Alonso ’100% confident we will win title’
F1 Fanatic round-up
In the round-up: Fernando Alonso says he is sure he will win the championship.
Links
Top F1 links from the past 24 hours:
Alonso confident he can still win F1 title (Reuters)
“I think it’s more challenging for us now but I remain 100% confident that we will fight for this championship and we will win it.”
Q&A with Red Bull’s Helmut Marko (F1)
“We have never had team orders but we bank on the intelligence of our drivers. I think they demonstrated their ability to use their brain as well as their feet very recently in Korea. Mark [Webber's] start was not so good but there was no collision. As long as Mark has a theoretical, mathematical chance of winning the title it is understandable when he says that he is first and foremost driving for himself.”
“We’ll keep trying to move forward. We’re a world championship. We’ll probably lose two or three more races in Europe as we have to sort of move on.”
I’m not retiring yet – Ecclestone (BBC)
“I will tell CVC [F1 owners] exactly if I’m going to turn it in when I’m 85 or something like that, which will give them plenty of notice.”
McLaren sure it can still beat Red Bull (Autosport)
Sporting director Sam Michael: “If he does get away and maintains a three second gap, there is still a possibility to get him on strategy, but it will be pretty hard. All the signs from practice are that we can run with them but, when you get there and get in the wake, you lose 10-15% of your downforce and then you start falling off the back.”
“The [Bharatiya Janata Party, one of India's largest political parties] in Kerala has slammed Ferrari’s move to display the Italian Navy flag on its racing cars during the Indian Grand Prix to express solidarity with two Italian marines facing trial in Kerala for gunning down two Indian fishermen.”
FMSCI backs Ferrari in flag issue (Deccan Herald)
“‘The FMSCI [Federation of Motor Sports of India] would like to maintain that the FIA code of motorsport is apolitical and non-religious and the FMSCI will not permit motorsports to be politicised in any manner,’ read the statement issued by its president Vicky Chandhok.”
Di Resta: ‘You haven’t seen real me’ (The Telegraph)
“Di Resta is too polite to say that is the reason McLaren have taken on Mexican Sergio Perez as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement next year, but he hints it may be what he thinks. Perez ‘opens up various different markets,’ he says. ‘But listen, it was flattering to be linked to a team like McLaren.’”
Narain Karthikeyan terribly underrated, says team mate Pedro de la Rosa (The Times of India)
“Narain is a very strong driver and terribly underrated. I think he still has a few more seasons of F1 left in him.”
“To those who think that there’s a coldness between [Alonso] and [Ferrari] the truth is we have never been as united as we are now. Forza Fernando! Forza Ferrari!”
Formula One Betting: Indian Grand Prix Race Preview (Unibet)
My race preview for Unibet.
Tweets
Goodnight. See you tomorrow twitter.com/danielricciard…
— Daniel Ricciardo (@danielricciardo) October 27, 2012
Comment of the day
Minardi (@Gitanes) is disappointed with how the quality of racing has dropped off as the season has gone on:
What a drop off in the excitement level from earlier in the year, which was maybe at an all-time high.
The combination of Red Bull dominance, lack of rain, and teams finally adjusting to the new Pirellis, has totally ruined the season.
I can’t believe that some people were actually complaining about the randomness earlier. I would do anything to bring it back!
Minardi (@Gitanes)
From the forum
- Red Bull’s Antonio Felix da Costa takes F3 Cup pole by nine seconds in the rain at Snetterton
- Going to today’s Indian Grand Prix? Join the discussion here
- Should F1 create regional F1 championships?
- Where will Felipe Nasr go next year?
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to D Winn, Nixon, Vinicius Antunes, Zahir, Doance, Eggry and Dimaka1256!
If you want a birthday shout-out tell us when yours is by emailling me, using Twitter or adding to the list here.
On this day in F1
And happy birthday to Bernie Ecclestone who is 82 today.
Image © Ferrari spa/Ercole Colombo
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys) said on 28th October 2012, 8:48
“We’ll probably lose two or three more races in Europe,” he said as he planned to add France to the calendar.
Fixy (@fixy) said on 28th October 2012, 14:57
As long as they’re the Hungaroring, Catalunya and the Hockenheimring it will be nearly acceptable. Unlikely that we’ll lose these three as I’ve heard the Hungaroring is planning updates and changes, Catalunya has announced its rotation with Valencia and the Nurburgring is having problems and could hand the German GP to the Hockenheimring. These three are not great tracks but I’d rather have a boring track in Europe with a long history than a boring Tilkedrome somewhere in the Middle-East.
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner) said on 28th October 2012, 8:49
@gitanes In reference to your COTD, I can’t agree! The season hasn’t been ruined, this thing has to be won at some point and while many perceive this fight to already be over that’s not the case. It’s rare that the fight goes down to the last race and to be honest, I’d be disappointed if none of the teams managed to take control of tyres or other factors!
Now back to the round-up…Di Resta probably makes a good point but simply, he’s just not as good as Perez in my opinion.
Minardi (@gitanes) said on 28th October 2012, 19:19
Yeah, I suppose its not really “ruined” because Alonso is still right there, but the races now seem even more predictable than last year when Vettel was winning everything. Really, I think we all could just use a wet race again with Alonso on pole and Vettel in 10th. That would revive things in a hurry!
BasCB (@bascb) said on 28th October 2012, 11:45
Have a great birthday everyone, even if the race didn’t do that much to help, there’s still enough time to improve on that with a good party :-)
Fixy (@fixy) said on 28th October 2012, 14:53
Regarding de la Rosa’s comments on Karthikeyan: I’m sure he isn’t that bad a driver, although many not in F1 are better than him, but this comes from someone who has beat him nearly always this year despite not being in F1 last season. Also, today during the pre-race I saw a lap on board with Karthikeyan’s commentary, and he admitted to running wide at turn 3, 4 and cutting turn 7. And that probably was his best lap. Usually when you see an on board lap from another driver their lap is pretty much perfect.
He might have some more seasons in him, but why should better drivers waste seasons out of the sport for Karthikeyan to be there?