user icon
icon
link-icon
<< Return to the news list
Alonso happy to fight with other cars in Malaysia

Alonso happy to fight with other cars in Malaysia

  • Published on 30 Mar 2015 15:06
  • comments 1
  • By: Rob Veenstra
Fernando Alonso insists his first race with McLaren-Honda went better than expected. Earlier in Malaysia, the Spaniard told reporters he would prefer not to let the world know what his real thoughts were when he watched on television the woeful progress of his new team at the Melbourne opener.

At the same time, his former team Ferrari is riding a wave of rapid progress, with Alonso's 2015 replacement Sebastian Vettel winning in Malaysia. The Maranello marque, it seems, does not miss the 33-year-old at all.

"The fact is," team boss Maurizio Arrivabene told Welt am Sonntag newspaper, "Sebastian has won four world titles and Fernando two. And even if some people say that Sebastian was always sitting in the best car on the grid, he still delivered this great achievement. It reminds me of Michael Schumacher."

Ferrari is not looking back on its recently-departed era of turmoil, where the politics of blame was rife. "I immediately realised," said newcomer Arrivabene, "that this team needed to come together. There could no longer be this mutual blame for problems and mistakes."

It could have been an opaque reference to Alonso, who now finds himself at McLaren and in an awkward situation regarding the Barcelona test crash contradictions. Not only that, his MP4-30 is slow. But after Malaysia, despite his retirement from the race, Alonso sounded upbeat.

"I was fighting with a Red Bull and a Toro Rosso before stopping, after overtaking (Sergio) Perez," he is quoted by El Confidencial newspaper. "Three days ago, that was unthinkable. It was a bit of a surprise to be racing with a group of other cars," said Alonso. "I don't know what happened exactly with the car but if we had a normal winter surely we would have found these small faults."

Also outwardly happy is team boss Ron Dennis, who said: "If we can keep taking steps as we did between Australia and Malaysia, we can have a good end of the season." He is quoted by El Mundo Deportivo is saying McLaren cannot regret its decision to swap a customer Mercedes engine for a struggling works Honda, "because if you want to win championships, you have to have a great manufacturer behind you".

Finally, Alonso said that in the wake of his concussion and long recovery from his Barcelona crash, he felt healthy throughout the Malaysian weekend. "I am a little tired after this heat," he revealed, "but it would not have been a problem to finish the race. I do need to train more in these days before China, because sitting on the couch for so long was not the best preparation." (GMM)
F1 News Fernando Alonso Sebastian Vettel Mercedes McLaren Ferrari Honda

Replies (1)

Login to reply
  • ianf1

    Posts: 185

    He's putting a brave face on it, but it's gotta hurt seeing SV in a Ferrari win on Sunday! So many what if questions...

    • + 0
    • Mar 30 2015 - 21:01

BE Grand Prix of Belgium

Local time 

BEGrand Prix of Belgium

Local time 

World Championship standings 2024

Pos
Team
Points
1
McLaren
666
2
Ferrari
652
3
Red Bull Racing
589
4
Mercedes
468
5
Aston Martin
94
6
Alpine F1
65
7
Haas F1
58
8
Visa Cash App RB
46
9
Williams
17
10
Sauber
4
Show full world champion standings

Test calendar

Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing

See full test schedule

Related news

Give your opinion!

Will Bottas challenge Hamilton for the world championship in 2020?

Formula 1 Calendar - 2024

Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
-
Bahrain
29 - Mar 2
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
7 - Mar 9
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
22 - Mar 24
Australia
Albert Park
5 - Apr 7
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
19 - Apr 21
China
Shanghai International Circuit
3 - May 5
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
17 - May 19
Italy
Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
24 - May 26
Monaco
Monte Carlo
7 - Jun 9
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
21 - Jun 23
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
28 - Jun 30
Austria
Red Bull Ring
5 - Jul 7
United Kingdom
Silverstone
19 - Jul 21
Hungary
Hungaroring
26 - Jul 28
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
23 - Aug 25
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
30 - Sep 1
Italy
Monza
13 - Sep 15
Azerbaijan
Baku City Circuit
20 - Sep 22
Singapore
Marina Bay Street Circuit
18 - Oct 20
United States of America
Circuit of the Americas
25 - Oct 27
Mexico
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
1 - Nov 3
Brazil
Interlagos
22 - Nov 24
United States of America
Las Vegas Street Circuit
29 - Dec 1
Qatar
Losail International Circuit
6 - Dec 8
United Arab Emirates
Yas Marina Circuit
-
United Arab Emirates
See full schedule

Formula 1 Calendar - 2024

Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
-
Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit
29 - Mar 2
Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit
7 - Mar 9
Saudi Arabia Jeddah Street Circuit
22 - Mar 24
Australia Albert Park
5 - Apr 7
Japan Circuit Suzuka
19 - Apr 21
China Shanghai International Circuit
3 - May 5
United States of America Miami International Autodrome
17 - May 19
Italy Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
24 - May 26
Monaco Monte Carlo
7 - Jun 9
Canada Gilles Villeneuve
21 - Jun 23
Spain Circuit de Catalunya
28 - Jun 30
Austria Red Bull Ring
5 - Jul 7
United Kingdom Silverstone
19 - Jul 21
Hungary Hungaroring
26 - Jul 28
Belgium Spa-Francorchamps
23 - Aug 25
Netherlands Circuit Zandvoort
30 - Sep 1
Italy Monza
13 - Sep 15
Azerbaijan Baku City Circuit
20 - Sep 22
Singapore Marina Bay Street Circuit
18 - Oct 20
United States of America Circuit of the Americas
25 - Oct 27
Mexico Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
1 - Nov 3
Brazil Interlagos
22 - Nov 24
United States of America Las Vegas Street Circuit
29 - Dec 1
Qatar Losail International Circuit
6 - Dec 8
United Arab Emirates Yas Marina Circuit
-
United Arab Emirates Yas Marina Circuit
See full schedule

Driver profile

ES Fernando Alonso 14
  • Team Aston Martin
  • Points 572
  • Podiums 9
  • Grand Prix 168
  • Country ES
  • Date of b. Jul 29 1981 (43)
  • Place of b. Oviedo, ES
  • Weight 68 kg
  • Length 1.71 m
Show full profile

Team profile

Mercedes
Mercedes
Show full profile
show sidebar