Alonso rates rivals and hits back at criticism

[vcs316]

Fernando Alonso has given a fascinating insight into how he rates his closest rivals in Formula One.

The Ferrari driver was asked by the Spanish sports daily AS to summarise his feelings about challengers Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber, Jenson Button, Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton and his own teammate Felipe Massa.

On world champion Vettel, Alonso answered: "Very fast and precise. If he is coming first in a race, he is difficult to stop."

In the other Red Bull, Mark Webber is "experienced, calm and very consistent. It is very rare to see him fail."

According to Alonso, 2009 world champion Jenson Button "has a great instinct for difficult races in rain or with the safety car. This is an unique talent," he added.

Michael Schumacher had a difficult return to F1 in 2010 but "he is the champion, we all respect him and he is a driver always capable of surprising", 29-year-old Alonso said.

Alonso said his own teammate Massa is "very quick, knows the team and is very hungry to win".

Arguably the highest praise, however, is reserved for Alonso's former arch nemesis Lewis Hamilton.

"He is a great driver and maybe the fastest at the moment in Formula One," he said.

Alonso also hit back at claims that while he is universally rated as perhaps F1's best driver, he is far from the most popular.

"There are more than 30,000 people here," he marvelled at last week's Jerez test.

"The people who speak badly about me then tremble and cry when they want to have their picture taken with me.

"There is a difference between how brave people feel writing on the internet, and when I see the admiration I receive all around the world," added Alonso.

"I also think it's easier to write that there are so many people who are anti-Alonso than to write that 30,000 people came to a test to see me," he said.

http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=400259

[Hermann]

The original spanish interview was really good, but reading the english version somehow they always manage to make it sound cold and lifeless. Or maybe thats actually the intention.

http://www.as.com/motor/articulo/hay...asdaimot_1/Tes

[Tifosi]

Yes, that peace is deliberately slanted against Alonso even though it purports to be in praise of him. Notice how they tried to make him sound arrogant. Pretty typical really

[sav_pap]

Forza Fernando!!

[Meiga]

Fernando Alonso has given a fascinating insight into how he rates his closest rivals in Formula One.

The Ferrari driver was asked by the Spanish sports daily AS to summarise his feelings about challengers Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber, Jenson Button, Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton and his own teammate Felipe Massa.

On world champion Vettel, Alonso answered: "Very fast and precise. If he is coming first in a race, he is difficult to stop."

In the other Red Bull, Mark Webber is "experienced, calm and very consistent. It is very rare to see him fail."

According to Alonso, 2009 world champion Jenson Button "has a great instinct for difficult races in rain or with the safety car. This is an unique talent," he added.

Michael Schumacher had a difficult return to F1 in 2010 but "he is the champion, we all respect him and he is a driver always capable of surprising", 29-year-old Alonso said.

Alonso said his own teammate Massa is "very quick, knows the team and is very hungry to win".

Arguably the highest praise, however, is reserved for Alonso's former arch nemesis Lewis Hamilton.

"He is a great driver and maybe the fastest at the moment in Formula One," he said.


http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=400259

I find it fascinating how the press can translate things as they wish, rather than as they were said - see below what As reported as Alonso's answers, and their transaltion:

Vettel: Muy rápido. Muy rápido y preciso. Si sale primero en carrera es difícil pararle.
Vettel: Very fast. Very fast and precise. If he starts from pole he is difficult to stop.
Webber: Experiencia, tranquilidad y mucha regularidad. Es muy difícil verle fallar.
Weber: experience, calmness and a lot of regularity. It is very difficult to see him make a mistake.
Button: Tiene mucho instinto para carreras difíciles en lluvia o con safety en seco. Así suele sacar partido.
Button: He has a lot of instinct for difficult races in the rain or with Sc in the dry. That's how he usually benefits (from those situations).
Schumacher: Es el campeón, al que todos respetamos y un piloto capaz de sorprender.
Schumacher: He is the champion, the one we all respect and a driver who can take you by surprise
Massa. Muy rápido, conoce el equipo, pasó por Sauber, pero era de Ferrari y con mucha hambre de ganar.
Massa: Very fast, knows the team he spent some time at Sauber,but he was part of Ferrari and very hungry for wins.
Hamilton: Es un gran piloto y de los más rápidos de la actual parrilla de la Fórmula 1.
Hamilton: He is a great driver and one of the fastests in the current grid.

