Sunday: Almost a Taste of Victory for Ferrari
Fernando Alonso had said at the beginning of the weekend that a podium would suit him perfectly: mission accomplished. Moreover, finishing ahead of the two Red Bulls is even better from his point of view. As for Felipe Massa, he is happy to have finally had a good race in Australia, even if a podium was possible for him as well. Therefore, smiles prevail in the Scuderia stand.
Fernando Alonso – 2nd:
« We can say that we have started this season well, immediately fighting with the best. With the results of the winter tests, it is very encouraging that we were able to make the most of a weekend full of uncertainties, both in qualifying and in the race. I think the three-stop strategy was the right one: with the degradation we had, it would have been impossible to make one less, and advancing the second stop by a few laps allowed me to overtake Vettel and Sutil. Finishing ahead of the Red Bulls gives us almost a feeling of victory, even though we know that despite today’s result, they are the fastest. Now, we can expect another weekend with very changing weather conditions, which also challenges the cars from a mechanical point of view and the drivers from a physical point of view. But we can approach it calmly with the support of this good result. »
Felipe Massa – 4th:
« It is certainly a very positive start to the season, especially on a track where I have always struggled. We have shown that our car is competitive, with a good race pace, thanks to all our hard work during the winter tests. I was aggressive at the start of the race, which allowed me to fight right away for the top positions. Maybe if I had moved forward my second stop, as Fernando did, the podium would have been possible for me, but I am still very happy with my result. Certainly, we are at the level and we must now carefully analyze every detail to improve the car. »
