Sunday: Alonso and Ferrari fail to regain ground on Williams F1
The Russian Grand Prix was as challenging as expected for Scuderia Ferrari, which couldn't make it into the top 5, even though Fernando managed to outperform the Red Bulls.
Fernando Alonso (No. 14) – 6th
The Spaniard was mainly caught up in a race of management like most drivers: « The whole race was particularly demanding from the perspective of fuel consumption management and especially in the last part. I had to save fuel. »
He encountered an issue during his pit stop, with a problem lifting and holding the car to change the tires: During the stop, the front jack wasn’t working, but I think even without this problem, I would have finished in the same position because the McLarens were faster. We took a risk at the start because we knew there would be an opportunity to gain positions, but after that, my race pace was what it was, and it wasn’t possible to do more.
If he thinks about the championship, his mind is focused on Jules Bianchi hospitalized in Japan: « We haven’t gained any points, but we will continue to give it our all during the last three races, because the third place in the constructors’ standings is still a possibility, even though for the moment, the most important thing is to have good news about Jules, as soon as possible. »
Kimi Räikkönen (No. 7) – 9th
The Finn hoped to get a good start to ensure a solid race, and although it seemed to start well, he eventually found himself in the pack, which compromised his competitiveness: « We knew we could expect a very demanding race and that starting quite far back, it wouldn’t be easy to move up the ranks, but we managed well at the start. Unfortunately, a Toro Rosso squeezed me against the wall once on the straight. Since I had to brake hard, a number of cars were able to pass me, and I lost any chance of having a good race, because from then on, I found myself stuck behind other cars. »
Even though Räikkönen is satisfied with his Ferrari for the moment, there are things to improve, and he hopes to do better in the next race in the United States. But for now, he wishes to see a favorable evolution of Jules Bianchi’s condition: « The car behaved well, and with a clear track, I had a good pace, but we lacked top speed to overtake on the straight and had to save fuel, which meant I couldn’t attack as much as I wanted. We are aware this year that it’s difficult to fight for the top positions, but we will continue to do our best, starting with the next race in Austin. This track is very demanding and interesting, and I hope I won’t have the same problems that I had, and that I can aim for a good result. However, what I wish for the most at the moment is for all our prayers to help Jules in this difficult time. »
