Alonso proud even without third drivers' title

Feb.28 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has revealed he would be happy even if he fails to add a third world championship to his tally.

The Spaniard already has two titles in his pocket from his Renault days, and is now aiming for a third ahead of his third consecutive season with Ferrari.

But the F2012 has not looked a world-beater in preseason testing, and Alonso told Spanish reporters at a sponsor event this week: "If I didn't win another championship, I would go out (of Formula One) with my head held high.

"At least I have won already, while some others leave without winning a single race," he is quoted by Marca sports newspaper from the Jarama circuit.

At the same time, he scolded any analysis that is already writing off Ferrari for 2012.

Fernando Alonso, Scuderia Ferrari

Photo by: xpb.cc

"There has been a tendency, especially from the media, to say that the car is bad and we are not having a good winter, but they don't understand.

"We are very calm because the car is very complex and there's no reason to believe that it won't be quick.

"The thing that is costing all of us is to get back the grip lost at the rear of the car by the blown diffusers ban, but I think it will be recovered soon," added Alonso.

This week, in Barcelona, the last test before Melbourne will begin, but Alonso denies that the pecking-order is imminently set to emerge.

"Australia is a strange race because it's a different circuit, so we will begin to see things from the third race I think," he said, referring to China in April.

"What is important, if we cannot win immediately, is that no driver wins all three or four."

But Alonso insisted that even a rough estimate of the events in Melbourne and beyond is impossible to make now.

"At the moment the conclusions are zero -- super-zero," he said.

"Hopefully we will not be seventh," Alonso smiled, "and everything else is guesswork.

"It is assumed that Red Bull will not be stuck in Q2 and that McLaren and Mercedes will not be far away, but these are only assumptions.

"Testing in Barcelona for us ended better than it started, but it's not as though we were in a tunnel and now we see the light. Our team is working hard and well."