Formula 1: Alonso within an ace of home victory
Brilliant weekend for local hero Fernando Alonso: the Ferrari driver missed victory at home in the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona by a mere three seconds. However, the two-time World Champion from Oviedo, Spain can be extremely satisfied as he is now second and level on points in the overall standings with the World Championship leader. Kamui Kobayashi, who clinched his best result of the season in fifth place, also had a successful weekend. The Ferraris of Alonso and his team mate Felipe Massa are equipped with dampers from the ZF Friedrichshafen AG. With Sauber-Ferrari (Kobayashi, Sergio Pérez) and Toro Rosso-Ferrari (Jean-Eric Vergne, Daniel Ricciardo) two other teams on the grid also rely on the German dampers.
Ferrari has consolidated its fourth place in the manufacturers' standings.
Result GP Barcelona (E), round 5, FIA Formula 1 World Championship, 11 May–13 May 2012:
1. Pastor Maldonado, Williams-Renault, 1h 39m 09.145s
2. Fernando Alonso, Ferrari, + 3.195s ZF
3. Kimi Räikkönen, Lotus-Renault, + 3.884s
4. Romain Grosjean, Lotus-Renault, + 14.799s
5. Kamui Kobayashi, Sauber-Ferrari, + 1m 04.641s ZF
6. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull-Renault, + 1m 07.576s
7. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, + 1m 17.919s
8. Lewis Hamilton, McLaren-Mercedes, + 1m 18.140s
9. Jenson Button, McLaren-Mercedes, + 1m 25.246s
10. Nico Hülkenberg, Force India-Mercedes, - 1 lap
Drivers’ standings:
1. S. Vettel, 61 points; 2. F. Alonso, 61; 3. L. Hamilton, 53; 4. K. Räikkönen, 49; 5. M. Webber, 48; 6. J. Button, 45; 7. N. Rosberg, 41; 8. R. Grosjean, 35; 9. P. Maldonado, 29; 10. S. Pérez, 22.
Constructors’ standings:
1. Red Bull-Renault, 109 points; 2. McLaren-Mercedes, 98; 3. Lotus-Renault, 84; 4. Ferrari, 63; 5. Mercedes, 43; 6. Williams-Renault, 43; 7. Sauber-Ferrari, 41; 8. Force India-Mercedes, 18; 9. Toro Rosso-Ferrari, 6.
For the 2012 season ZF Friedrichshafen AG informs the public through a new, comprehensive and clearly structured motorsport website on the internet at zf.com/motorsport. ZF exclusively supplies all three automobile manufacturers Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz with clutches of the SACHS brand in time for the start of the new DTM and will attend the events in Germany with a dedicated video team. A professional reporter, the ZF race reporter, reports alongside a fan reporter directly from Hockenheim, the Lausitzring, from the Norisring, Nürburgring and from Oschersleben. Additionally, the reporters also cover the Nürburgring 24 Hour race as well as the Truck Grand Prix. The ZF race reporters prepare interesting background topics all about the DTM and the support races exclusively for users of zf.com/motorsport. Users can also register as fan reporter for one of the races at this internet address.