Alonso: Monza very important

Ferrari's Alonso

Fernando Alonso admits that next weekend’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza is likely to be make-or-break in his quest for the 2010 world title, having failed to score in Belgium on Sunday. The Champion of 2005 and 2006 now lies 41 points behind new leader Lewis Hamilton with six races remaining.

With this year’s championship looking to boast one of the most exciting climaxes of all time, Alonso’s crash at Spa marked his third non-scoring Grand Prix of 2010 after Sepang and Silverstone.

“I have always said – and I repeat it now – that, over the course of the season, good luck and bad luck tend to balance one another out, so let’s hope that from now on it’s payback time!" he commented.

“I am convinced we still have a significant chance. There are 150 points up for grabs, enough to turn the situation around. We must remain calm and concentrate to try and make up the difference as soon as possible."

However, the Oviedo driver does admit that any more poor showings could begin to significantly lower self-esteem levels within the Maranello squad.

“There is no denying that the Monza race will be very important," he continued. “At our home circuit we will have to do everything to avoid losing any more points – a good result here would be a great boost. If things go badly, it won’t be over but it would be a hard knock for team morale."