Fernando Alonso Q&A

"Yeah, for sure. The beginning of the season was quite difficult, for everyone in the team because the cars weren't really ready for the first race. We only had two cars and no spare and we only just got everything finished in time. So that made things hard. But by the end of the season, we had sorted a lot of things out. We did better than I expected, and better than everyone expected because Minardi usually always qualifies 21st and 22nd, but I managed to get up to 18th and 19th most of the time, which was quite good. It was also good experience for me and I got to know all of the tracks."



"Definitely. In Formula 1 you can only really compare with your team mate because all the teams have different cars and it is very difficult to make comparisons. And compared to my team mates this year, Tarso and Alex, I am pleased with my performance because I was always in front of them and that certainly helped to make it a good year..."



"It was more or less as I expected. The main thing I think was maybe the F1 paddock, because it is very closed and very cold. The spectators are always outside and never in contact with the drivers and that surprised me at the first race in Australia. But as far as the cars and the teams are concerned, it all felt quite normal."



"I think maybe the paddock should be more open at certain times. Not all the time, but certainly some of the time. It wouldn't really be better for the drivers because then there would be lots of crowds, but for Formula 1 I think it would be better."



"With the new engine it will be much better. For sure the Asiatech engine will be a big improvement and the performance of Minardi will change for next year. I think if they make a good car and the development in the wind tunnel goes well, then they should be a strong team, maybe make 14th or 15th place and not 21st and 22nd. They have to work on the chassis because the engine will be good."



"The engine. The power was low compared to the other teams. The car was quite good and Michelin worked well in their first year. But you could tell by the speed on the straights, people would just come past you far too easily."



"I think it's difficult to put together the English people and the Italian people, because they are different groups and they have different heads. But I think the first year was good. I don't know about the future, but for sure Minardi must change because the last years have been a disaster and these changes can only be a good thing. I think Paul is moving the team in the right direction and I think he is the right person to be there, because he is a little bit crazy and I think Minardi needs that."



"I think all the drivers have the world championship as their objective and it's the same for me. I am only 20 years old and I have a lot of time to improve and develop myself for the future, but there is still a long way to go. But we'll see. It's impossible to tell really, because in Formula 1 you need to have the best car to win and if you don't have it, then it's impossible. We have seen it in the last eight years or so, first with Williams and then with McLaren and now Ferrari. It goes in cycles and it's very difficult to change that..."