Ferrari went to Spain to race. Fernando Alonso at the wheel put the established strategy in the garage in favor of riding the limit and going for the run.

It seems Formula 1 in recent races, even seasons, has moved toward a technical form of racing. Tire strategy and conservation had taken the driver’s seat away from driving for speed and challenging the race.

The Ferrari teams of Alonso and Massa flipped that strategy and went out to race the car, the track and the other drivers. They went out fast from the start and kept the throttle on while trusting their crews to get the changes in the pits done in the same way.

The Grand Prix of Spain, on the finish, had the stands jumping as Fernando Alonso drove his Ferrari to a Spanish home win. The team did it by racing in every sense. Go fast, stay fast, drive the car and the tires and put the other teams and conservative tire strategy on the defensive. It paid off and possibly changed the way we’ll see Formula 1 in the coming sessions.

Racing is racing and chess is chess. While strategy and thinking forward is an element of every race it should not overtake the necessity to actually put your foot on the throttle and drive. Fernando Alonso drove. He raced. He won.

Alonso went on from the start, gaining places from the line and was in front by lap 13. He kept the speed and put time between him and the next so pitting with a cushion put him back out in position to keep the challenge on. It was a bold charge to the system of mathematically racing tires instead of each other.

Ferrari ran across the line in 1st with Alonso and 3rd with Felipe Massa. Kimi Räikkönen put his Lotus between them for 2nd. Raikonen was also fast during the race while his team was able to mix it up and keep some heat on.

Fast enough to qualify to the front line, Mercedes fell into damage control quickly. Handling issues kept Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton fighting their own cars instead of the race. They finished sixth and twelfth.

Red Bull, running well all season, seemed to be put off guard a bit by the aggressive run of Ferrari. Sebastion Vettel and Mark Webber finished outside the podium in fourth and fifth.

Fernando Alonso and Ferrari have been bringing the race all season but mechanical issues or simple bad luck have held them back a bit. Alonso did win in China so this second win in Spain could give a boost to their challenge for the rest of the season.

Vettel and Red Bull and Lotus-Renault with Räikkönen came into Spain one and two in points. Monaco presents the next and sixth race of the season. It is likely all the teams, especially those challenging in the tight front points spots, will be examining the racing and tire strategy. Will it be racing or physics that wins.

Monaco may have the answers.

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