During a recent interview with Brazil's O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper, the Brazilian driver admitted that what happened at the Hockenheim ring last season, when Ferrari ordered him to let Fernando Alonso pass him for victory late in the race, will undoubtedly remained sticked in people's memory for a long time.
“People do remember something as strong as that,” said the 29-year old Ferrari-an, who was at the time heavily criticized by the media in Brazil for his obedience to the Scuderia's team orders.
“A victory is much easier to forget than that. But it's not something that sticks in my head or stops me from fighting to win as many races as possible or fighting for the championship.”
While agreeing that the episode did change his reputation, the Brazilian added the only a good campaign in 2011, possibly ending with a world title in his bag, could change all that. In addition, he argued that people still have a lot of respect for him in his native Brazil.
“Good results always make people change their minds between cheering for you or being opposed to you. Even with everything that happened, I know I'm still supported, especially in my country. Going to restaurants, on the street in Brazil, of course nobody congratulated me but they said things like 'keep strong, head up' and this helped me a lot.”
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