Q & A with Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso: Yes. I think until the Barcelona test, where, like all the teams, we have some improvements coming that may change the situation. Until Barcelona I think it will be more or less the same [as it is now], so I expect to have a difficult qualifying [in Bahrain], hoping to get into Q3 and the top ten.

And then in the race, depending on which position we finish on Saturday, aim for some points again. This is more-or-less what we are expecting, but we will see, maybe tomorrow we will change our ideas.

Q. Do you expect a big step for Barcelona?

FA: We have some good things coming and we are quite optimistic with an improvement of the car, but at the same time, we all know that all the teams will have a similar feeling now.

All the teams will be optimistic about their improvements, so it is up to us to make the improvements that we hope for on the track. Because sometimes you feel you have a good step forward and then you put it on the car and it feels more-or-less the same. Hopefully for us, we will feel the difference straight away.

Q. The car doesn't appear to have any particular shortcomings; does that make it harder to improve the whole package in comparison to Ferrari and McLaren, rather than focussing on just one thing to make it better?

FA: No, I don't think so. I think maybe it is easier because you know that you have to work in every part of the car. When you have one particular problem and you have to focus on that, it is quite difficult because over the winter you do things thinking that everything is okay and perfect to race in Melbourne, so then it becomes more difficult when you find a big problem in the car. For us there is not a big problem, just many little ones.

Q. Which are the most significant of those problems?

FA: I think in these days in Formula One, aerodynamically the car has to be better and more efficient. Like this we don't need to put too much wing, too much downforce to have the grip, and then in the straights we are too slow. If we want to be quick on the straights as the others then in the corners we are too slow. So we need a good aero package that gives us the grip in the corners and is not too slow in the straights.

Q. Do you think the track will be difficult to drive on tomorrow?

FA: I think this track is always difficult, especially the first day. We saw always on Friday many mistakes, and many people will spin tomorrow probably. It is something we see every Friday, so I expect it even more this year. The track is not in a very good condition, plus with the new electronics rules this year we are seeing some mistakes from all the drivers. So we will see tomorrow will be more difficult, but I expect Saturday and Sunday everything will become more normal and we will see a normal race here in Bahrain.

Q. Fernando what is your opinion on the Max Mosley scandal story, which is sweeping across Formula One?

FA: Nothing to say. No comment

Q. Is it something that will be discussed by the GPDA?

FA: I don't know. I don't think so because the GPDA exists for safety reasons so that is not very important.

Q. Fernando after the Malaysian GP there were quotes in a Spanish daily newspaper where you said you had a release clause in your Renault contract, and that you could leave at the end of the season if the team were not doing as well as you hoped. Is that correct?

FA: I don't know. I don't remember that clause and I signed for two years with Renault. But as we saw last year the contracts are always very flexible.

Q. You might not remember the quote, but does the clause exist?

FA: No.

Q. There is no clause in your contract allowing you to leave?

FA: No.

Q. Are you committed to staying here and seeing out your future rather than looking elsewhere already?

FA: At the moment yes, because we have just started the championship. And okay we are disappointed with our performances in the first two races, but it is not time to give up now, it is time to keep working as hard as we can.

And then we will see at the middle of the season or the end of the season where we are and for next year there is a big change of rules it seems, so aerodynamically there will be a big change with very little wings and we will have slick tyres again probably. So all this can change the picture again in F1, so at the moment I am really convinced that we can do a good job, Renault and me together.

Q. So with big changes in the rules, you think you have as big a chance as Ferrari next year?

FA: For sure. I think when rules change this dramatically it is like throwing a coin in the air. Any team can have a good car and fight for the championship. At the moment the teams that we are behind now, this is the thing that we are hoping, a big change in rules and we can recover the gap quickly.

If the rules stay the same for the next ten years or whatever, we know that Ferrari and McLaren will fight for the next ten championships. So hopefully next year everything will change a little bit and maybe we can see the benefit of it.

Q. Is there a sense of disappointment that you don't have a winning car yet, or were you realistic when you joined Renault that you wouldn't be winning races yet?

FA: Yeah, I knew more or less when I signed for Renault because I knew that the gap was too big to recover all this distance in one winter. I knew that 2008 would be a difficult season, one that we needed to keep improving through to be as close as we can to the top teams.

But at the same time you always hope that maybe things will change and, maybe not fight for the championship, but maybe be on the podium or maybe win one or two races or whatever. It seems that at the moment we are not in that position, so it is a mix of feelings.

In a way I knew already it was difficult, but in another way I was hoping for maybe something more. So it is time to work now and hopefully in the middle of the season, or maybe after Barcelona if the improvements are good enough, fight closer to the podium.