Alonso will need to be 'perfect' to win title

by Gordon Howard

FORMULA ONE: PARIS, Oct 30 (AFP) - Fernando Alonso, atop the Formula One drivers' standings following his win in Korea, said Friday he believed he would have to be 'perfect' for the season run-in if he is to land a third crown.

"We'll have to keep out feet on the ground," estimated Ferrari's Spaniard, who has an 11-point lead over Red Bull's Australian Mark Webber going into next week's penultimate race at Interlagos in Brazil.

Completing a Brazilian hattrick would help set him up for finishing the job in Abu Dhabi seven days later.

"I am back at the top of the standings, something which hadn't happened since Australia. But we know with the points system and the gaps there are (between the title contenders) positions count for little. You only need a race such as the one we had in Korea for everything to turn around."

"All the same, it's always better to be in front than behind! Alonso made the most of an accident for Webber and then engine failure for another Red Bull contender, Sebastian Vettel, at Yeongam to steer his way through to the top of the championship.

The Spaniard, whose previous titles came with Renault, is hoping to land a third crown in his maiden season with the Prancing Horse and says that being out in front should be a calming factor rather than one to put additional pressure on.

"Knowing that the achievement of this goal is in our own hands means that we area fraction calmer - but doesn't in any way change our approach. We will have to give it everything.

The only difference is that it will be enough for us to stay ahead of our direct rivals without getting too involved in the maths."

Looking ahead to Interlagos, Alonso noted that the "lap is a little short and the time differences a little narrower than normal."

And he warned that "the slightest mistake will count all the more in that there will only be one or two hundredths of a second in it between several cars in front and behind. So we shall have to be perfect," he said.

The Ferrari driver also suggested that defending champion Briton Jenson Button of McLaren is out of the championship race, as he is 42 points behind in the standings.

"In theory, there are still five of us in the running for the title, but clearly Button is in a trickier situation," he said.

"There are not many points between us to be honest and we saw how things ended up three years ago, but the fact is that are no less than four drivers ahead of him and it's hard to imagine none of them scoring points."

Button this week stressed that he would continue to fight for the title and not abandon his hopes in favour of supporting team-mate and fellow-Briton 2008 champion Lewis Hamilton - while Red Bull pairing Webber and German Sebastian Vettel have also been given the green light to carry on battling for the title.

All this has given Alonso an edge in being able also to depend on total support froms Ferrari team-mate Brazilian Felipe Massa, who will be racing on his home track on Sunday

Alonso conquered his first title at the venue in 2005 ""so of course I have great memories of this track - I won my two titles there in 2005 et 2006. I get a special feeling every time I come to Sao Paulo," Alonso told Ferrari.com.

On those occasions he revelled in the highly-charged atmosphere that is unique to the Sao Paulo track where the fans supply an almost-soccer like intensity and sound.

Victory possible Alonso

"I don't want to think about the chances of history repeating itself for a third time. I know it is theoretically possible, but that does not count for me," Alonso said regarding the possibility of another Brazil victory.

He concluded that "we will take this Grand Prix as all the previous ones - concentrating on what we are doing and with our feet firmly on the ground."

"I have said it before and I say it again: we will do the maths for this championship in Abu Dhabi."