...Fernando didnt need to show any spectacular pace. In fact, even guys who finished ahead of him had worse pace....
Somehow he'd still have had to manage to overtake Sutil and Kubica. Kubica's tyre's lasted until the 47th lap but Sutil's lasted a lap or two longer. Regardless of pit stop strategy, and regardless of Petrov, Rosberg and The Hulk, had Alonso not been able to overtake Sutil before Kubica's pit stop, Kubica likely still would have come fourth precisely because Sutil's pace was mediocre and Alonso's wasn't spectacular. Sutil would have held Alonso back and allowed Kubica to create the gap he needed to maintain his fourth position.
Exactly, so that means what i said: Not being able to pass Petrov was NOT a defining occurence. The championship was already doomed.
Alonso had 10 laps after the safety car period and before his pit stop to pass Button and reclaim the position he'd lost at the start. He failed. And he had 38 laps to find a way around Petrov. He failed again.
I think that Alonso not taking the attack to Button is evidence that either: 1) Ferrari's strategy was that he should drive conservatively, stay out of trouble and let the race come to him, or 2) he didn't have the pace. In hindsight, if it was the former, I think that was a mistake.
Neither of the 2 moves were necessary (Button/Petrov). He didnt exactly need to reclaim 3rd and he didnt need to pass "just" Petrov.
I think he didnt have the pace to win, but interestingly enough... he didnt need it. He needed P4 pace, which he did have. But i guess even to come in P4 ferrari needed to drive for the win. It was a mistake to go conservatively, but imagine Alonso crashing with Button on L1
that would have been much worse than what happened. Vs Petrov on the other hand... he should have gone in Kobayashi-style.
In any case, Alonso made a mistake in the first corner that set in motion a sequence of events he wasn't able to overcome and that cost him WDC.
yes, that was a big mistake (perhaps being overcautious), but even at that point he had the championship to win. The only 2 determining factors were:
1) The SC
2) Being called to pit in before he had enough gap against the cars that had pitted during the SC.
As a fan.... i guess we'll take it lightly and realise being able to fight til the last race was an amazing feat. A gift from the mistakes/failures by the RBs. But management can't take it lightly....
Came out fighting indeed.
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