Apparently Motorsport decided that Alonso had not been complementary enough of his British competitors, and decided to make a few changes Seriously, why can't they get it right? It is not that hard! And yes, they were minor changes, but knowing how every word is analysed they could do a better job.

[Hermann]

I prefer to read the original interviews, Fernando is always sincere and authentic, and can be very diplomatic as well...the english 'versions' are always hyped up with some manipulating headlines, they are so much used to the 'villain image' they created.

[Rosso Corsa]

Sorry Hermann. Coming from the Massa thread where you wrote this:

Massa should better stop talking about this at all because the press will be after new gossip bringing up the story again and again and he is just feeding them. IMHO.

Have you got a split personality?

[Hermann]

Not that i know of anything. If you have an original interview of Massa, just post the link in the approbiate thread, so we can compare what he really said or not.

[Meiga]

http://www.as.com/motor/articulo/dic...asdaimot_1/Tes

PART 1: THEY SAY VETTEL IS THE FUTURE, BUT…

Enzo Ferrari said: "Drivers, what people! Masters of calculation, champions of cynicism, standard-bearers of thoughtlessness or just men who seek a meaning for their lives in the exhilarating thrill of victory? ". What are you?
Perhaps the latter, I seek victory to feel good and enjoy life. If it were not in F-1, then it would be in another sport. Trying to find my limits as a person and as an athlete, to beat whoever it is at whatever it is, for personal satisfaction.

"The victory gives meaning to your life, then?
Yes, yes. You could say so..

In your first test with a F1 car you said that it would be hard to be the boss. Do you feel now the boss in the sport?
It is a legend. I guess I did not say that, I do not remember saying anything. Surely I did think about the difficulty of winning in F1 because there were drivers (in F1) that had raced in the lower categories in which I had raced, and now they were in low- or midfield teams, finishing races in 15th or 16th place. They were drivers who on the previous year had won the category in which I was racing, and in F1 they were at the back of the grid.

Do you feel the boss?
No. I do not think there is any boss. There is a group of seasoned drivers that year after year drive for one of the major teams and then, among the bottom half, there is always movement, with new good drivers arriving, from GP2, and now in these last years of crisis there are some teams that need drivers who bring sponsors. I am lucky to be one of the group who are safer, with more certainty to have a seat next year.

New season, second season in Ferrari. "Is winning an obligation for you?
No, I do not think it is any obligation. One always starts the season with the motivation and the hope of succeeding, but not because it is the second year at Ferrari. If I were on another team I would have the same motivation, but from the outside you know the expectation that exists when you race for Ferrari, the history this team has and that to finish second or third is like a failure. When you're on a team as strong as this one, you are aware of it, but you know you'll always give your best and, if it does not work, you will try again the following year.

This year, you said the most feared rival was Schumacher. Some laughed at you. Psychological games or reality?
Anything that is said in a press conference has a big impact. Now there are many media, the snowball grows, and if you just say that Schumacher is a rival or the one you respect more because of is track record, and that each season you have to admire someone like Michael Schumacher for everything he has done, it turns into you wanting to say something or send a message to another driver. Sometimes we go crazy analyzing what it is said.

You beat him for the championship and it seemed you would begin a new era in F1, but years go by and you still have the two titles, are you afraid it will stay like that?
No, I have no fear. I know it's possible and would be extremely proud to have won two world titles, what happens is that since Schumacher won seven it seems that everyone now has an obligation to win seven or more, and that is very difficult to achieve. After two straight titles perhaps people expected more, but since then, only the ones that came in later have won a championship. It seemed that everyone of them was going to dominate, and that is always what people look for. I won two and looked set to win many at in a row. Then Raikkonen won one and looked set to win many in a row, but he did not. And the same with Hamilton and Button. Now it seems that the future is Vettel ... we will see. It is very difficult to win a championship, extremely difficult to win two and even more difficult to win three or more. We are fortunate to be one of the handful of those who have won two and we’ll see if we get the third.

