New Ferrari duo both aim for F1 title

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen say they will
race each other flat out in 2014 but do not expect any
friction in the team.
Both revealed they are targeting the title, as Raikkonen re-
joins a team Alonso has led for four years.
The Finn said: "There is a lot of talk outside about problems,
but inside the team we have a very good feeling."
Alonso added: "We will follow wherever the team priorities
lie and try to do our best to win both championships."
The Spaniard, world champion with Renault in 2005 and
2006, has finished second for Ferrari to Red Bull's
Sebastian Vettel in three of the last four years.
His relationship with Ferrari grew tense in 2013 as they fell
out of contention following a bright start.
Alonso was generally given priority over his former team-
mate Felipe Massa in their four years together.
But he and Raikkonen - Ferrari's last world champion in
2007 - said they would compete hard with each other.
Asked in a news conference, accompanying the launch of
Ferrari's 2014 F1 car on Saturday, whether one would let
the other past if he was faster in any given race, Raikkonen
said: "I don't think there is any way of telling things right
now because every situation is different but we know what
we have to do.
"We have said before we are going to race against each
other like every year.
"It doesn't matter who is your team-mate. But for sure we
have respect for each other and obviously we both try to
come out on top. We know what the team expects from us
and I think time will tell what happens."
Alonso added: "There is not any way of preparing anything
or any way to answer the question straightaway but the
best way to bring back to Ferrari some of the success it has
had in the past is to race each other at 100% every race and
try to always bring back the points for the team and for
ourselves.
"And to do that we need to work in perfect harmony and
follow what the team priority is and what the team will tell
us."
The 32-year-old Spaniard said he was hopeful Ferrari
would have a car that was able to compete at the front.
"We have to be optimistic," Alonso said. "There is no sign
to be pessimistic. We're in a changeable time now and we
have many things coming in F1 with a big regulations
change, but I think we are quite well prepared for that.
"The team has been working for a good time on the new car.
We have the technology and the people and the facilities to
create and to be ready to challenge in that new F1.
"So that is my main reason to be optimistic. We are in
Ferrari; we are in a team that is only competing to win.
"Finishing second is like a disaster because everyone is
expecting a lot and these expectations and motivation
everyone has makes me very optimistic, I am sure everyone
in the team will do it 100% to do it right. We are a team and
we need to deliver."
The new F14-T car has an unconventional swooping nose
design which has drawn mixed reviews, but the drivers said
its looks were not important.
Alonso said: "I am happy. The aesthetics are not really
important. We will not know until [the start of the season in]
Australia if it is right or wrong. If the car is like this it is
because the designers found it better like this, so I'm
happy."

Comments