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Published on 22nd September 2012 18:45
In the high-tech, highly scientific world of Formula 1 there is no room for superstition, but people like playing with numbers and so it was noteworthy that, come the end of tonight’s qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso had qualified in fifth place for the thirteenth time since he joined Scuderia Ferrari. With all the uncertainties that lurk behind the safety barriers at any street circuit, that fifth place could be translated by a man of Fernando’s talent into something better tomorrow, at the end of 61 inevitably exciting laps of Marina Bay.
The number 13 also figured in Felipe Massa’s Saturday evening in Singapore, but less auspiciously than for his Scuderia team-mate: all weekend long, the Brazilian has struggled to get his F2012 working to his liking, and mainly down to tyre problems, he found himself marooned in Q2, in thirteenth place on the grid. But, nevertheless, points could well be on the agenda for Felipe tomorrow in a race where anything can happen. Strategy is the first factor to look at and, in Massa’s case, failing to make the top ten means he is free to choose what tyre to start the race with: Fernando will have to start on the Supersoft, as that’s what he used in Q3, but maybe the slightly longer lasting Softs will prove handy for Massa.
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