Sunday: Ferrari and Alonso back on the podium
The Scuderia achieves its most accomplished performance so far in 2011 with Fernando Alonso's 2nd place and Felipe Massa's 5th place, who could have even claimed 4th place without a problem during his second stop. Ferrari, which is coming off a series of three races where it regained form, eagerly awaits the verdict at Silverstone.
Fernando Alonso – 2nd
I was determined to get on the podium. In my trophy collection, only those from Abu Dhabi and, obviously, India are missing: I hope to complete the collection by the end of the year. I was really happy to taste the champagne again, especially in front of the charming Valencia crowd, an incredible city with a great passion for racing. This result means a lot to me. It’s difficult to see the stands when you’re driving, but I could feel great enthusiasm when I passed Webber.
It’s a positive result for the whole team, which also confirms that we are headed in the right direction. Today, the first hundred meters weren’t great but I knew that starting from the dirty side of the track would be penalizing. Then, I was lucky enough to find space on the outside and managed to gain a position over my starting position.
It was important to get rid of the McLarens immediately, as they were slower than us today, which is why we focused on Webber. Then, when I was sure he was behind me, we tried to think about Vettel; you never know what can happen. The strategy paid off, and staying as long as possible on the soft tires was the right choice.
The Red Bulls are still significantly superior, but it was also significant to stay in contact and prevent them from taking the double. We must continue like this, race after race.
We know that at Silverstone, it will be difficult because it is one of the tracks that suits their car best.
Felipe Massa – 5th
« It was a good race, constantly fighting with the other drivers. I tried to get the most out of the soft tires because we knew that with the mediums our pace wasn’t at its best. It’s a shame about the problem during the second stop when I lost those 4 or 5 seconds that cost me my chances of fighting with Hamilton for 4th place.
I think in terms of performance, we could have put both our cars ahead of the McLarens today, and we only got halfway there.
I got off to a good start, overtaking Hamilton and Fernando. Then, I also tried to attack Webber but he closed the door and we almost touched, so Fernando had the opportunity to take the outside and pass me again.
I encountered some issues with my second set of tires, but with the next one, which was even more worn in, things went better. In the end, even the mediums weren’t so bad, and I was able to achieve competitive times with them.
The Silverstone weekend arrives. We will see if we can confirm the progress glimpsed during the last three races. We will also see what choice Pirelli makes: if they bring the mediums and hards, it will be more difficult for us.
Stefano Domenicali – Team Principal
« Our only goal should be victory, we are Ferrari after all, but today, all things considered, we can be satisfied with the result. It was a close and exciting race: Fernando and Felipe performed well, fighting until the end with their main rivals. The Spaniard, in front of his fans, managed to stay ahead of a Red Bull to secure a fantastic podium. The only downside concerns Felipe’s second stop which could have cost him the chance to fight till the end with Hamilton for fourth place, but he had a solid race, notably at the start where he managed to gain two positions and attack Webber.
Now, we must continue the development of the car in preparation for Silverstone, where we want to confirm the progress made on a circuit that corresponds less to the characteristics of the 150° Italia. There, we will finally know if the regulation changes regarding exhaust usage will change anything or not: everyone will lose performance, so it will be an opportunity to see who pays the most for it.
