MANILA, Philippines -- It took nine races and a 259-day wait before a Ferrari driver was able to step up on the top podium after a Formula 1 Grand Prix.  Fernando Alonso won the British Grand Prix in a convincing manner last Sunday, lording over series leaders Sebastian Vettel and Mark Weber of Red Bull Racing who were locked in a fierce battle for second place.

Vettel prevailed over his teammate enabling him to extend his points lead in the Driver’s Championship.

Alonso’s win coincides with the 60th anniversary of the first Scuderia victory in Formula 1 with all the men and women of the Scuderia gathering at the Fiorano track to celebrate after the race.

“We managed to win and that is down to you and I want to thank you all for it,” said Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo.

Addressing the Scuderia staff, Montezemolo said, “You have done well and have shown, every single one of you, how to react at a difficult time. You did not lose heart and you managed to improve in all areas. In Stefano Domenicali you have a boss who has proved to be a leader and the congratulations I gave him immediately after the race on Sunday are for all of you. Now however, we must keep our feet on the ground, which is something we are used to, given that we know what it means to win.

“We must take another step forward, because we want to win again this year: to succeed in that, you must all try and do your best in your daily work, trying to achieve a personal pole position.”

“Winning in England, at the home race for the great majority of our opponents is something special, all the more so as it happened on the day of such a significant anniversary,” continued Montezemolo.

“I think that even Pat Fry, for whom this is the first win since he took on the role of Chassis Director, managed to feel the difference there is between winning with another team and doing it with Ferrari.”

There was a special round of applause for the guys who, at every race, tackle a procedure that this year is more crucial than ever – the pit stop.

“Effort, training and attention to detail: that’s how you manage to improve in a task like this: at Silverstone, you were perfect, so keep going forward like this,” concluded Montezemolo.

Domenicali, for his part, said, “We have got back on our feet thanks to you, but there is still a long way to go. Let us continue like this: we are a long way off the leaders, but who knows, if things go in a certain way, the air could begin to get more rarified.”