I’m loving this quote from Fernando Alonso, and I couldn’t help but share it.*
Alonso has his pre-race blog post up at the Ferrari website (recently updated and, in my opinion, improved, by the way, and Ferrari remains the easiest team to gather news and insights from, as opposed to the horrible McLaren site), and it is focused on the team improving for Canada.
There needs no ghost come from the grave to tell us that’s necessary.**
Alonso also applauds Ferrari’s decision to re-sign Felipe Massa. (Inset Alonso Clause joke here.)
Here’s some highlights from Fernando:
I feel there is a great desire to turn things round after the difficult weekend in Turkey and everyone has reacted in the way I was expecting. Within all of Ferrari there is a passion for racing, which is something I realised from my very first day at Maranello and I am well aware that no one likes losing and that everyone is pushing to the maximum to give us drivers a competitive car.
Today, the team announced that Felipe’s contract has been extended to the end of 2012. I am very happy about this, because it means we can be sure the same group of people will be working together for another two years and stability is a very important part of being a successful team. I get on very well with Felipe and there is great mutual respect between us and immediately, it led to the necessary harmony that means we can work together in the long term. I have seen how close the guys are to him and it’s clear he is part of the Ferrari family.
[snip]
What is true is that, in Spain, we did not make the step forward we were expecting, while the others made more progress than us. That explains the difficulties we experienced in Barcelona and, above all, in Istanbul. As for the blown rear wing, I think it has been useful to work on it, even if we have not yet got the most out of it.
There’s been some talk that Ferrari has focused on its F-duct — or whatever they are calling it, apparently just a “blown rear wing” — to the car’s detriment. Alonso hints as much, or at least obliquely answers critics there.
So far, from those who have answered our Your View question, it doesn’t look like there’s very high expectations for Ferrari this weekend. Anyone want to defend the Scuderia?
* If I had the mental wherewithal right now, I would contrast Alonso’s comments to Luca di Montezemolo’s about the new teams and how there can’t be compromises in racing. Something isn’t adding up.
** Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 1, Scene V for those playing along.
