Fernando Alonso is F1′s shock world championship leader, after Malaysian rain shook up the order at Sepang.

“It’s a tough time for us at the moment, but we will remember this day,” said the Ferrari driver, who finished ahead of another surprise podium-sitter, Sauber’s Sergio Perez.

The young Mexican was catching Alonso at a rate of knots when he made a mistake.

“I think the win was possible,” Perez, who has been linked with Felipe Massa’s works Ferrari seat, said after beating the back-to-back 2012 polesitter Lewis Hamilton.

Former Toro Rosso driver and BBC radio commentator Jaime Alguersuari, however, was not overly impressed.

“The team did a fantastic strategy to put Perez on the right tyres at the right moment. For me, that’s it,” said the Spaniard.

Back-to-back world champion Sebastian Vettel had an horror Sunday, cutting a tyre whilst passing an HRT and eventually retiring with what Red Bull described on the radio as an “emergency” technical problem.

The German lies sixth in the drivers’ world championship, four points behind Perez and 17 off the lead.

Title leader Alonso, meanwhile, is not overly happy with the rain-soaked win.

“I think it changes nothing,” he said. “We are in a position that we do not want, fighting to get into Q3.”

Team boss Stefano Domenicali agreed: “I hope this helps the people at home to push, but we were not stupid yesterday and we are not phenomenal today.”

The Italian also denied that Perez’s debut podium is the ideal time to immediately pluck the Mexican from Sauber and put him in struggling Felipe Massa’s red car.

“Not true, not true,” Domenicali told British Sky television.

Fernando Alonso has refused to echo the McLaren drivers’ claims that traffic is set to make Monaco a “disaster” and “nightmare” this weekend.

With four more cars than in 2009 on the grid this season, and six very uncompetitive runners, it is feared that congestion around the famous barrier-lined 3.3 kilometre street layout will be potentially dangerous.

David Coulthard wrote in his latest column for the Telegraph that it is a “serious issue”, with the slow cars potentially posing “a risk both to themselves and others”.

But Alonso said on Tuesday that traffic was “already a problem when we had 20 cars on track”.

The Spaniard wrote on his Ferrari blog that “we must try and look at this situation as an extra challenge, both for us drivers … and for the engineers, who will have to work out just the right moment to send us out on track in qualifying”.

McLaren boss and FOTA chairman Martin Whitmarsh said he advocated splitting the initial Q1 qualifying phase into two parts, but that proposal was voted down in Barcelona last weekend.

He predicts a “very difficult” weekend for all.

“It has always been difficult but with more cars and a greater performance differential, I think there will be controversy,” the Briton told reporters during a teleconference on Tuesday.

(GMM)

To speak of a duel between Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) and Michael Schumacher (Mercedes GP) may sound exaggerated, but the truth is that again they will be the center of attention during the four pre-season test days in Jerez de la Frontera Circuit.

It was only a few days ago that we saw them rolling with almost a difference of a second in favor of the pilot from Asturias, but none of them mentioned the other, making it more than evident that there is rivalry between them.  To stress this point, it would be sufficient to ask the child to whom Schumacher denied an autograph… and all because he was wearing a Ferrari cap.

Even though the “Kaiser” tried to clarify this incident, it is apparent that “it is not the right moment.”  Schumacher’s appetite has returned and according to a statement by Ross Brawn, they are showing up at the circuit with some changes to improve their presentations and performance in the racetrack.

The two pilots will only concur in the circuit of Cadiz on Thursday, because Alonso will roll tomorrow and day-after-tomorrow, while the ‘Kaiser’ on Thursday and Saturday, according to the provisional plan submitted by the circuit’s press department.

For these second unveiling events, ten teams will roll the first week: McLaren, Ferrari, Sauber, Renault, Red Bull, Toro Rosso, Williams, Force India, Mercedes GP and Virgin GP -.

Together with them, the news at Jerez during these days will be the presentation of the new Red Bull and Force India single-seaters, as well as the first car presented by the new Virgin GP ‘scuderia.’

The ticket prices for these events are five Euros general admission and 10 Euros in VIP grandstand –exactly in front of the boxes-.  The audience will be able to access the circuit from 10.00 AM onwards.  Tests finish at 5:00 PM.

