“They [Marko’s comments] were a bit mixed up, without any real control.
So I do not think we should pay too much attention to those statements.”
No, Alonso knows exactly what he is saying, which is why it is safe to assume
that his comments regarding Hamilton were far from throwaway remarks.
“I do not know who will be my main opponent for this season,” the 31
year-old said, “but as for strongest opponent, who is strongest driver?
“My answer is Hamilton. It was true last year, it is true this year. “It
is a personal opinion, not political, not to make people think something.
Who is the strongest opponent, the strongest driver on grid?
“Who is the one you have to keep an eye on? It is Hamilton
– and it will still be Hamilton next year.”
Alonso later allowed that Vettel “deserved” his three titles, but the
Spaniard’s constant talking-up of Hamilton over Vettel – and vice-versa –
must surely irritate the German, for all his trophies.
Vettel wants to be seen as a great driver, not simply the best in a great car,
and Alonso’s stated preference for Hamilton informs many fans’ views on that
score.
For his part, Alonso admitted that he felt “much more confident”
for 2013, with Ferrari using Toyota’s wind tunnel in Cologne this season
after years of gremlins with the one at Maranello.
Alonso’s confidence may have something to do with Hamilton’s departure from
McLaren, although he would not state explicitly that the Woking team would
be weaker without the 28 year-old, saying only that: “McLaren will always be
strong contender because they have experience, and they have history behind
them”.
He even refused to be drawn on the question of whether McLaren might struggle
in qualifying this year with Jenson Button and Sergio Perez, as some in the
sport have predicted.
“We see different characteristics in the cars every year,” Alonso said.
“I remember McLaren very, very strong in 2011 in the qualifying, in the wet
conditions and over one lap, and then a lot of degradation with the tyres.
“They seemed to go to the opposite side last year; they were very
consistent and very good in the race pace, but had more difficulties in the
warm-up and the single lap pace.”
Perhaps Alonso was forgetting that McLaren took eight pole positions last
year, seven of them belonging to Hamilton. More likely he was playing games.