Alonso's diary: I’m still enjoying it!
July 13, 2011 · Posted by Fernando Alonso
What a great feeling, winning again! And I’m revelling in it all the more now I’m back home in Oviedo. When a Grand Prix is over, there is a rush of emotion, but then there are so many things to do, what with press conferences and the debrief, so you have to stay very focussed. But the following morning, you wake up happy and there’s a truly special feeling that goes with it. And I have to say I’m still feeling that way now!
I haven’t spent too much time thinking about the technical reasons behind the win in the British Grand Prix. Each race has its own story and we know only too well how much things can change when you go from one track to another. There were definitely some major improvements on the car, which mean it feels much easier to drive now and you can feel it much more stuck to the ground than before, especially in the fast corners. That means it’s got more aerodynamic downforce, which was the area where we trailed our main rivals the most. However, I don’t think the changes to the engine mapping were a factor: we were quicker specifically at the part of the track where you practically don’t have to brake, which means it is the actual car that is going well.
This win won’t change our approach to the coming races. We have to be realistic, because we are 92 points behind in the classification and that is a very big gap! We will tackle the races one at a time, trying to win as many as possible. This will also involve taking a few more risks and maybe it will happen that we pay a high price for that, but there is no alternative. We are definitely not giving up, but we must not think about the championship: as Montezemolo said yesterday in Maranello, we are keeping our feet on the ground.
On Sunday morning, I had great fun doing a couple of laps in the 375 F1 which brought Ferrari its first championship Grand Prix win back in 1951. I had already driven a very similar car, the 375 Indy, in Valencia at the Ferrari Days event. It definitely takes a bit of getting used to with a very different pedal arrangement, with the accelerator on the left and the brake on the right. The engine power to tyre grip ratio is the complete opposite of the cars we drive today. You need to change your driving style to go quickly, but it was a wonderful experience. Sure, back then, not only did the drivers need to be incredibly talented, but they also needed a good dose of craziness!
There was a special atmosphere at Silverstone on Sunday. The crowd is always very big there and they are all very involved in the event. For us it felt different and I can’t explain why: maybe it was because we wanted to do well on this important anniversary in our history. Ever since I have been with Ferrari, there have often been unusual coincidences between my wins and special moments. For example, on my debut in red in Bahrain last year, or the first time I raced for the Scuderia at Monza. Now this win has come, sixty years after Gonzalez took the victory. I hope there will be many more moments like this!
Credit: Ferrari S.p.A. (www.ferrari.com)
No comments:
Post a Comment