Veteran driver Fernando Alonso, currently with Aston Martin, spoke before the Dutch Grand Prix and said Ferrari would be the team to beat in Italy and Singapore. Although the Italian failed to compete with Red Bull and sometimes even fell behind McLaren and Mercedes, as for the competitive order Ferrari has all it takes to sparkle at these decisive races according to the Spanish driver.
Ferrari’s Mixed Result at Zandvoort
Just as it has been described earlier, Ferrari’s performance at Zandvoort can probably be best summarized as mediocre. A qualification that saw after a poor performance from Charles Leclerc on sixth, a second behind the fastest times, and the exclusion of Carlos Sainz from the Q2- it was possible to secure one unbelievable podium. This recovery only underlined the fact that the team has spirit, but at the same time it is unable to fight for the win against the best teams regularly.
Fernando Alonso’s Prediction of Ferrari
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This season, Ferrari does not seem to stay on top again; Red Bull is already ahead while both McLaren and Mercedes seem to overtake Ferrari. Nevertheless, according to Fernando Alonso, they can spring a few surprises, especially on circuits that Ferrari has fond memories of.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur did not waste long to answer Fernando Alonso’s statements, but at the same time, Fernando Alonso tried to keep an expectations level high. In response to a question regarding his comments, Vasseur dismissed all possibilities of Ferrari as a favorite team arguing that the Aston Martin driver could be eager to apply pressure. Vasseur acknowledged Ferrari’s potential to perform well in the coming races but remained cautious, he stated;
I hope that we will be in a better shape in the next two or three events. We were in a much better shape last year on these tracks. Again, it’s a matter of details. The fact that we are in a better shape on the short corner will help us. If we are able to do a step of one or two tenths, it’s a game changer.
He also mentioned that there is a lot of pressure from behind especially from Lando Norris and Mclaren saying that Ferrari has a lot of work to do.
In Conclusion
Barely announcing Ferrari’s preparation for both the Monza and Singapore races, Vasseur said it was important for the team to compete in both these races equally, with equal intensity, and not expect to win, he prefers that
“I will never go to Monza, Baku or whatever with the feeling that it will be an easy one.”
However, the road ahead won’t be easy, and Fernando Alonso’s confidence in backing Ferrari is commendable. However, Ferrari was the second-best team during the first four races and its ability to challenge the leaders and use their weaknesses to their advantage will be essential in the following races.
