Question: Fernando, you passed Lewis Hamilton and Nico Hulkenberg at the start but I guess you lost touch with the Red Bull duo in the process.
Fernando Alonso: Yeah, I think we lost too much ground in the first laps of the race trying to overtake Hamilton and then Hulkenberg. Those 10 or 12 seconds we lost with the Red Bulls were impossible to catch. We are very close in race pace, maybe one or two tenths quicker some laps, one or two tenths slower some of the laps, so when you lose 12 seconds probably it is over. Then we had a little chance when the safety car came out but we found ourselves in the wrong position again with seven cars between Mark and us, so to pass these seven cars the gap again was six or seven seconds to the Red Bulls, so it was over for a second time but overall a good race for us. Being on the podium, overtaking Hamilton and Hulkenberg, we knew that it was not an easy thing to do but in terms of points we are extremely happy. Congratulations to Red Bull. To win the constructors’ world championship after six or seven years only in Formula One is a great achievement. We will see what happens in Abu Dhabi with the other championship. It is very open now with the win of Sebastian. He is another strong contender, so we will see what we can do in Abu Dhabi and we will see the final result of a very exciting championship.
Question: Fernando, I guess the situation suits you pretty well?
Fernando Alonso: Well, I think I need second place if Mark wins to be mathematically champion. A fifth if Sebastian wins, so we will see what happens. We saw today how very easy things can change. With a safety car in the late part of the race, maybe some people change tyres, some others not, so if you make the wrong decision at the wrong moment you find yourself eighth or ninth and the championship is over. We need to go to Abu Dhabi very concentrated, very focused. It is going to be a stressful weekend for all of us but this is Formula One and anything can happen next weekend. For me, we will start from zero and see who does a better job in seven days’ time.
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Question: Fernando, at the end there, you looked as though you were catching Mark with a succession of fastest laps.
Fernando Alonso: I think the race pace was okay all through the race. Obviously at the beginning, with the time lost behind Nico, it was too much for us. The gap to Red Bull was around 14 seconds, so we decided to control the gap to Hamilton at that point, and try to be conservative with the engine settings etc. So when the safety car came in, we pushed a little bit harder, tried to see what was the real pace of the car and the real pace of Red Bull but again, we found ourselves with a lot of traffic, seven cars between Mark and me, so we spent five or six laps overtaking those cars and then the gap to Mark was five seconds already, so even with fastest laps at the end, it was obviously not enough but it also seems that Mark was controlling engine problems, so we will never know but I think the car was very competitive today as it normally is on Sundays. Very, very, happy, extremely happy with the result. We started fifth with a very complex race, I think, in terms of strategy with Hulkenberg, something that is not normally there, so you never know how the strategy will change. And also with Hamilton: we knew that overtaking was going to be very, very difficult with the top speed of the McLaren but we were lucky to overtake him on the first couple of laps and then our race was much easier from that point.
Question: Fernando, do you think you didn’t do a perfect job this weekend?
Fernando Alonso: I think I tried to do the best job possible. For sure there are some cars with six or seven seconds’ slower pace than us. It was sometimes very close. I remember I nearly touched a Virgin in turn eight one time. In turn three as well, with a Lotus. This is the risk we have to take, sometimes to be a little bit conservative when you lap someone because we know the car difference in terms of the speed but I’m sure they try to do the best job they can.
Question: Fernando, given how strong Red Bull is and how strong they were last year, do you feel that your hands are a little bit tied because they have it in their hands to decide who becomes champion if you can just finish third?
Fernando Alonso: I think we have to see how the car performs there. I think here, with a better qualifying yesterday, or a dry qualifying maybe we could have overtaken a Red Bull at the start because we did a very good start and then the race changed from there. We will see if we can be in front of them in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. If not, probably the start will be our next opportunity and then we see. As I said before, if I’m fifth and Sebastian wins, I think Sebastian is World Champion. So it’s not so clear for them either, which one can win the race.
Question: Fernando, the two guys beside you seem pretty confident of their chances for the title; and you?
Fernando Alonso: Hundred percent. I just need to finish second. It doesn’t matter who wins in Abu Dhabi if I finish second. So the main goal for us is to be on pole on Saturday and to win the race on Sunday. If we cannot do that, because we are not quick enough, we try to be second. With that, the problem is finished.
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