Alonso tweeting safely in New York

Life is always precious, which is the main virtue we have. But ever since a digital life has existed, that too needs to be safeguarded as much as possible. That was one of the themes discussed by Fernando Alonso today along with Eugene Kaspersky at a round table meeting at the New York Academy of Sciences, at Number 7 in the World Trade Center – with representatives of the media from the Big Apple to launch a promotional campaign run by Kaspersky Lab with support from the Scuderia Ferrari driver, called “Safeguarding Me.”

“Technology is a great help in communicating with our fans and to stay in touch with them, both in the good times and the bad,” said Fernando. It’s also a form of entertainment: I often find myself in an airport or a bar with time on my hands and in that situation, being able to chat with friends or to send some photos is fun. We are now always connected and so, we also need to be always protected in this digital life, because at these times we are open to the whole world. Is there too much technology? No, rather there’s never enough. I say that not just as a Formula 1 driver because I think it’s valid for everyone. Sure, getting back to our sport, it’s difficult to say if the balance between the different areas is quite right at the moment. For example, I think there is too much emphasis on aerodynamics which has no benefit for road cars, but in terms of safety, electronics and engines, to name but a few aspects, I think what is being done now is very important.”

“I chose to sign up to Twitter because I can manage my relationship with my supporters on my own,” continued the Spaniard. “I really like loading up photos and usually, I manage to express myself better with a photo than with the 140 characters: that’s why I also appreciate Instagram a lot. Do I ever feel like tweeting from the race car? Well, it would be rather difficult, because there’s not much room in the cockpit, even if it’s true there would be plenty of interesting things to tell the fans about the long time spent on track over a race weekend, however, it’s not possible: then of course, there’s a press office that monitors me constantly!”

“I have a Facebook page that is proving very useful to find people that I lost contact with over the years,” he continued. “Thanks to this tool, for example a few months ago I found myself having dinner with a lot of friends from my schooldays whom maybe I would have lost touch with over the years. I have caught up with people who have the same “normal” life I would probably have done if I had not become a racing driver. I remember well, when I was a youngster starting out in single-seater cars, my father often told me to also look to a future after racing. For example, he told me that he had a friend who made lifts and could maybe give me a job: who knows, maybe I could have done that for a living instead of driving a Ferrari Formula 1 car. It’s important to me to have a family that has always made me keep my feet on the ground and made me understand what is important in life.”

Before heading for Brazil, naturally there were questions relating to Formula 1. “There are 71 laps to go that will decide the final outcome: the efforts of several months will all come down to a very short space of time,” said the Ferrari man. “Then what will happen will happen and the important thing is that we do everything perfectly: then only luck can be out of our hands. We know that a place on the podium alone could be enough. I have confidence in myself and in the team and we will fight right to the end. We are honest with ourselves and our fans: we know we are not super competitive, but if we are still in the running, it’s down to the team which is the best of the lot. We will have a few small updates, but the others will have done the same, so the situation won’t change much. Maybe finding a good set-up can make the difference or the way the car suits the circuit. Would a win be revenge for 2010 in Abu Dhabi? No, I think it would just be happiness for us, as for 99% of the people, although maybe not for those at Red Bull… Ferrari is something special, with everyone giving 100% and even more, because they feel part of this family: not just in Formula 1 but also on the commercial side, because when they see a Ferrari drive by on the road, they know that a part of that car, even if it’s very small is made by them.”