30/05/2011
NEWS STORY
Despite the frustration of missing out on what he believes could have been his first win of the season, Fernando Alonso urges his team to keep the faith.
"Over twenty four hours have passed since the end of the Monaco Grand Prix and I certainly haven't changed my mind," writes the Spaniard in his latesst blog for the Italian team. "Yesterday we had a real chance of taking our first win of the season and the interruption following the accident with Petrov and Alguersuari robbed us of the chance of trying to the very end.
"In the second part of the race, after the pit stop, I tried to save the tyres specifically to be prepared for the closing laps, when I hoped I'd be able to make the most of it if Sebastian had any difficulties with his tyres, given he'd been on the same set for many laps. Unfortunately, that plan went out the window, but you have to accept it, because we know that situations like the one we saw in Monaco yesterday happen quite often.
"Immediately after the race, I said the fight for the title was getting ever more difficult, not to say impossible," he continues. "Sure, if Vettel ends up winning a race in which we felt there was a chance of victory, then you get a feeling of disappointment, but that does not mean will not continue working hard at the track and back home on developing the car. Clearly the gap in the championship is widening all the time: we can do the maths, but neither myself nor the team are used to throwing in the towel.
"Already today, I've been talking to the engineers about the new parts we will have in Montreal, but above all, of the steps forward we must take for Silverstone, when we will back at a track which requires a lot of aerodynamic downforce. That's where we will really see how our season is going to pan out. Up until then, we want to and we must believe in ourselves.
"I am pleased to hear that Sergio Perez has already left the Monaco hospital," he adds. "He had a truly horrible accident and the fact he came out of it almost unscathed is a clear indication of the progress made in terms of Formula 1 car safety. You can never do away with the risks completely, but they can be significantly reduced for the drivers and for all those who work at the track."