Alonso still enjoying victory high
Thursday 14th July 2011
Fernando Alonso is still feeling the high that goes along with taking the top step of the podium.
Alonso beat the Red Bull racers to the chequered flag at Silverstone on Sunday, claiming his first P1 result of the Championship. It was the Spaniard's first race win in last year's inaugural Korean GP.
"What a great feeling, winning again! And I'm revelling in it all the more now I'm back home in Oviedo," he told Ferrari's website.
"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!"
Alonso's victory in the British GP saw him move up to third place in the drivers' standings. However, he still trails run-away championship leader Sebastian Vettel by 92 points.
And it's that massive margin, coupled with Vettel's impressive run, which has seen him finish all nine 2011 grands prix in the top two positions, that has Alonso admitting that talk of the title is little more than a dream.
"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 (Ferrari President Luca di) Montezemolo said in Maranello, we are keeping our feet on the ground."
The Spaniard, though, has been buoyed by his grand prix victory, insisting it's a sure sign that Ferrari have improved their 150° Italia.
"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."
Credit: ESPN STAR (www.espnstar.com)
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