Fernando Alonso can clinch a third Formula One world title at the Brazilian Grand Prix Sunday, and by doing so he would upstage the mighty Michael Schumacher.
|Last Updated: Nov 04, 2010, 07:01 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Sao Paulo : Fernando Alonso can clinch a third Formula One world title at the Brazilian Grand Prix Sunday, and by doing so he would upstage the mighty Michael Schumacher.
Alonso won the 2005 and 2006 crown at the Sao Paulo race for Renault and can now provide a happy ending to an at-times chaotic debut season at Ferrari.
Schumacher won five of his record seven titles for the famed Italian team but took five seasons there to get the first.
Alonso takes 231 points into the second from last 2010 race to lead from Red Bull`s Mark Webber (220), Lewis Hamilton of McLaren(210) and Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull (206). Reigning champion Jenson Button of McLaren also has a mathematical chance on 189 points.
A victory is worth 25 points and Alonso would take the trophy ahead of the season-ending Abu Dhabi race Nov 14 if he wins and Webber comes no better than fifth. He can also clinch the title in certain scenarios by finishing second or third.
However, Alonso is taking nothing for granted and despite fond memories of the Interlagos track has never won a race there.
The Spaniard moved on top of the standings with an unexpected win two weeks ago in Korea after Webber crashed out early and Vettel`s engine blew late in the race while he was leading.
`I do not want to think about the chances of history repeating itself for a third time. I know it is theoretically possible, but that does not count for me. I have said it before and I say it again - we will do the maths in Abu Dhabi,` said Alonso.
`We want to tackle this Grand Prix in the same way as all the others, concentrating on ourselves with our feet on the ground, trying to do a good job, without making mistakes and with the aim of beating our rivals.`
Alonso won the season-opener in Australia for a dream Ferrari debut but then went through a drought to trail then leader Hamilton by 47 points after 10 races.
However, he has won four of the seven races since then and made the podium on two others to command the standings into the Interlagos weekend.
Despite being cautious, Alonso cannot hide his delight of returning to Interlagos where Brazilian team-mate Felipe Massa will have to drive in his support.
`Naturally, I have got great memories of this track because it was here that I secured my two titles, in 2005 and 2006. Every time I go to Sao Paulo it is a special feeling,` he said.
Alonso crashed out early in the 2009 race which Webber went on to win, and the veteran Australian will likely have to do the same this time around to keep his title bid alive.
`I obviously have good memories from last year, it was a nice race to win and we will clearly be trying to get another victory this year,` Webber said.
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said there would be no team order for Webber and Vettel, who have had the fastest car of the season but missed many points through mistakes and technical problems.
`We have two fantastic drivers and we will continue to support both equally in line with Red Bull`s credible sporting ethos. As we saw in Korea it is impossible to predict what will happen with five drivers being so closely in contention,` Horner said.
However, Red Bull will have to defy recent history as all world titles since 2005 have been decided in Interlagos, with Alonso top on 2005 and 2006, Kimi Raikkonen (whose place Alonso inherited at Ferrari) in 2007, Hamilton in 2008 and Button in 2009.
The action on the 4,309-kilometres track starts with two rounds of free practice Friday. Another practice and qualifying is Saturday and the race Sunday.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.