F1: Alonso: `Ferrari are unbeatable`

[Rory Phoulorie]

Thursday 5th April 2007

Despite Martin Whitmarsh's claims that McLaren are closing in on Ferrari, Fernando Alonso reckons it will still be some time before his team can usurp the Italian outfit.

After a crushing defeat to Ferrari at the season-opening Australian GP, which saw Kimi Raikkonen's fastest lap top Alonso's by more than a second, Whitmarsh feels that McLaren have gone a long way towards closing to the gap to the Scuderia during last week's four-day Sepang test.

"Our expectations are to be closer to Ferrari in Malaysia, and we are primarily focused on closing the gap to them," he said. "They have done a good job over the winter, but they are within our grasp."

However, not according to Alonso, who reckons it could still take some time before McLaren really do have Ferrari within their grasp.

"F1 teams now develop the car very, very quickly and if you are lucky and you find something that the others have found yet, then you have an advantage immediately. That is what we are doing now," he told Autosport.

"Working as hard as we can and maybe next week we have a fantastic result with something, or maybe in two months, who knows, but I think everybody is trying to do the same. But I think McLaren have the potential to do is quicker."

The reigning F1 World Champion, though, isn't disheartened by Ferrari's early-season pace.

"It is nothing new that Ferrari are stronger than everyone else at the start of the season and it is not a surprise for anybody that they come here as favourites again and are ready to win," he said.

"What we have to do is close the gap. We don't know how much it will be in this race, but we saw in Australia that it was seven or eight tenths.

"For sure we did one week testing here, we did some developments on the car and improved the car but for sure everybody did the same.

"Hopefully the gap is less, but for sure there are no surprises for this grand prix. We will see a similar picture to Australia, with Ferrari in front of everybody."

Alonso was also asked whether or not he felt the FIA's new test to check the flexibility of cars' floors would hinder Ferrari this weekend in Malaysia.

"I think the rules are the same for everybody so hopefully if this floor issue is fixed, and it is the same rule for everybody, then it can be a help for us," he said.

"Maybe they (Ferrari) had some advantage there, but I don't think it will be a change like day and night. I don't know if they will lose performance but if they do then I think it will not be a significant performance loss that we can win the races now."

http://www.planet-f1.com/story/0,18954,3213_2039787,00.html

[worksux101]

why wont this man shutup....
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