Alonso: This isn't the final step

Fernando Alonso has urged his Ferrari team to keep on making changes to the F2012 even after this weekend's long-awaited updates are introduced. Having only produced what Alonso himself described as "small" changes to Ferrari's underperforming 2012 charger at the recent Mugello test, a raft of upgrades will be bolted onto the F2012 in Barcelona in a bid to propel the team back towards the frontrunners. No doubt mindful of the focus the team will have to endure in Spain, and the 'make-or-break' billing their peformance at the Circuit da Catalunya has assumed, Alonso insisted in Thursday's Drivers' Press Conference that this weekend would not mark the completion of the car and that the F2012 could yet be used as a base for its 2013 successor. "We don't know what car we have here," commented the Spaniard. "We have new parts but, here, everybody has new parts. Because it's Ferrari there is a lot of expectation and it seems like only Ferrari are bringing new parts. "We have a step forward, we believe, on what we had in Bahrain, but we also know that this isn't the last step we need to do. It's continuous work that we need to do, starting here in Barcelona. In Monaco, we must bring new parts, in Canada we must bring new parts, but we won't bring a new car in every race as seems we brought here in Barcelona." Such is both the level of disappointment at the performance of the 'revolutionary' F2012 hitherto this season and expectation that this weekend marks a make-or-break watershed in their year, that it was even suggested to Alonso that, were a performance improvement not forthcoming, the team could abandon 2012 and turn their attention to next season instead. "I don't think so," Fernando responded. "We need to see. If the step is not good enough, and the others improve more than us, we will just have to work harder for Monaco and Canada and bring more new parts. The season is long and we will never give up in April." Could the F2012 therefore be used as the base for next year's car? "I think so." In a separate aside, Alonso offered a robust defence of Michael Schumacher following the Mercedes driver's outspoken attack on the Pirelli tyres, with the two-time World Champion claiming that his former foe had been misrepresented by the media. "I don't agree that Michael is continually criticising Pirelli," Fernando retorted. "Michael said one thing and what has been written in the press has exaggerated. I read what he said and I don't see any big problem in that." Nor was Alonso giving much away when asked to confirm that he understood how aggressive a driver could be whilst defending his position in the wake of the Bahrain race stewards ruling that Nico Rosberg's driving was fair during incidents that saw both Alonso and Lewis Hamilton take to the grass as they attempted to pass the Mercedes. "Yes," he replied tersely. Instead it was left to Sebastian Vettel to articulate the Spaniard's thoughts, mimicking Fernando's radio message in Bahrain that "You have to leave space all the time!" Cue half a smile from Fernando.