Gascoyne Says Renault Have Winning Strategy

Renault believe they can win the Malaysian Formula One Grand Prix tomorrow after sweeping the front row in qualifying, even if others in the paddock have their doubts.

Spaniard Fernando Alonso's record pole, making him the youngest driver ever to start from that position, owed a lot to strategy under the new rules with teams qualifying on very different fuel loads.

However, technical director Mike Gascoyne said the Renault was potentially a winner.

"We're on the right strategy," he told Reuters. "We didn't go out to be on the front row, we fuelled our car for the best strategy and sort of surprised ourselves by where we've ended up. I think both drivers did perfect laps.

"We probably expected to be on the third row or something and our drivers got it right and others got it wrong."

Alonso, in only his second race for the team after spending 2002 as test driver following a debut season with struggling Minardi, was joined on the front row by Italian Jarno Trulli.

They have World Champion Michael Schumacher's Ferrari and Championship leader David Coulthard's McLaren right behind them on the starting grid.

Gascoyne said Renault were down more than 100 horsepower on the likes of Ferrari and Williams - a figure that McLaren boss Ron Dennis said equated to at least 1.2 seconds a lap at Sepang. That would suggest Renault were running on substantially less fuel than Schumacher and would have to pit earlier and more often, but Gascoyne said the race was winnable.

"The easiest strategy to do is the one from the front row, because you can then do your strategy and you don't get held up by everyone," he said.

"That's not a false result. That is a genuine result on race fuel. There is a small difference between them (the drivers) because obviously they can't both stop at the same time and that is probably exactly reflected by their qualifying."