Ferrari confident Alonso can beat Schu
Date published : 13 Jan 2010 - 18:22:58
Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali is confident the team's new signing Fernando Alonso can surmount the challenge posed by the returning Michael Schumacher.Alonso was the young pretender to Schumacher's mantle as the sport's top driver when the German was last racing in Formula 1 in 2006, and beat him to that year's world championship after a season-long duel.With Schumacher now making a comeback with the rival Mercedes team, and Alonso installed at Ferrari, Domenicali believes there is every reason to believe the Spaniard will prevail again this time to the Maranello squad's advantage.Let's not forget Fernando is the only driver on the track who in his career has beaten Michael [to the world title], he said. Fernando has everything to beat him.Domenicali says Alonso is already settling into the team well, and feels he and team-mate Felipe Massa will have a productive relationship.Just like Felipe, Fernando is strong and aggressive and he already was able to understand the team's requirements, thanks to his numerous visits to Maranello.We hope to provide them with a competitive car. They are great drivers, very talented, and for different reasons they both want to show to themselves and to everyone how strong they are.Domenicali emphasised that it had been made clear to Alonso that there would be no team orders or number one driver, and that the double world champion would be required to be a team player.The rule in our team is very clear: the most important thing is that the team is number one, he said.The drivers will fight each other, and whoever is faster will be in front but the team is the most important thing for everyone.Asked whether he was concerned that having two Latin drivers might lead to tempers flaring, Domenicali said: No. As always we need to focus on the positive points that Latins have, so I will work on that.He reiterated that Ferrari and the Italian fans were disappointed by Schumacher's decision to end his long-standing allegiance with the Scuderia and join Mercedes for his F1 comeback.But he said seeing Schumacher in a rival car would fire up Ferrari to succeed.Of course from a personal point of view it was a little bit sad, because we felt Michael was part of our family, said Domenicali.He did a fantastic period with us and we don't have to forget that. But now we need to consider him as a competitor.We know that he will be very, very strong he's a great driver and a unique person.So [now] there is another reason for the group to be more motivated, in order to show that Ferrari is still the strongest team in the world.Domenicali is sure the 41-year-old Schumacher will be a formidable rival: He decided to accept this challenge so I think that he is convinced that he has the possibility to prevail, confirming the confidence we had in him after Massa's accident.We'll give it our all to be ahead of him, as we do with all the others, too.For the whole team his decision is a further stimulus.Naturally, seeing him yesterday with the red helmet he wore when he was with us, it seems that also he has some difficulties drawing a line under the past.
