Allan McNish Q&A

"It was actually a lot better than expected. The car was better than I thought it was going to be in terms of relative competitiveness, because I didn't think this circuit would suit at all. I know it's only the first day, but you get a bit of a feeling for it. And also I think if the car is reasonable, then it allows you to build up some confidence quicker. If it's jumping around everywhere, and oversteering like hell through the tunnel or wherever, that's a good reason to lift off. So I was quite happy with that, and I was also pretty happy with the way I got to grips with the circuit."



"I think 15 or 20 laps to really start to feel a bit comfortable with it. But I think also now I'm getting to the point where I'm generally a lot more confident with the car, and the team is getting more up together with what we need and what I need in race situations. The evolution of the car is following more my driving style, which is helping. From that point of view I can now attack a wee bitty more than I could in the first few races."



"The thing is knowing how quick you can go into corners without coming back out with no wheels on it. Especially Casino. They are so long, and some of them have got potentially three apex points. It's a question of how fast you can charge in there, now knowing what's round the other side of it. That took a wee bit of time."



"I felt confident enough that if it did go to oversteer then I was in a position to correct it, opposite lock, and keep my foot in it. I think that's the critical thing, that when it does start to slide, that you can keep your tow on the throttle."



"The preparation has been getting stronger, and it's always been good. We haven't had any reliability issues, we've never had anything fall off or go wrong during sessions. From that point of view that is purely and simply down to team structure, and it's worked so well. What I'm now in a better position to do with a wee bit more experience if being able know what I want before I get to the track, and I think that's helping."



"That was my theory in the first session. I just tried to keep it all neat and in line, and not to get a little bit carried away with myself. I had one moment going into Casino, about six or seven laps in, where I was trying a different line. And the line had absolutely zero grip! I had to lift out of it, and at that point I had to settle down and build it up again. Probably the likes of Raikkonen didn't lift, and just kept going. Laps are the important thing. But I think it's the same everywhere. I had a problem in the first session in Barcelona, and you're always behind."