Alonso: We will try our best in the remaining races

Clearly some of the F1 media thought it was their duty to give Fernando Alonso something to smile about at his usual press meeting, as the first questioner pointed out that if the Ferrari man finishes sixth or higher on Sunday, he will top the list of all time points scorers, overtaking Michael Schumacher. “Yes, that would be important,” said the Spaniard. “There are only a few records I can achieve in Formula 1, as the ones for world championships and race wins would be difficult with Michael. Hopefully I can get the most points record here in Japan and celebrate a bit.”

There is a tacit understanding that this year’s Drivers’ crown is slipping out of reach, but the will to win still burns at the Scuderia. “We will try our best in the remaining races, trying to score as many points as possible. We will try and enjoy the races, attack all the time, as we need to keep pushing to be second in the Constructors’, because there are very few points between us and Mercedes and Lotus is also getting closer.”

As to the future, according to the double world champion, it all depends on the car. “For next year, with Kimi, I think we can do a good championship for Ferrari if we have a competitive car, when we will be able to enjoy the season and do very good things. If the car is not competitive, we will have a very similar season to this one.”

Asked why Vettel was so far ahead, Fernando didn’t pull any punches. “They have worked better than the others,” he said of Red Bull. “We were competitive in the first part of the season, winning two Grands Prix out of five. Then we took a step backwards around Silverstone, from which we recovered, but by then, the others had made more progress than us.”

The Spaniard also had a thought for his team-mate as the season draws to a close. “It would be nice if Felipe and I can both be on the podium. It would be great to see him there, celebrating a win, because the whole team deserves some happiness and we are very motivated on that aspect.”