Vettel was faster, he had a heavier foot. I'm quite disappointed, but the team did a great job in the end".
According to the Australian, the discussions with the team left him calm, and instead Vettel overtook him with ten laps to go.
"I did an excellent part of the Grand Prix in risky conditions, in the end we made the right strategy. There are many things I did well, from a driving point of view I made as few mistakes as possible, we can't push as usual due to the tire problem, but it went well".
The same thing happened in Mercedes, because at the end of the race Rosberg shouted out asking for permission to attack Hamilton. But nothing to do. Permit not received and goodbye podium for the German. Here the couple hasn't broken out yet, but it could happen soon. Ross Brawn from the pits prevented Nico Rosberg from passing. Nico shouted into the radio:
"I'm significantly faster, you have to let me pass, I can go and catch the Red Bulls".
But Ross Brawn didn't let himself be moved. And now, as Lewis Hamilton says:
"He should have been on the podium, he deserved it and I thank him for his teamwork".
Nico Rosberg replies:
"I'm disappointed, but I told the team: remember this race, you owe me something. And no lies: he had to save petrol, not me".
However, the person who really saw the sparks and not in a metaphorical sense was poor Fernando Alonso who, after a great start, touched the rear of Sebastian Vettel's car: damaged wing and goodbye to the race. With the doubt as to why Alonso did not immediately return to the pits for the pit stop. Mystery. Meanwhile Massa, who started badly, with a Ferrari that didn't appear as fast as in the first race of the season, began a good comeback which eventually took him to fifth place, behind the terrible Red Bull-Mercedes duo. Are these the real values on the field now? Without Alonso in the race it is difficult to say, but one thing is certain: the Ferrari no longer seems as fast as the car admired in Australia. Without wings, you can't fly. Fernando Alonso is right to talk about terrible bad luck, his race ended after a few kilometers and in his hands he felt he had a car capable of beating the Red Bulls, but it is equally true that in the fleeting moment he could have taken a different decision. He hit Sebastian Vettel at the start and seriously damaged the front wing. Nobody at Ferrari prosecutes him for this, because he explains:
"I had already given up on the attack during the first corner, precisely because I didn't want to ruin everything at the start: I knew that this race is long and grueling, other opportunities would come. But at the beginning of the second corner he almost stopped, he must have been going at ten an hour and it was impossible to avoid the impact".
At that point, however, perhaps it would have been appropriate to return to the pits immediately. At least that's what Stefano Domenicali thinks:
"We took a big risk. It was useless. And certain risks must be avoided".
Instead Alonso, in agreement (it was said later) with the engineers, decided to continue. Of ignoring the damage, with the result of seeing his wing fly off (it ended up under the car and crashed) and having to park the Ferrari at the end of the straight. A one-armed redhead, without a winger and points in the standings.
"The thing that makes me angry the most is the bad luck that he decided to attack us. We have seen cars that crash and continue as if nothing had happened. We touch an opponent and it causes a damage never seen before. If the aileron came off immediately, it was better. So instead it ended up under the car, a hybrid position, which prevented us from assessing the situation properly. In fact, in the moment, it didn't seem like a huge problem. And yet it was".
No regrets for choosing to continue.
"Talking afterwards is easy. We had to stop on the fourth or fifth lap to change tires, two stops in a few minutes would have made us lose a lot of time, almost a minute and we would have found ourselves last and out of contention. So we decided to bet and this time we lost. If the winger had resisted for a couple of laps, if he had given us time to return to the pits for the first tire change, you would now be here talking about a great exploit".
Instead, Alonso's was a flop. Even more difficult, if we consider the good qualification achieved. It is the Spaniard himself who accentuates the regrets:
"The Red Bull wasn't the usual rocket, it didn't impress me, it was beatable. Without the accident at the start, we could have won".
All that remains is to console ourselves with the ferocious internal war between Vettel and Webber. The Spaniard, a fine psychologist, rages on Twitter:
"I can't leave you alone, look what you've done. I promise, I will never abandon you again".
While in front of journalists he says:
"Red Bull always teaches lessons in behavior, it is a team that respects the rules, that makes the drivers get along. Then comes the track and see what happens. The reality is very different: there is no team as united as Ferrari. Also because Montezemolo does not compromise: the team first and foremost. It is a commandment that cannot be escaped".
It seems that Domenicali wants to scold Fernando Alonso, and instead a few hours later he endorses his decision.