Some time ago you said you would retire after three titles.
I can not deny that, it would be one of my goals.

Why?
Because Senna won three, because I never thought that I could get into F1 or that I could win race or become world champion. When I won the second title, it was unreal to me then and now, when you have a the third title in sight, it's like if you get three, you get into extreme personal satisfaction ... Surely, if someday I am lucky enough to get it I have no doubt that I will want more, but now I see the third as a very good goal to reach.

If McLaren had trusted in you, would you have four titles now?
If things had happened ... In a race, you make decisions that go one way or anotherand that s going to make things go right or wrong for you. If, when I left McLaren or during that year at McLaren things had gone the right way, I would have won a third title. If when I left there I had gone to one of the other teams that had made me an offer, maybe I would have been the champion ... but also if in 2001-2002, Flavio had not picked me before he picked Fisichella, I would still be racing for Minardi. I can not ask for more, I've been lucky enough to always race for very good teams and win two titles, and to be fighting for another two titles till the last race of the season. I could have four, three, zero ... at the end of the day I have two and it is fair.

About McLaren, there is a theory that you can't have teammate with a similar level to yours.
That is something that was originated in England and here in Spain was copied. It was copied and pasted so (people) didn’t have to write anything more. I've always had very strong teammates in my career, but only at McLaren my teammate got the same points that I had at the end of the year.

Did you leave McLaren because of Hamilton?
I didn't leave McLaren because of the teammate or anything, I left because there was a big disagreement with the team bosses, because I have a different philosophy/way of understanding the races. I was lucky that I could leave a team like McLaren to go to any other team and feel happy, when others would be doing anything/buttering people up to stay at McLaren forever. I don’t need to do that. .

Then came two years in Renault and at this point I have to ask you if you understand people thinking that you knew that Piquet was going to crash in Singapore
No, it is normal to say this, but ...

Why? Didn’t you know?
No, of course I didn't know that. It is normal that people say such a thing because of all the courage that exists nowadays in internet, because you are anonymous and can write whatever you want, give your opinion on whatever you want, since you pay for your Internet life and are a much more courageous person and they vent it out on you the same way they vent it out on anyone for whom things are going well. This is how it is. (Note: it is very confusing, yes, but the original Spanish version is very confusing too!)

Was it a miracle that you came into the final race with a chance to win the title last year ?
No, I think it was the result of the work of the whole team, of confidence, of optimism, of knowing that you could do it, I don’t think it was a miracle but serious and professional work when others also helped us because they failed and had problems, since it was the first time they were facing a situation like that one.

Would you have won the title with a Red Bull last year?
You never know. We would have won too without the errors or problems that we had around mid-season. We lost many points in Valencia, Silverstone, Malaysia, China, Monaco ... I think we could have won with the Ferrari.
.
Last year the best car won the title, will the same thing happen again this year?
In normal circumstances it is always the case, if we look at the last few years, the last 15 years ...

If you had to bet one million euros for a champion for this year, who would it be?
I wouldn’t bet. I would bet in another sport which is easier than Formula 1.

This year, team orders are back. Would you accept what the team did to Massa in Germany?
Of course I would, I have no problem with it. I've always been an available driver for the team, for whatever they ask from me. If one day I have to do anything for the team they know I will.

Let's talk about the other Spanish driver on the grid, how would you define Alguersuari?
He is a young driver, still driving a difficult car to be on the mid-field. I've been there too and you start the year with high hopes, but if the car does not respond, the year is very long for you. You get tired of fighting for 17th or 18th place, but he must be patient and the opportunity will come.

Is there a follow-up for Alonso in Spain, a driver with your characteristics?
Ummm, I do not know exactly, when I started, those were different times. It is difficult to compare, I do not know if there are equal, better or worse drivers ...

So don’t you see anyone Spanish that could be world champion in the future?
The only one that I see one day winning in Formula 1 is Carlos Sainz Jr.

