AUSTIN, Texas: Fernando Alonso said finishing third in yesterday’s United States Grand Prix was, for him, as good as a win after he had qualified only ninth for Ferrari.
He was soon after elevated to eighth because of a gearbox-change penalty for Frenchman Romain Grosjean of Lotus and, yesterday, advanced another position -- and to the clean right side of the grid -- when his team decided to incur a penalty for Brazilian Felipe Massa by breaking the seal on his car’s gearbox.
“We know that our championship is alive thanks to the first laps,” said Ferrari F1 driver Alonso.
“We always qualified around seventh or eighth and finish the first lap in the first three or four positions.
“And after that, the race becomes a bit easier if you are in leading group. Today (yesterday) we knew we had a good chance. I tried to overtake people at the first corner and then the pace improved and we were in the leading group.
“It was not possible to have the pace of these two guys (Lewis Hamilton and Vettel). They were too far ahead, but I had enough to keep the guys behind.
“This weekend it is like a victory for us. Losing just three points was something no one thought yesterday night or Friday night after practice. So we are happy to have another good Sunday and score good points again.”
Alonso swept up to fourth on the opening lap and inherited third when Australian Mark Webber retired.
Alonso has not won a race since the German GP and needs to finish at least third to have a chance of winning the title. AFP
