• Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Alonso reluctant to blame strategy

Fernando Alonso opted to cover Mark Webber but it didn't pay off © Getty Images

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• Race:
• Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

• Championship:
• FIA Formula One World Championship

• Drivers:
• Fernando Alonso
• |
• Sebastian Vettel
• |
• Mark Webber

• Teams:
• Ferrari
• |
• Red Bull

Fernando Alonso did not blame his team's choice of strategy at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix for losing him the championship, but admitted with the benefit of hindsight it was a costly decision.

Alonso pitted on lap 15 to try and cover off Mark Webber, who had pitted two laps earlier with graining rear tyres, but in doing so dropped from fourth - enough to take the championship with Vettel winning - to a net seventh place once everybody else had pitted. Crucially he fell behind Vitaly Petrov and Nico Rosberg, who had changed tyres behind the safety car, and then could not pass them on the track.

He said it was easy to point the finger of blame after the race, but refused to have a dig at his team.

"After the race it's always very easy to see the best strategy," Alonso said. "If we didn't stop Webber would have overtaken us, if we did stop we cover from Webber but we let Petrov and Rosberg in front. It was a very difficult call I think."

When he rejoined, he said it was then incredibly hard to get past Petrov and hinted that the Renault driver was defending a bit too hard.

"I tried to pass him once and he protected like it was the last lap of the championship and we were both fighting for the championship," Alonso said. "He was very aggressive but he drove very well and made no mistakes."

On reflection, Alonso said it had been a good year and he is looking forward to fighting for the title again with Ferrari next year.

"It was very good, for me especially after two years with some difficulties fighting to get into Q3. I think coming back to winning races, to fight for the championship in the last race ... I won five races, I overtook in victories Niki Lauda, Juan Manuel Fangio - big names in Formula One - so for me it's something amazing. I'm sure with this team it will be very possible to fight for championships in the future."

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