THIS IS HOW HE SEES HIS MAIN RIVALS:
Vettel: Very fast. Very fast and precise. If he starts from pole he is difficult to stop.
Webber: experience, calmness and a lot of regularity. It is very difficult to see him make a mistake.
Button: He has a lot of instinct for difficult races in the rain or with Sc in the dry. That's how he usually benefits (from those situations).
Schumacher: He is the champion, the one we all respect and a driver who can take you by surprise
Massa: Very fast, knows the team, he spent some time at Sauber,but he was part of Ferrari and (he is) very hungry for wins.
Hamilton: He is a great driver and one of the fastest in the current F1 grid.

[Meiga]

http://www.as.com/motor/articulo/hay...asdaimot_1/Tes

PART 2: YES THERE IS UNANIMITY, PEOPLE LOVE ME

Do you think that there is no unanimity about you in Spain?
Yes, there is unanimity, there are more than 30,000 people here (Jerez), there are queues to get here, if I go out for dinner people love me…

But there are people who speak ill of you, in some circles you don’t have a good image…
Those people I am talking about tremble when they see me, for example if they want to have their picture with me taken. And they cry.

That is what Cristiano Ronaldo said the other day.
Because that is how it works. And I am going to give you an example. I have a friend who one day, when we were at Montmelo, when I arrived to the motorhome he told me that outside there were a few people he knew from those internet forums. Some of them usually criticised me and my friend was of the opinion that, if they asked me for an autograph, I should pay them no attention. I went out and one of them was shaking (his camera) when he wanted to have a pic taken with me. So, one thing is internet and how brave you are there, and another thing is the admiration I receive from people around the world. And I think that there is much more unanimity that what it is said or written, because it sells more (papers?) to say that there are anti-Alonsoists than to say that 30,000 people came to see me, because that is the usual thing and nobody writes about it.

Sometimes I wonder why a person like you, a sports legend, a pioneer in F1 in Spain and with enough money to sustain a few generations, still risks his life on track, What are you looking for?
I would miss it, we have grown up with that adrenaline, with the need to compete, to risk our lives and when you are idle for two months you can’t wait to be back in the car. Hence I will keep on doing it for as long as I see that your (my) competitiveness or my results are acceptable, the day I realise that you (I) am not up to it I will leave it, but as long as I manage…I would miss it too much.

I don’t want you to retire too soon, God forbids, but a few days ago they told me that you would leave when you had kids, is that true? Do you think that you lose a second on track for each child you have?
No, I don’t think so. And I have not thought about retiring if I ever have kids either, that would not be a reason to retire for me.

How do you see, from the vantage point of view of a sports star, the economic crisis?
With concern. I have many friends who have lost their jobs, who are going through some difficulty, and concerned for your country, the news you hear, you read, about the politicians, about Spain...You always want the best for your people, for your countrymen, and things going poorly is sad even if it does not impact you directly.

Should sports stars be a reference in public life?
I don’t think we could do much, but whatever we could do we would be happy to do, I suppose that sports is a way (for people) to escape crisis or worries. On any given Sunday you watch a football match or an F1 race and your mind clears up, you can enjoy yourself a bit.

So do you work on making people happier?
I think so, for example the football World Cup. When Spain won it we had those 15 or 20 days of total bliss because we had won, and for a moment everything else was forgotten.

Beyond your contribution to the common happiness, tell me, what does Spain need to get out of a crisis like this one?
Patience, this is not just a Spanish crisis, this is a worldwide crisis (originated) due to different circumstances and I don’t think that getting nervous or trying to sort everything out in a few months is the solution, we need to be patient, even if it isn’t easy.

Last year you said that you needed your lifelong friends close to keep your sanity, how can you endure all this?
You try to stay a little above it all, you touch it very lightly, what goes on during these days, you live immersed in the car, in (your work with) the engineers, and then when you arrive home you call your school friends or play a tennis match with them, or go out for dinner and talk of everyday things, of Real Madrid, of things that have nothing to do with F1 and go back down to real life, to the life you want.

