Q & A with Fernando Alonso

Q. Assess your season so far.

FA: "Fantastic, no doubts about this. We have had a dream season so far, and now we have to finish the job in the second half. It's looking great, the team performance has been good anywhere. I lost two opportunities to win two other races, in Malaysia when we made a mistake in qualifying with the fuel load we put in the car, and in Imola we lost the race. We were quicker than Michael (Schumacher), and perhaps we pit too early.

Even with that, six victories and three second places, we never expect this performance and success. With the new rules and new car, everyone has some doubts at the beginning of the season, and I think the team did a fantastic job and we were ready for the first race."

Q. Are you in a position now to control the championship or do you need to go for wins at every race?

FA: "We need to go for wins. I think the best defense is to keep attacking and keep increasing the gap with second place. And if one time we have to defend, we cannot be crazy, second place or third place would be OK, but we have to keep winning. We cannot wait and see the others win.

We have to keep doing the maximum team-wise, I think for the next race we have a new engine coming, some new aerodynamics in the car for Hockenheim. So I think race by race we will improve the car. Tyres, every race have a new program next week at Jerez. We keep testing and improve the car and tyres, and this is the only way to be champion and everyone is working the same direction, and we're very happy."

Q. You have said after winning at circuits where you won for the first time how special it was to win. Does Indianapolis fit into that?

FA: "At the beginning of the season, I said that I need a podium at Monaco, Indianapolis and Canada because they are the only three trophies I didn't have at all the circuits. I did Monaco and Canada, so it's still Indianapolis to get on the podium. I think Monaco, Monza and Indianapolis are the most famous circuits in the world, and to win at any of those circuits is something special for any racing driver."

Q. What circuits can you compare Indianapolis?

FA: "It's difficult, to any circuit. It has different parts of the circuit, one (infield) quite slow and not so grippy, difficult to get braking points and see the line, improving as we get more rubber down. And the second part (long straightaway), really quick, especially with the V8, maybe 12 or 13 seconds full throttle, very difficult for the engine. I don't think you can compare it to any one other circuit, impossible."

Q. Have you noticed anything different about the American fans this year, in the wake of last year?

FA: "No, nothing at all so far. Yesterday in the hotel there were people waiting for us there, nothing unusual. And today, we see how they feel and enjoy Formula One, so I don't think we see any negative side coming from last year. I think the people are looking forward Sunday, and to see a good show, which we'll put on the track for them, for sure."

Q. Are you surprised that this many Formula One fans are here today?

FA: "No, we were very dramatic last year, with the things that happened. I think the people understood immediately. The repercussions in the press were big because it was nothing that had happened before. But the people, the real fans of Formula One understood and supported us; the teams, Michelin, everybody, and they're here to support Formula One once again."

Q. How confident are you in the Michelin tyre for this year?

FA: "Every race we're in contact with them. The Monday or Tuesday we know the tyres we're taking for the race, compounds, contractions and new developments in the tyre. And Indianapolis is the normal thing; we know what we're bringing here, 100 percent confidence. I think we know the problem last year, they know the problem, it's completely forgotten."

Q. Talk about the tyre necessary for this circuit.

FA: "You need a tyre that has to be quite soft for the inside part, where there's not a lot of grip. The most difficult part of the circuit is the aerodynamics of the car because you must put less wing for the long straight, but you need some support for the inside part so you can gain some time in the corners.

"So to find a good compromise normally is impossible, and you need to see what your opponents are doing, and be as quick as them on straight and have more wing than them on the inside part."

Q. What are your memories of the final 30 minutes before last year's race?

FA: : "I have probably three things in my head that I will never forget. One is the meeting we had before the race, where we tried to agree to racing, to put on for everybody a good show. We tried to agree that we had a problem with tyres, and to refuse the points.

"We didn't want to race for points, we knew we had a problem with tyres but we wanted just to race for the people out there. One team and some drivers didn't want to do that, they wanted to race alone, and they did it. This is difficult to forget all the people that were upset out there.

"Secondly, on the formation lap, Raikkonen was fifth and I was ninth, and I saw him warming up the tyres on the last two corners and I said, 'Well, he's going to the grid so I go to the grid, as well; we need to race.'

"Everyone agreed to come into the pits on the formation lap, but when Kimi started to warm up the tyres, I warmed up the tyres. When he came in the pits, I came in the pits. We had tyres, really, in good condition, I don't know why."

Q. Are you concerned that Michelin has chosen a conservative tyre this weekend?

FA: "No. There's not anything to be conservative for. There was a very specific problem last year that will be no more this year. There's no need to be conservative."