Fernando Alonso says he will take a "calm" approach to the inaugural Korean Grand Prix after qualifying third at the new Yeongam circuit on Saturday afternoon.
The Ferrari driver is second in the World Championship, 14 points behind leader Mark Webber of Red Bull Racing, and says that finishing the 55-lap race is the priority with just three Grands Prix remaining in the 19-round season
With 25 points on offer for a win, Alonso said a non-finish could end his chances of a third World Championship.
"We cannot be one of those who does not finish," the Spaniard said. "We need to keep scoring points in every race, and I am sure with that we will be very happy with that. We need to be calm and finish the race."
NOW HE WON THE GP ON SUNDAY AFtER MARK CRASHED AND SEB BURNT HIS ENGINE. And is now the top 4 have following points-
Before After
Alonso 206 231
Webber 220 220
Hamilton 192 210
Vettle 206 206
POST RACE-
Fernando Alonso has warned against early celebrations after taking the lead in the Drivers' Championship with his Korean GP win.
Although it initially appeared as if Alonso would have to settle for third place behind the Red Bull drivers, losing ground to Championship leader Mark Webber, the picture changed when Webber crashed out on lap 19, elevating Alonso to second out on track.
And it only got better for the Ferrari driver from there. While running in second place behind Sebastian Vettel, Alonso was the perfect view as Vettel's engine expired on lap 47, putting the Spaniard up into first place.
From there Alonso etched out a lead over Lewis Hamilton and went on to claim the victory in the inaugural Korean GP.
The victory, his fifth of the season, has put Alonso at the top of the Drivers' standings, 11 points ahead of Webber. However, with 50 still to play for, five drivers are still, at least mathematically, in the chase.
"Nothing has changed really," Alonso said. "We know with the new points system anything can happen in one race. If you don't score you lose 25 points with one of your main opponents so nothing has changed really.
"Bad luck for Mark and Seb, but anything can happen and there are still four/five contenders. Being on the podium and being consistent is maybe key to the Championship.
"We have been doing well in the last seven races but the last two we cannot forget we need to be on the podium and at least fighting for the victory."
He added: "One result for one race does not change the picture of the Championship. There are still four contenders, five, so we knew before coming here that every race is important to finish."
But while most of the talk was about the title race, Alonso did take the time to celebrate his Korean victory, his first in the wet.
"I think that was one of the best races of the year for us and the team, both cars on the podium is a fantastic achievement for Ferrari," he said.
"We're been competitive all weekend. Qualifying yesterday we saw a very strong car so we knew the race pace was there but with the weather conditions you never know.
"This morning was wet and we knew that it was a tricky race to finish and of course winning the race, I think my first wet race, means I'm even more happy."
Q: Fernando, now you are leading the championship and in normal coditions you don’t need to attack. How much will your approach to races change and your driving and racing strategy?
FA: Nothing reanlly, I think. One result and one race doesn’t change the picture of the championship. There are still four contenders now, I guess, or five. We knew before coming here that it’s important to finish every race. As we said many times, finishing on the podium is something that secures you a lot of points every weekend and more or less certainly puts you in a position to fight for the championship in Abu Dhabi. So we need to keep this consistency in the next two races. Obviously winning races is fantastic and every weekend we go with the aim of winning, but sometimes we know it’s not possible, so we need to maximise our potential every weekend.
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Webber too showed calmness. He crashed at the most important moment of his life. Yet he was perfectly composed if not smiling. He got out of the car, fixed his wheel and looking at the car he quietly moved away....
So 'contrasty' with his team mate...
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