Alonso accepts title is in sight

EUROPEAN GP RESULT
Fernando Alonso celebrates victory in the European Grand Prix
1 F Alonso (Renault)
2 N Heidfeld (Williams)
3 R Barrichello (Ferrari)
4 D Coulthard (Red Bull)
5 M Schumacher (Ferrari)
6 G Fisichella (Renault)
7 JP Montoya (McLaren)
8 J Trulli (Toyota)

European Grand Prix winner Fernando Alonso says he is on course to become Formula One’s youngest world champion.

The 23-year-old has now won four of this year’s seven Grands Prix and has a 32-point lead with 12 races to go.

“If we keep this consistency, every time we will have more and more points. It seems we can do it,” he said.

F1’s youngest world champion so far was Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi, who was 25 when he won his first title with Lotus in 1972.

Under the current system, it will prove very hard for anyone to catch Alonso because a driver can pick up points even if he finishes in eighth place.

A win is worth 10 points, with second place earning eight.

Then it is six points for third, five for fourth and so on down to eighth place, which receives one point.

To be probably the best car on the grid again, is probably better news for the rest of the season than winning the race
Fernando Alonso
Alonso was pleased that Renault had recovered from a poor performance last weekend in Monaco, where they were unable to keep pace with Raikkonen after suffering major tyre problems.

“I am extremely happy, more than the victory I am happy because after fourth place at Monaco the team and I were not happy at all,” he said.

“We had a very good car in Monaco and we didn’t take as many points as we believed were possible.

“To be probably the best car on the grid again, to manage the tyres in the race, is probably better news for the rest of the season than winning the race.”