• Japanese Grand Prix
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Retirement doesn't affect championship - Alonso

ESPN Staff
October 7, 2012 « McLaren not quick enough - Button | Perez admits to mistake while trying to pass Hamilton »
Fernando Alonso failed to score for only the second race this season © Press Association
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Fernando Alonso says his retirement from the Japanese Grand Prix does not have a major impact on the championship.

Having only failed to score in one previous race this season, slight contact with Kimi Raikkonen gave Alonso a puncture before turn one and Sebastian Vettel took full advantage by winning and cutting Alonso's championship lead to four points. Despite seeing his points cushion almost completely erased in one weekend, Alonso said the situation was still simple with five races remaining.

Asked what his retirement meant for the championship, Alonso replied: "Nothing really.

"I think one time I will retire, maybe next time Vettel will retire; you never know. This is motorsport, so it's five races to go and it will be like a mini-championship because we start with the same points and we need to score one more point in five races than the others so that's what we'll try to do."

Speaking specifically about the incident that gave him a puncture, Alonso said he felt Raikkonen should have backed off.

"I had no space; on the right I had Button I think, on the left I had Kimi, and I don't understand why Kimi didn't lift off or anything because there was not any room. I don't know what Kimi's idea was for the first corner but it's the way it is and this time it was bad luck for us."

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