Europe Preview Quotes: Renault

Fernando Alonso

Q. Fernando, you had a difficult afternoon in Monaco - can you bounce back to form at the Nurburgring?

FA: Why not? Last year, we finished fourth and fifth there so with the R25, there is no reason why we should not be fighting for the podium. The car had a brand new aero package in Monaco, and I don't think we really saw the benefits of it there - at a more normal circuit, like Nurburgring, we definitely will. It will be important for us to be back fighting for the top positions.

Q. What about the circuit - what is important too go well there?

FA: From our point of view, it has never been a perfect track, so it will be important to prepare well and have a trouble-free approach to the race. The place where you can really make up time on the lap is in the first sector, under braking and in the slow corners, but you have also have every type of corner at the Nurburgring and they are all important. Renault has not been on the podium there, and I think we have a good shot at it this year.

Giancarlo Fisichella

Q. Fisico, how do you rate the Nurburgring as a circuit?

GF: It is not the most exciting circuit that we go to, but I still expect the R25 to feel good and suit the track. You need a lot of downforce to feel confident with the car, and good traction and rear-end stability in the new section through the first sector. The other factor of course is the weather - even in summer,, it can be very cold, and the conditions are very quick to change in the mountains. It is important to be able to adapt to whatever the weather throws at you.

Q. Monaco was a frustrating race for you, finishing twelfth. Do you think things will change around at the Nurburgring?

GF: Monaco was very tough - the car was really undriveable in the last twenty laps and I have never had such a difficult race. After a race like that, it is hard to be totally confident for a Grand Prix just one week later, but I believe the Nurburgring should be much better for us. It will be a much more normal circuit for the car in terms of its characteristics, and even in Monaco for the first half of the race, we saw that our car was among the quickest in the field, as it has been all year. I think we can come back strongly this weekend and show our true level of performance.