Fernando Alonso: I can afford more retirements in Formula 1 title battle
Fernando Alonso says he is the only driver in the 2012 world championship with the luxury of having a retirement in hand should misfortune strike again on Sunday at Monza
The world championship points leader was taken out of the Belgian Grand Prix in a multi-car shunt at the first corner and was forced to watch Sebastian Vettel reduce his points lead to 24 from 42.
But Alonso says his advantage over his rivals remains firmly intact and that he will remain in contention even if he did post another DNF this weekend.
"What we need to do is concentrate on our job and we did quite a good performance until now and so far with the points and finishing the races a little bit better than our opponents," he said.
"Last weekend we saw how things can quickly change and in two or three races you can lose an advantage. But at the moment we are the only ones that can do that."
Alonso, who has 164 points, pointed out that his position grows stronger with every race, as those title rivals who are further behind than Vettel, such as the two McLaren drivers Lewis Hamilton in fifth (on 117 points) and Belgian Grand Prix winner Jenson Button (101 points) can ill-afford another non-finish.
"We did not finish in Belgium and we could not finish maybe here and we are still in title contention," said Alonso. "If some of the other rivals don't finish one or two races they say bye, bye - so that's an advantage."
Asked if he thought the championship fight could last as late into the season as the Texas/Brazil double-header in November, Alonso replied: "We will see."
Previous article
Italian GP: Lewis Hamilton pips Fernando Alonso by 0.001s in final Monza practice
Next article
McLaren says Lewis Hamilton 2013 talks can wait until after Italian Grand Prix
How Ferrari has brought the best from F1’s smooth operator
As a young boy, Carlos Sainz was schooled by his father in the special folklore surrounding Ferrari in Formula 1. Now an established grand prix ace – and a Ferrari driver to boot – Sainz opens up to BEN ANDERSON about driving for the team of his childhood hero, and of his own boyhood dreams
How Hungarian GP thriller sounded alarm bell for F1 2022 cars
OPINION: The 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix may not have been a thrill-a-minute overtaking fest, but it's a race that will live long in the memory as one of the best of the current era of Formula 1. And as F1 moves to regulations in 2022 aimed at boosting overtaking, Hungary showed the balance it must strike with its new machinery as not to deny similarly tense spectacles
Was Hamilton's Hungary solo start a good or bad look for F1?
OPINION: Different perspectives had Lewis Hamilton’s solo second standing start in Formula 1’s 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix as fabulous or farcical. But did it make the championship appear too silly for the sake of a moment of high-charged sporting drama?
Why unseen Hungary heroics could be the making of F1's most overlooked driver
The chaotic start to the Hungarian GP set the scene for F1's less heralded drivers to make a name for themselves. Esteban Ocon did just that to win in fine style, but further down the order one driver was making his first visit to the points and - while the circumstances were fortunate - took full advantage of the chance presented to him
Hungarian Grand Prix Driver Ratings
This was race that showcased the best and worst of Formula 1, producing a first time winner and a memorable comeback to a podium finish. Avoiding trouble at the start and astute strategy calls were key to success, but where some drivers took full advantage, others made key errors that cost them dearly
The “heart-breaking” call that led to Ocon’s Hungarian GP triumph
Set to restart the red-flagged Hungarian Grand Prix in second, Esteban Ocon had some doubts when he peeled into the pits to swap his intermediate tyres for slicks. But this "heart-breaking" call was vindicated in spectacular fashion as the Alpine driver staved off race-long pressure from Sebastian Vettel for a memorable maiden Formula 1 victory
The F1 champion who became an Indy king in his second career
Emerson Fittipaldi’s decision to go racing with his brother led to him falling out of F1, but he bloomed again on the IndyCar scene. NIGEL ROEBUCK considers a career of two halves
Why Mercedes is pleased to be in the Hungary hunt at a 'Red Bull track'
Mercedes ended Friday practice at the Hungaroring with a clear gap to Red Bull thanks to Valtteri Bottas’s pace in topping FP2. But there are other reasons why the Black Arrows squad feels satisfied with its progress so far at a track many Formula 1 observers reckon favours Red Bull overall
