Alonso would be happy with a runner-up finish on the championship

Octubre 5, 2011 (F1plus Team).- Ferrari lead driver, Fernando Alonso, admits that, when taking Sebastian Vettel’s 2011 authority into consideration, finishing runner-up would be a pleasing outcome.

There are still five races left on the calendar, which means a lot of points for the grabs. Therefore, it’s open season for the second placer. Alonso, Champion of 2005 and 2006, sits just one point behind Jenson Button for second overall, with Mark Webber just two behind the Spaniard and with a dangerous Hamilton a bit farther at 17 points from his teammate.

“Given how the season has gone so far, with Vettel totally dominant and failing to get on the podium only once, being runner-up would really be a great result for me and for the team,” Alonso writes in his latest diary on the Ferrari website. “I reckon we will have to wait until Interlagos to find out who it will go to. Clearly, if one looks at the way recent races have gone, it will definitely not be easy, as my closest rivals seem to have that little bit extra in terms of car performance - but that does not mean it’s a lost cause.”

Having won just the single race at Silverstone so far this year, Alonso does not hide that fact that Ferrari cannot afford slip-ups between now and season’s end.

“We know we have to do everything perfectly if we want to reach our goal and we will be trying right to the very end,” the Spaniard continues. “Then, there’s still second place in the Constructors’ championship, but that is a much harder target because there’s a significant gap to McLaren (85 points) - but it’s not impossible.”