22/07/2012
NEWS STORY
Victory in Germany is evidence that Fernando Alonso is driving better than ever, says Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali. Alonso held off the advances of both Sebastian Vettel and Jenson Button to claim his third win of the season, but it was the way the Spaniard controlled the race which stood out for Ferrari's team boss.
"Fernando was perfect: not one mistake, not one hesitation, pushing to the maximum for an hour and a half," Domenicali beamed. "He is in the peak of his personal performance, no doubt about it."
In a car widely regarded as not the fastest in the current field Alonso's start was critical. Opting for the softer yellow banded Pirellis he got the jump off the line, a point which would prove a deciding factor as the race unfolded.
"We wanted to maximise the first laps in order to make sure to hold position," Domenicali explained. Once ahead it was a case of managing tyre wear, a feat Alonso managed under almost constant pressure from firstly Sebastian Vettel and then Jenson Button.
At the halfway mark of the championship Alonso stands thirty-four points clear at the head of the class, a remarkable feat given the team's early season struggles. While the team's performance has been transformed on the back of an update at the Spanish Grand Prix, it has gained strength from Alonso's continued optimism.
"This year it was important from his side not to lose faith in the team, and not to lose the will to believe in what he's doing when we had difficult days at the beginning of the season," said Domenicali. "To see him always motivated or focussed on the job was really good and that is something that makes the difference when you are under pressure."
Such has been Alonso's form that the Spaniard has contributed more than six times the number of points as teammate Felipe Massa to the Constructor's Championship total.
However, amid renewed uncertainty over Felipe Massa's future with the team Domenicali remains firmly behind the Brazilian. "We want to support Felipe 100%," he said. "We need to believe in Felipe to do the right job for the team.
"That's why I always said there's no pressure in that respect because we want Felipe to realise that he is one of us and we'll protect him," he continued. "I'm sure that he will give back what the team has given him."
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