A lot is said about your famous quote, about F1 not being a sport. What is it then?
F1 is too much of a business to be a sport, and too much of a sport to be a business, it is somewhere in between both, it is a show but also a business for many people. It isn’t just a sports speciality pure and simple, there are many interests, many things in play (too much at stake) and hence also the greatness of this sport, otherwise it would be just like GP2 or a promotion formula, F1 is big/great because of everything that revolves around it.

Now that you know all that, what is left of that young guy who made his debut in F1 with a serious face before getting into the worst car of the grid?
I still have a serious face now..(laughs). At the moment that picture is taken you are about to get into the car, it is like seeing the face of a surgeon just before he is about to start a surgery, nobody is telling jokes. What is still left is a bit of the basis, the hope, the eagerness to live motorsports from within and the admiration for the cars, the gasoline, the engines… and the essence of that boy is still there too.

When you see your friend Kubica in a hospital, do you fear for your life?
First and foremost, I want to say that Robert is a great driver, the best of the current grid and that one day, sooner or later, he will be world champion. And about the question, no, you don’t thing, you don’t think about anything bad, but I am very much aware of the risk inherent to this sport. That’s another thing that people forget out there, usually the guy who finishes 12th receives any type of adjectives from the internet users or whoever, and the one who finished 12th risked his life just like the guy who won and did his best. But you never thing about anything bad, even if you see a colleague in that situation.

Say something to those people who travel from Asturias to Jerez to see you.
The championship looks interesting, with options to be in front, but we have to wait, nobody can know what this championship will bring along because of the unknowns/unanswered questions left. We still have some tests that will require hard work to come, the first races when we will see how things stand, and then we have a long year ahead of us for evolving the car, avoiding mistakes and be fighting. We will never stop fighting.

[Alessandra]

Fernando is articulate, intelligent and usually generous and insightful when commenting on his fellow drivers. And he can walk on water.
I can think of very few current drivers who are able, or wish, to speak in this way of their rivals. This is why the media, including the British media, go to him whenever they want a sane response. And then they bash him when he gesticulates rudely or slams a door in the heat of the moment - as human beings tend to do.
I think it's touching that he takes comfort from the vast number of his supporters who turn out to see him just testing. I believe the Brtish press are jealous that we don't really have a driver of our own who receives anywhere near that level of hero worship and affection in their own country. Lewis had to go and live in Switzerland because he was mobbed by a dozen people in a public lavatory on the M25 or somewhere, demanding his autograph. And Jenson? Well, we all love Jens , don't we, but 30,000 turning out to see either him or Lewis testing? I don't think so.

[Alessandra]

Fernando is articulate, intelligent and usually generous and insightful when commenting on his fellow drivers. And he can walk on water.
I can think of very few current drivers who are able, or wish, to speak in this way of their rivals. This is why the media, including the British media, go to him whenever they want a sane response. And then they bash him when he gesticulates rudely or slams a door in the heat of the moment - as human beings tend to do.
I think it's touching that he takes comfort from the vast number of his supporters who turn out to see him just testing. I believe the Brtish press are jealous that we don't really have a driver of our own who receives anywhere near that level of hero worship and affection in their own country. Lewis had to go and live in Switzerland because he was mobbed by a dozen people in a public lavatory on the M25 or somewhere, demanding his autograph. And Jenson? Well, we all love Jens , don't we, but 30,000 turning out to see either him or Lewis testing? I don't think so.

[Rob]

@meiga thanks for posting that good interview and read.

[Rob]

Fernando is articulate, intelligent and usually generous and insightful when commenting on his fellow drivers. And he can walk on water.
I can think of very few current drivers who are able, or wish, to speak in this way of their rivals. This is why the media, including the British media, go to him whenever they want a sane response. And then they bash him when he gesticulates rudely or slams a door in the heat of the moment - as human beings tend to do.
I think it's touching that he takes comfort from the vast number of his supporters who turn out to see him just testing. I believe the Brtish press are jealous that we don't really have a driver of our own who receives anywhere near that level of hero worship and affection in their own country. Lewis had to go and live in Switzerland because he was mobbed by a dozen people in a public lavatory on the M25 or somewhere, demanding his autograph. And Jenson? Well, we all love Jens , don't we, but 30,000 turning out to see either him or Lewis testing? I don't think so.

thought Lewis moved for tax reasons? getting mobbed nice excuse Jense lives in Monaco, dont he? i thought he did. If he lives her in England, respect to you Jense.

