Fernando Alonso and his new Ferrari FF
Despite only qualifying in ninth position, Alonso showed why he remains one of the top drivers in the current lineup by moving all the way to first and eventually winning the race.
While heavy rain did mar the race, causing multiple tire changes, a long red flag situation and many laps by the safety car, there’s no denying that Alonso’s skill and determination had a major part in him winning on Sunday.
In recognition of his efforts, Alonso was not only presented with a new supercar but the two-time world champion was also praised in person by the automaker’s chairmain Luca di Montezemolo and the Scuderia Ferrari technicians and mechanics that didn't go to Malaysia.
Prior to the win in Malaysia, Ferrari hadn’t secured a grand prix win since the 2011 British Grand Prix last July--an 11 race gap!
Speaking during his visit to Ferrari HQ, Alonso said, “It was nice to be back in Maranello after Sunday afternoon’s win. In the plane, I was thinking again about the race and I could hardly believe it. Then, once I’d arrived here, I saw the smiles on the faces of all our people and I was very pleased to see how strong is the desire to work to improve the car in the shortest time possible.”
The young Spaniard now heads home for a few days of downtime before jumping back on a plane and flying to Shanghai for the 2012 Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix in two weeks.
