Valencia success Ferrari 'at its best'

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo says that Fernando Alonso's victory in the European Grand Prix was the result of a performance that showed the team 'at it's best' after the Spaniard became the first two-time winner of the 2012 season.

Despite starting down in eleventh place, Alonso stormed to victory on the streets of Valencia to secure a 20 point championship lead while Ferrari has closed on Lotus in the fight for third place in the constructors' championship.

Speaking after the race, di Montezemolo was quick to praise his team for bouncing back from a tough qualifying session to secure victory and said it was a victory that showed Ferrari at its best.

"This is Ferrari at its very best, the one everyone wants to see!" he said. "Fernando was extraordinary and it's hard to find the words to describe his race. I am very sorry for Felipe, who was really unlucky: he was going very well and I'm sure he could have brought home a good result if not for all the problems he had.

"Today has shown the spirit of a team that never gives up and it also reflects the spirit of our homeland in Emilia Romagna, where so many people are going through a particularly difficult time after the earthquake a few weeks back: let's hope this victory will at least have put a smile on their faces!"

Team boss Stefano Domenicali was also full of praise for Alonso's drive, but said Ferrari couldn't afford to become complacent through the remainder of the season despite Alonso's current advantage in the title race.

"Fernando was spectacular, in terms of showing aggression and in the way he managed the car and tyres," he said. "We could tell that this weekend felt very special to him and the win was really emotional for him and the whole team. Today, some of our competitors had reliability problems and that serves as a reminder that this aspect is crucial for success: in such a closely matched season, a no-score carries a high price in the classification.

"We said it at the beginning: these twenty five points will definitely not go to our heads. We are well aware how things can change in the blink of an eye and we must continue to work on improving the car's performance, because it is still not at the level we want."