Q & A with Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso: We have always some surprises in Monaco: some cars that perform better here than at the normal tracks. And the opposite: some cars that perform a little bit worse than at a normal track.

We will see. We need to wait until tomorrow because we have some confidence that this track, this race will be good for us. It will be a little opportunity to fight with the top teams. We are happy with the results from the Paul Ricard test last week. We will see.

It could happen like in 2004 when the Renault was not in the position to win races or fight for podiums. We arrived in Monaco and Trulli won the race and I crashed in the tunnel when I was second. Otherwise that was one and two in Monte Carlo, and hopefully we can repeat this type of thing.

Q. How much can a driver make up for a car? Niki Lauda says it is normally 80 percent car and 20 percent driver. In Monaco is it different?

FA: In Monaco it is different. The driver's importance increases a little bit. It is 50/50 because you need the car. We know that Super Aguri, okay Super Aguri is not here anymore, will not win in Monaco. We know that. But we also know that it is very easy to do mistakes. It is easy to have a problem in qualifying, to lose a couple of tenths.

And here you improve the set-up two or three tenths because you improve the understeer or oversteer. [But if] you do a mistake you lose half a second. It is more important to have a clean lap by the driver than to have two or three tenths better in terms of set-up.

Q. Lewis was very strong here last year. Not that he does not have you to worry about, will he be even stronger this year?

FA: I don't know. I don't care. I have too many things to take care of than [worry] about the McLaren performance.

Q. It was here last year where you and Lewis had your first "problems."

FA: It was one of my favorite races here last year because the car was very, very good to drive and all weekend we were competitive. We lapped the fourth guy I think. We were also one minute ahead of Massa. So it was a very good race last year. I have great memories. The week after there were some talks, some rumors. But they were not my problem. It was my best race probably last year.

Q. How different will it be without traction control and engine braking?

FA: It will be quite a big difference. It will be more difficult, no doubts. It will be something that we will find out tomorrow. At the moment no one knows how difficult it will be here in Monte Carlo especially with no traction control and no helps. At the other circuits we more or less can imagine because we have been driving in Turkey and Barcelona, so you arrive to the next Grand Prix and you know how difficult it will be.

Monte Carlo is different, so you don't know how hard it will be. If it rains it will be even worse. I don't know how many cars will finish the race because of rain or something like that. Because last year here in the third practice the third practice it rained and it was impossible to drive, even on the start/finish line you have all the lines for the start, and the TC cutting in continuously because the straight is not a straight it is a corner.

I imagine that this year it will be quite dangerous there. If it rains you need to keep on the track and you need to keep on the track and it will be for sure a good result because not many cars will finish.

Q. Which is the most difficult corner?

FA: Turn 3 and 4, the Casino corners are quite difficult because they are quite blind. You arrive on the uphill and suddenly you have to turn left. It is a quite high speed. The corners at the swimming pool are very important for a timed lap as well. So even if they are not difficult you need to make your time there. This year also some corners like Loews and the entry of the tunnel with no traction control will also be quite demanding.

Q. You have nothing to lose, will you go for an aggressive strategy?

FA: I don't know. I didn't check the strategy that they are thinking about at the moment. But I don't think that we will risk too much in terms of strategy because here, okay, pole position is important, but we know that the longer you go the better it is here.

In the past it used to be a one stop strategy in normal circumstances and I think from the 11th guy it will be a one stop strategy. You cannot risk too much and put yourself in a bad position, so I think we will be in a standard strategy.

Q. What is the safety car situation here?

FA: The safety car will be difficult this year. Same as last year but difficult with the new regulations because any crash will be a safety car because there is no room to remove the car from that corner, and if you have to pit in those next three of four laps you have a problem.

And if you already pitted, maybe you will win the race if you find yourself there. It is something that in terms of strategy is very difficult to predict. But it is something that we need to think about.

Q. Do you think that Renault here is a match for the McLaren this year? Can you compete with them on equal terms?

FA: At the moment I don't think so because regarding how we are this year we are not in the good level to fight for the victories. We cannot arrive here too optimistic. Also, how the McLaren performed here last year I think they are clearly the favorites for this year. But as I said, many things can happen.

Monaco is a completely different race and you only win if you finish the race. So even if tomorrow we are very behind or they are in a dominant position all weekend, if they do not finish the race it is enough to finish the race.