How Alonso is leading the driver's championship: 5 Secrets behind Alonso's success

Have you ever wondered how Fernando Alonso is leading the Formula 1 2012 championship table this stage even after having a comparatively slow car at the start of the season? Let’s analyse the secret behind it:

1. Fantastic StartsHis starts have been brilliant. Ferrari has fine-tuned the launch controls with its drivers to ensure they take maximum advantage in the first corner.The table shows the average position changes on lap one, with Alonso on 19 and his rivals nowhere to be seen.

If you have a good start, you could get ahead of cars faster than you. Alonso overtook his faster rivals in the first lap and defended his position to prevent them from overtaking. If he allows them to get ahead, catching up is not possible. By following this technique, Alonso has been able to take advantage despite his slower pace.

2. Faster Pit StopsMcLaren might have lured their pit crew with a couple of more beers if they were able to achieve quicker pit stop times, and it seems to have worked, as they are making fewer mistakes now compared to before. However, there are still mistakes made every once in a while, with their Ferrari counterparts on the other hand almost flawless. Not only are they fast, but are reliable and accurate as well.They have achieved the fastest pit stop timing on four occasions. There is no room for errors and this has benefited Alonso, who has gained places in almost each of his pit stops. This has allowed him to overtake cars, which otherwise would have been difficult.

3. Zero Penalties:The table below shows the total number of penalties awarded to drivers. While one can easily guess Pastor Maldonado would be on top of the list, Alonso is nowhere to be seen on the list. He is still yet to receive any penalty from the stewards, and this is significantly important, as all his rivals have been penalized for various reasons which have affected their positions.

3. Mastering wet races If there is one team that eagerly looks forward to wet races, it surely is Scuderia Ferrari. Stats say it all. They hold fantastic results in wet races. When there was a heavy downpour in Malaysia, Alonso took advantage and secured his first win despite starting in eighth.He repeated his triumph again in the German Grand Prix, where he secured pole and also won the race. In each occasion, the Ferrari has seemed faster than its rivals, particularly McLaren.

4. Push Harder and Drive fasterI may state several reasons behind his triumph, but this is the most important one. We have to laud and appreciate his fantastic driving this season. Both his driving skills and his attitude have matured, and he is well on his way to becoming a Tifosi great. He has understood the tires and other settings much better than other drivers, particularly his teammate, and while the Ferrari is not as fast as the McLaren, he still manages to deliver consistently. Alonso has beaten his team mate on 12 occasions, and on an average is half a second faster than his teammate. This clearly validates his superior driving skills.

Against all the odds, he is up leading the championship table. Let’s see if he can maintain his place till the end of the season.