Alonso: There is something special about the Brazilian circuit

In Brazil, Fernando Alonso returned to the podium, finishing third – and was very pleased with the results of the race…

Question: Fernando, at the finish you were 53 thousandths ahead of Sergio Perez. This is your eighth podium of the season. Is this your nicest stage this year?
Fernando Alonso: Not sure, but this is definitely the sleekest finish. The fight turned out to be intense, there was no time to relax.

A very strategic race. It was necessary to take care of the tires and save the battery charge in case of defense in Sergio’s DRS zone. To be honest, I was sure everything was under control until he overtook me two laps before the finish. I thought, “Okay, it’s all gone,” and then the opportunity came and I took it.

Q: How did you manage to avoid his attacks in DRS zones?
Fernando Alonso: When you drive in front of another car on a clear track, you have more downforce and wear on your tires than your opponent. He found it more difficult going into turns 10, 11 and 12. This is the game we played. These three corners were decisive for the overtaking opportunity.

Question: How important is this result for you and the team after some difficult races for Aston Martin?
Fernando Alonso: It’s nice to be on stage again. We have had problems in recent months, especially in the last two races. I had to experiment a bit to understand which direction to go next, what to do with next year’s car.

The last two races were painful, especially in Mexico, but the team stayed focused, analyzed the reasons and returned to the fight. It’s great when everyone is pulling in the same direction. I was worried at first, but now I’m looking forward to going to Vegas. When you have a fast car, everything changes.

Q: Can you continue in the same spirit for the last two races?
Fernando Alonso: I think so. At least we are closer to the leaders now than in Mexico, that’s for sure. Within the team we understood which direction we had to go. We had certain expectations for this race and they came true. Why do we suddenly lose this shape in the last two stages?

I don’t know if we can get on the podium again, but we have to be competitive. In Brazil, Charles retired due to problems with the car, Mercedes dropped back, Sergio started from the back – several factors helped us to be on the podium. But the most important thing was that we participated in the battle.

Question: Can you compare the defense in this race with that in 2005 at Imola against Michael Schumacher?
Fernando Alonso: Yes, I remember her well.

(Norris addresses) How old were you? Five!?

It was easier in 2005 because there was no DRS at the time. With the arrival of DRS you have to act a little differently, and thanks to the tires you could attack constantly.

Q: But if you didn’t have DRS, wouldn’t you be able to regain the position?
Fernando Alonso: This is true. If you lost your position in 2005, that was it, goodbye, but here I still had a chance. DRS was introduced to increase entertainment, and in the last race we saw a good example: you are overtaken two laps before the finish, but you still have a chance.

Racing at Interlagos is always interesting. Sometimes the weather throws up surprises, but this weekend we saw a great race even without rain. There’s something special about this circuit that gives Formula 1 a great opportunity to show its best side, and that’s great.