Alonso feeling pressure to perform

Fernando Alonso believes Ferrari are currently enduring "a very bad season", but one from which he feels the team can still recover.

After just seven races heading into this weekend's European Grand Prix, Alonso finds himself a daunting 92 points adrift of reigning champion Sebastian Vettel.
Given the current points-scoring system, Alonso is the equivalent of three wins and a second-placed finish behind Vettel, and at this stage it appears there is little hope for the Spaniard.
"There is pressure in being Ferrari and when you are at Ferrari - you need to win every race, every championship," said Alonso.
"These seven races so far, I think I have driven the best seven races of my career, with the best qualifying laps, compared to my team-mate, compared to last year, comparing different years.
"Despite that, it seems the season has been a very bad one so far, which in some ways I agree with because we are Ferrari and we are obliged to win every race.
"We need to understand and respect our rivals and to work harder than them and to close that gap in the near future."
Alonso knows exactly what is required if he is to have any chance of reeling in Vettel, as he did last year in the second half of the season.
"We need to have the best car," added Alonso, who led the way after Friday's two practice sessions ahead of McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Vettel.
"If we have that we can win the title because there is plenty of time and plenty of races to recover.
"If we are fifth or sixth, as we normally are in qualifying, then it's very difficult.
"But the championship is long. We need to concentrate, race by race, and we will try to be on the podium, try to win every race.
"Obviously this is sometimes very difficult or impossible, but this is our aim. We are Ferrari, so this is our goal.
"But as I said, we need to respect our opponents and we need to understand that in some places, in some races, we cannot win."
Like Jenson Button has admitted to enjoying Canada when he came from 21st and last to take the chequered flag, Alonso also knows a little bit of luck along the way would help, starting Sunday in front of his home fans.
"As happened in Canada with all the rain, all the red flags, like in all the crazy races you need a little bit of luck," said Alonso.
"The most important thing is we try to get a podium here, which is important for us as a team, important for me as well.
"Hopefully we can put on a good show for all the fans because this is a circuit where the attendance has not been great in past years.
"There has been a lot of effort from the circuit, from everybody to get the maximum number of fans here, so we need to give them a show and hopefully they will enjoy the race."