[shostak]

I find it fascinating how the press can translate things as they wish, rather than as they were said - see below what As reported as Alonso's answers, and their transaltion:

Vettel: Muy rápido. Muy rápido y preciso. Si sale primero en carrera es difícil pararle.
Vettel: Very fast. Very fast and precise. If he starts from pole he is difficult to stop.
Webber: Experiencia, tranquilidad y mucha regularidad. Es muy difícil verle fallar.
Weber: experience, calmness and a lot of regularity. It is very difficult to see him make a mistake.
Button: Tiene mucho instinto para carreras difíciles en lluvia o con safety en seco. Así suele sacar partido.
Button: He has a lot of instinct for difficult races in the rain or with Sc in the dry. That's how he usually benefits (from those situations).
Schumacher: Es el campeón, al que todos respetamos y un piloto capaz de sorprender.
Schumacher: He is the champion, the one we all respect and a driver who can take you by surprise
Massa. Muy rápido, conoce el equipo, pasó por Sauber, pero era de Ferrari y con mucha hambre de ganar.
Massa: Very fast, knows the team he spent some time at Sauber,but he was part of Ferrari and very hungry for wins.
Hamilton: Es un gran piloto y de los más rápidos de la actual parrilla de la Fórmula 1.
Hamilton: He is a great driver and one of the fastests in the current grid.

Apparently Motorsport decided that Alonso had not been complementary enough of his British competitors, and decided to make a few changes Seriously, why can't they get it right? It is not that hard! And yes, they were minor changes, but knowing how every word is analysed they could do a better job.

Enjoy: http://forums.autosport.com/index.php?showtopic=142676

[Rob]

Enjoy: http://forums.autosport.com/index.php?showtopic=142676

indeed

[Agron]

Hamilton: Es un gran piloto y de los más rápidos de la actual parrilla de la Fórmula 1.
Hamilton: He is a great driver and one of the fastests in the current grid.

Apparently Motorsport decided that Alonso had not been complementary enough of his British competitors, and decided to make a few changes Seriously, why can't they get it right? It is not that hard! And yes, they were minor changes, but knowing how every word is analysed they could do a better job.

I've seen that debate on the autosport forums with people with no idea of Spanish trying to teach us our language, it was quite funny, but the best part was when some of them claimed being half spaniard or having some random knowledge of spanish to give their incorrectly translated sentences credibility.
Goes to show trying to argue with some people in some places is a completely wasted effort, how on earth can anyone discuss the 07 season in such a forum?.

[shostak]

I've seen that debate on the autosport forums with people with no idea of Spanish trying to teach us our language, it was quite funny, but the best part was when some of them claimed being half spaniard or having some random knowledge of spanish to give their incorrectly translated sentences credibility.

True.

I'm spaniard and the correct translation is: He's a great driver and (one) of the fastest in current grid.

[Meiga]

PART 3: I COULD HAVE BEEN A CYCLING DOMESTIQUE

If you win a GP (the following year) you repeat the same hotel room, dinner… do you remember everything?
Yes, I do remember.

Is it true that before the race you go through a ritual singing with your manager?
He sings and I listen

You have often said that your idol is Lance Armstrong. Would you have been a cyclist had you had the chance?
Yes, had I not been a driver, cycling is my great passion

But we are not at the level of being a Tour winner, are we?
I don’t thing (I would have been at) a high level, but a domestique – that I could have been.

They say that when you were a child you received an offer to join Celta de Vigo (Spanish football club) as a goalkeeper. Legend or truth?
That was my father.

Luckily he did not accept…
Yes, luckily. My sister was born and he declined so that they did not have to move from Oviedo and all that.

Your father built a kart for your sister but you kept it. How much do you owe to Lorena (hi sister)?
Everything, I owe her everything because had he liked karting… Probably my father would have built me one, but a few years later and we would have lost that time.

