Fernando Alonso believes Ferrari’s upgrade package for the Canadian Grand Prix has paid off, despite the team recording its second-worst qualifying performance of the year.
Alonso will start Sunday’s race from seventh on the grid, with team mate Kimi Raikkonen tenth.
“The development package we have brought here in Canada has worked well,” Alonso said, “the car has improved and I am pleased about that, even if at the moment we are unable to extract all the potential out of the car.”
The 2006 Canadian Grand Prix winner says rising temperatures at the track will have a strong influence on strategy for tomorrow’s race.
“We will have to do a good job of managing tyre degradation and of choosing the right number of stops,” he said.
“It’s been much hotter than yesterday and the tyre that seemed to be the best to race on, the soft, today appeared less suited to the conditions than the super-soft.
“If, as expected, the hot weather continues, the choice will move towards the latter and that will mean making one more stop.”
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Image © Ferrari/Ercole Colombo
Uzair Syed (@ultimateuzair)
7th June 2014, 21:56
Ferrari have kept saying this since 2009, but all the time, their cars are rubbish. ”The Prancing Horse” (or rather the horse with broken legs) is only in this good position (3rd) because of their drivers.
BasCB (@bascb)
8th June 2014, 9:18
pretty much yeah @ultimateuzair
Kingshark (@kingshark)
7th June 2014, 21:59
As a Ferrari fan it might be a hard pill to swallow, but the days of Jean Todt, Rory Byrne, and Ross Brawn are over.
Mackeine Loveine (@cocaine-mackeine)
7th June 2014, 22:05
What upgrades?? The car looks the same as in Monaco.
Dave (@)
7th June 2014, 22:28
Not all upgrades can be seen
Todfod (@todfod)
7th June 2014, 23:25
Its a sorry state of affairs at Ferrari if they claimed their ‘big step forward’ in Canada got their #1 driver P7
Can’t wait for Fernando to leave this dismal outfit
Denis 68
8th June 2014, 5:34
Why hasn’t he left already?
Sundar SV (@ssvracing)
8th June 2014, 8:30
Where can he go? Only McLaren, and for that he will have to see how competitive Honda are before making a jump.
Robert Schumann
7th June 2014, 23:48
I think their problem is the brown lower body coloring! Keep the. UPS money, but let Ferrari run in pure Ferrari RED!
Wallbreaker (@wallbreaker)
8th June 2014, 0:28
It’s quite simple. The upgrades have worked. The engine cover was a performance improvement, Fernando felt that. The only issue was temperature, but things like that can happen. I think it’s proof, that their development work has improved and remember what Alonso said after Mattiaci displaced Domenicali: Everything up to June will be the work of Stefano. Their restructuring will only have influence on the long-term so there might not be a big improvement at the moment, but I see a brighter future…
paul2013
8th June 2014, 0:42
According to Spanish media what Alonso said is just the opposite. He does not see any difference. Check the translation because this information is wrong.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
8th June 2014, 1:12
The above is direct, untranslated quotes from Alonso.
Breno (@austus)
8th June 2014, 1:36
Did they take the new floor out from Alonso’s FP1 and Raikkonen’s FP2?
Sundar SV (@ssvracing)
8th June 2014, 8:33
I think Ferrari’s improvements have been masked by the gear ratio requirements of this circuit. They’re not allowed to change the ratios like they used to, so you suddenly see Williams right up there, McLaren getting the better of Force India, Toro Rosso faster than Ferrari through sector 3 etc etc.
Fsoud (@udm7)
8th June 2014, 9:21
I thought so too at first, but Ferrari risking a bad result on tracks like Montreal and Monza seems unlikely to me.
Daniel (@collettdumbletonhall)
8th June 2014, 13:42
Could be worse. He could be driving in a Mclaren.
Breno (@austus)
8th June 2014, 17:20
Indeed, at least Ferrari at constant (and dont fall apart).