Mat Coch writes:

Fernando Alonso is arguably on the form of his life. The Ferrari driver heads the Drivers’ Championship in a car many believe to be off the pace of those he’s racing, leaving them to conclude that it must be the Spaniard making the difference.

“It's just a number that you have in the table,” he countered. “Whoever is leading the championship is not a big factor at the moment because everything is changing so quickly.

“I approach this Grand Prix exactly the same way as I approach the last four or five; trying to maximise what we have.”

Despite the unpredictable season, and even though he’s leading the championship, Alonso believes his team is playing catch up to Red Bull.

“Red Bull is little bit quicker than everyone else, not from the last two or three Grand Prix but from Bahrain,” he said. “They lost pole position in Barcelona and I think in Silverstone, the rest is all Red Bull."

Yet with two wins already to his name, and a hat full of podium places, Alonso’s famed consistency still sees him ahead on points of those he believes he’s chasing. The last time the 30-year-old failed to score points was the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix, twenty-one races ago. The last time he finished a Grand Prix outside of the points was the 2010 British Grand Prix, and even there he scored the fastest lap.

Alonso though denies he’s driving any better now than he has in the past. “You're a better driver every year because you learn from mistakes,” he shrugged. “You learn constantly in Formula One. I'm sure next year it will be better.”