Alonso Looking to Put End to Unlucky Streak

Fernando Alonso said on Saturday that he is aiming to turn around his poor fortune in recent races and follow up his pole position in qualifying with success for Renault in this Sunday's French Grand Prix.

Alonso claimed his third career pole position when he set a strong lap around the Magny-Cours circuit on Saturday afternoon, but he is all to wary of his recent problems as he prepares for the ninth race of the year.

"In Monaco I had really bad luck, Nurburgring I had a steering problem and Canada and Indy I retired with two mechanical problems," said Alonso when asked about his poor luck in the last four races.

"But to be on pole here for the team is really nice and a good feeling for the moment and I am sure here the luck will come back and hopefully tomorrow we will finish the race."

Alonso, who won his only Grand Prix in Hungary last year, has finished only one of the last four races. He collided with the barriers in Monaco, suffered a driveshaft failure in Canada and crashed because of a puncture at Indianapolis.

He finished fifth in the European Grand Prix at the Nurburgring after overcoming a steering problem, but his poor run came after a good opening five races that saw him claim one third place and two fourths.

Alonso's best qualifying position of the year was fourth in Monaco, where his teammate Jarno Trulli began a run of good form that saw him qualify on pole and subsequently claim the victory.

But Alonso feels he has turned the corner and said: "It was a good lap. This morning we suffered a little bit with the set-up. I tried to push a little bit more and at the end the qualifying lap was fine."