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Montezemolo urges 'huge effort' from Ferrari for title battle

Montezemolo urges 'huge effort' from Ferrari for title battle

  • Published on 11 Oct 2012 17:45
  • comments 0
  • By: Rob Veenstra
With the title battle now essentially a head-to-head between Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso, Ferrari has acknowledged that its F2012 was outclassed by Red Bull's improved single seater at Suzuka last weekend. "We cannot go at Sebastian's pace at the moment," Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo is quoted as saying by German Bild newspaper. "I expect a huge effort from our engineers now."

Alonso's teammate Felipe Massa, who finished second behind Vettel in Japan last Sunday, added: "Red Bull had a much faster car than everyone at Suzuka. It was hard fighting with them in qualifying and virtually impossible in the race," he is quoted by Brazil's Totlrace. "Let's see, but I hope that each track is a different story."

At Suzuka, Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali said he understood Alonso's frustration when he wrongly surmised that Ferrari had not improved the F2012 in the last six races. Spaniard Alonso said the media spotlight is always brightest on Ferrari. "A lot's been said about us," he said. "If we try a wing once, then don't use it, it becomes news, but these things happen regularly in all teams," insisted Alonso.

Ahead of Korea, where he will defend a mere 4-point advantage over Vettel with five races still to go, he said he is confident Ferrari can improve the car. But in Japan, even before seeing his championship lead shrink in the Suzuka gravel trap, Alonso had said his 2012 advantage was a "miracle".

Now, he insists: "We have not been gifted anything, indeed Spa and Suzuka deprived us of places that were easily within our grasp. It's not through some sort of divine miracle that we are in this position, it is down to the work of all us, from first to last."

Speaking at an Italian university this week, Montezemolo said he had spoken "at length" on the telephone with Alonso since Suzuka. "We will play to the end and I have great confidence in the drivers," he said, also referring to Brazilian Massa who is now expected to stay in 2013. "If Alonso had not been put out at Spa and Suzuka then we would still have a great safety (points) advantage," added the Italian. (GMM)
F1 News Fernando Alonso Felipe Massa Sebastian Vettel Ferrari

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World Championship standings 2023

Pos
Team
Points
1
Red Bull Racing
597
2
Mercedes
289
3
Ferrari
265
4
Aston Martin
217
5
McLaren
139
6
Alpine F1
81
7
Williams
21
8
Haas F1
12
9
Alfa Romeo Racing
10
10
Alpha Tauri
5
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Formula 1 Calendar - 2023

Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
-
Bahrain
3 - Mar 5
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
17 - Mar 19
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
31 - Apr 2
Australia
Albert Park
28 - Apr 30
Azerbaijan
Baku City Circuit
5 - May 7
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
19 - May 21
Italy
Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
26 - May 28
Monaco
Monte Carlo
2 - Jun 4
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
16 - Jun 18
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
30 - Jul 2
Austria
Red Bull Ring
7 - Jul 9
United Kingdom
Silverstone
21 - Jul 23
Hungary
Hungaroring
28 - Jul 30
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
25 - Aug 27
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
1 - Sep 3
Italy
Monza
15 - Sep 17
Singapore
Marina Bay Street Circuit
22 - Sep 24
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
6 - Oct 8
Qatar
Losail International Circuit
20 - Oct 22
United States of America
Circuit of the Americas
27 - Oct 29
Mexico
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
3 - Nov 5
Brazil
Interlagos
17 - Nov 19
United States of America
Las Vegas Street Circuit
24 - Nov 26
United Arab Emirates
Yas Marina Circuit
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Formula 1 Calendar - 2023

Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
-
Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit
3 - Mar 5
Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit
17 - Mar 19
Saudi Arabia Jeddah Street Circuit
31 - Apr 2
Australia Albert Park
28 - Apr 30
Azerbaijan Baku City Circuit
5 - May 7
United States of America Miami International Autodrome
19 - May 21
Italy Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
26 - May 28
Monaco Monte Carlo
2 - Jun 4
Spain Circuit de Catalunya
16 - Jun 18
Canada Gilles Villeneuve
30 - Jul 2
Austria Red Bull Ring
7 - Jul 9
United Kingdom Silverstone
21 - Jul 23
Hungary Hungaroring
28 - Jul 30
Belgium Spa-Francorchamps
25 - Aug 27
Netherlands Circuit Zandvoort
1 - Sep 3
Italy Monza
15 - Sep 17
Singapore Marina Bay Street Circuit
22 - Sep 24
Japan Circuit Suzuka
6 - Oct 8
Qatar Losail International Circuit
20 - Oct 22
United States of America Circuit of the Americas
27 - Oct 29
Mexico Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
3 - Nov 5
Brazil Interlagos
17 - Nov 19
United States of America Las Vegas Street Circuit
24 - Nov 26
United Arab Emirates Yas Marina Circuit
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Driver profile

ES Fernando Alonso 14
  • Team Aston Martin
  • Points 466
  • Podiums 8
  • Grand Prix 137
  • Country ES
  • Date of b. Jul 29 1981 (42)
  • Place of b. Oviedo, ES
  • Weight 68 kg
  • Length 1.71 m
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Ferrari
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