The Brazilian pilot, Felipe Massa (Ferrari) declared he believes he’s going to have a “very good relationship ” with his new mate, the Spanish Fernando Alonso, because, in these first days he has already talked with him more than with Kimi Raikkonen in three years.”
“Things have begun very well; we have spoken a lot about the car and on what to do to make it competitive.  I have talked more with Fernando these days than with Kimi in three years.  Of course, that’s not difficult because Kimi doesn’t like to talk a lot, but I also worked very well with him, even without the need to talk,” clarified Massa in a press conference that took place in Madonna di Campiglio, where the Ferrari team 2010 ‘Wroom’ is being held.
Hence, the Brazilian considers that they can both “work very well together,” because the opposite would be “negative,” both for themselves and for the team.  ”We’re in a very important team.  We know what we have to do.  And we know that if we work well together we can have a better car in the racing track,” he added.
In this way, Massa wanted to clarify the questions that arose on how his relationship with the ‘Scuderia,’ would be, after the clashes between both pilots.  ”We have discussed the problems.  It’s similar to when you go and speak to your mother and once you tell her your feelings and ask her to forgive you, everything gets back to normal.  Personally, I don’t have any strange feelings or opinions towards Fernando,” he stated.

“I FEEL BETTER THAN PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.”

On the other hand, the pilot from Rio de Janeiro made reference to his recovery following the accident he suffered last year in Hungary’s Grand Prix and which forced him to loose the last eight races.  Massa pointed out that he’s “very well,” that he’s had “a very good” recovery and that he’s even better than prior to the accident.”
“I’m motivated and looking forward to begin the year.  I’m also going through a very important moment in my life with the birth of my first son, ‘Felipinho’”, Massa said.  “My goal is to become world champion,” he made clear.
“Everybody knows I was frustrated because of 2008’s events, due to many things that revolved around the championship, and which I hope will never happen again in Formula One.  I want to fight and become world champion,” he declared sententiously.
Even though the Brazilian experienced tough moments after his accident, according to what he confessed, he never once thought of retiring.  ” I never thought I would have to stop competing; I was convinced that I could be back in Valencia, already.  The accident has not changed my approach on work and my way of thinking, because I’ve had to face many difficulties in my life and I have always learned a lot from them,” he explained.

“SCHUMACHER COMEBACK IS GOOD FOR FÓRMULA 1″.

Another topic that the Ferrari pilot touched was the comeback of his ex-mate, the German Michael Schumacher, who will reappear in the competition but now with Mercedes.  ”When he ran he was happier than when he didn’t.  His comeback is interesting and good for the racing sport,” he pronounced.
In addition, Massa described the German pilot as “a friend” and considers that it was “very important” for him to have him as a mate, because he helped him “to improve.”  “In the track we will fight one against the other, but outside the races our frienship continues;” he indicated.
Massa’s point of view is that ‘Schumi’ did a “perfect career, retiring in the right moment.”  ”Now, he has wanted to come back and it’s very difficult to tell if his decision is correct.  It will surely be strange to see him race for another team after running so many years in Ferrari, but just now, there were no more options for his comeback because the decision of who the two pilots will be has already been taken,” he specified.

“EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED IN 2008 AND NOTHING IS GAINED BY LOOKING BACK.”

Finally, the Brazilian talked about the 2008 Singapore’s Gran Prix events, with the intentional accident brought about by ‘Nelsinho’ Piquet -who was then in Renault-, and which allowed Fernando Alonso to win, taking away some points from Massa which were later decisive for the championship’s result.  Lewis Hamilton would take the title with only one margin point with respect to Ferrari’s.
In the wake of the scandal, Renault’s former director, Flavio Briatore, was declared guilty by the FIA and banned for life for ordering Piquet’s accident.  The ban was recently overturned by the Paris Court.
“Honestly, if you see something that’s not alright in the racing sport, and that, one way or the other, goes against the rules, I don’t think it’s difficult to change the result, even if that would not be good for the sport,” Massa concluded.  “Everybody knows what happened and that nothing is gained by looking back:”