You always put your left shoe before the right one, you speculate with the room numbers of family or friends. Do you really think that much before you get behind the wheel?
Yes, yes, that and more.

Surely in the turns you are thinking if you left the shower water tap open…
I think about many things. Once, as soon as I finished the Friday practice session, I called home because I had left the heating on; I was there, in the car, thinking about whether I had switched the heating off or not and at the end I confirmed in my mind that I had left it on and as soon as I got out of the cat I called home and asked them to switch it off, I had forgotten to do it.

At fourteen you were earning 100,000 pesetas/month (about 600 euros) in karting. What did you do with so much money?
I gave it to my parents, who had (previously) put (the money) for me. Plus I had to travel twice or thrice a month to Italy and, therefore, the money was quickly gone in plane tickets.

When you got your driving license you were told that you were driving too slowly (during the driving test). Have you ever been told that in a racing track?
Yes, there is always a demanding engineer who tells you “we are going to change this, but in the next stint you have to throw a little more in” and you look at him with a funny face, to say something.

Is it true that your favourite scent is that of gasoline?
I like the smell of gasoline. It may not be my favourite one, I like coffee too, but there are people who get to a petrol station and do not like it, they feel bad, but I feel good.

You said once that you did not know how much money you had, but do you know how much a coffee is?
No. No.

Are you sure?
1.20, 1.50… (euros)

Years after your debut in F1, are you still in love with this sport? Do you have butterflies in your stomach when you fly at 300km/hr?
Uff…It is not the same feeling, now it is more your job, you have lost a bit of that feeling because it is something you do almost every day. But it has become a need, if you are a few months off the car you don’t know what to do.

You come across much better in a personal conversation, but you don’t like being surrounded by people, many people – or do you?
It depends on what people, sometimes you do and sometimes it is not necessary, but what you see at home is different. You are here, you have just driven for about 600 kms and all you see is that you are being pushed as you walk, here and there, and you cannot stop for everyone, but I try to do my best in attending to people.

Is Alonso doing well?
Well, yes. Doing well at the moment, but I have to improve.

[RockyRaccoon]

Thanks for the translation Meiga. Alonso always comes across better in full translations of Spanish interviews than he does when the press just translate certain bits. Enjoyed reading that.

[Meiga]

PART 4: NADAL IS THE ROLE MODEL OF THE GOOD (THINGS) IN SPAIN

You said that Rafa Nadal is the best of the best generation of Spanish sportsmen in history. What does he have that others like Pau Gasol or yourself don’t have?
Tennis is a sport that is well-known worldwide, hence when you talk to a foreigner about Spanish sportsmen the first one you mention is Nadal, to boast around, to be proud of, because everybody knows tennis. Sure there are other incredible sportsmen, world champions in canoeing or in these type of sports that are not as popular, but with Nadal we have an example to tell about what is good in Spain. To be number one in tennis at the age of 24 means that he will still be it for many years and he is the one who best represents all (of us).

Do you believe Alberto Contador in his plea of innocence?
Yes, absolutely, no doubt.

Which football player do you pick: Cristiano Ronaldo or Leo Messi?
Ufff… and why not both? Messi, right now, if I had a football team I would sign the Argentinean player.

Will Real Madrid be able to come back from the current disadvantage (in points) it has to Barça in La Liga? Will they win the Champions League?
Difficult, La Liga is difficult. Real Madrid can never give up because that is part of Madrid itself, but as a supporter I have higher hopes of winning the Champions League or the Copa del Rey than La Liga right now.

Carlos Sainz said that you could race the Dakar, are you attracted by this adventure?
Not right now, but sometimes I have thought about it: what will I do when I retire? And right now it does not attract me at al, but I am not saying no to anything.

Do you think Rossi can win this year with Ducati?
MotoGP is very open. Valentino faces a difficult task because of Lorenzo, the Hondas which are stronger: Stoner, Pedrosa.. But it is clear that it should be among Lorenzo, Stoner, Pedrosa and Rossi..

Are you really going to get on a bike to race against Rossi?
Maybe someday. Maybe yes. (Smiles)