Fernando, you arrive in Magny-Cours with a championship lead of 19 points. You have won six out of ten races, finished every one and only once not been on the podium. Can you believe how well the start of the year has gone?
Fernando Alonso: It has been better than we expected at the beginning of the year! With all the new rules for 2006, we were a little bit worried about starting the season with a brand new car, and a brand new V8 engine. The team did a fantastic job over the winter though, and when we got to the race we were 100% ready. That's what allowed us to have such a good start to the year.
Looking to the French Grand Prix, you are the defending race winner. What are your memories from last year?
FA: It was a fantastic race last year, one of the best for me. McLaren were really strong during that part of the season and we won the French Grand Prix because we deserved it. It was a perfect race, with a fantastic atmosphere. The crowd was excited, and I was too. I was very proud to win that race.
Yourself and the Renault F1 Team have three home races in effect – in Spain, Great Britain and France. You have won the other two this season… are you looking for a hat trick?
FA: For sure. I think that from my point of view, in the paddock, with the fans, this is actually quite a normal race. But for the French guys in the team, they are extra motivated and excited for their home Grand Prix. So that's my focus – to do better than ever for them, and concentrate on winning in France for our team, for Renault, and for Michelin and Elf as well.
What about the circuit? Will it be a good one for yourself and the Renault package?
FA: I think so. There are a few high speed corners there, and you need good traction. Both of those things are characteristics of the R26, so it will be a good circuit for us and for Michelin too I think. There are two quick chicanes at Magny-Cours that I really enjoy, taken in 5th or 6th gear, and they are the only ones of their type on any circuit. So it has some unique challenges as well.
Finally, Ferrari dominated the Indianapolis race weekend. Do you expect to bounce back strongly in France?
FA: Yes. I won four races in a row before Indy, but I always said that the championship was not over, and it sounded really pessimistic. But a gap of 25 points before Indy didn't mean that we would be champions automatically, and now that the gap is 19 points, we cannot be pessimistic and think the advantage will disappear quickly. You have to look at the big picture for the championship. I was first or second at nine of the ten races – and in the next eight races, I think we will be able to keep on winning and increase the lead even more.
Giancarlo, you are third in the world championship as you come to Magny-Cours, as a Renault driver for the second. What's your feeling for this race?
Giancarlo Fisichella: It's a special special. I am very happy to be working with Renault – and to know that I am staying with the team for the future. Fernando and I both go to Magny-Cours with the possibility of winning, and it will be an important race for Renault on a lot of levels. We have a lot of fans there, all the race team members from Viry-Châtillon are very motivated, and the stands are full of people from Viry and other Renault factories. They will all be pushing with us on Sunday, and we will be doing our maximum to win the race.
You were in Goodwood last weekend for the Festival of Speed to help celebrate Renault's Grand Prix centenary. What did you think?
GF: It was a really impressive place, just totally different to what we are used to at the Grand Prix weekend! You could really feel the passion of the fans, a lot of warmth coming from them, and see their enthusiasm for the cars too. It was great to be part of Renault's celebrations of 100 years in Grand Prix racing – I knew that there was a lot of history at Renault from the 1970s and 1980s, but I didn't know that it went back a hundred years… It would be really nice to win the centenary race this weekend.
Is this a difficult circuit for the car and engine?
GF: Most of all, I think it is quite a hard circuit for the tyres. We have one very high speed corner at turn 3, but I don't think that is the most important one on the circuit. There are a lot of slow-speed corners everywhere and they are where you gain or lost a lot of time. We have to find a good mechanical set-up to have good levels of grip in the corners, and traction on the exits of the slow speed turns. The traction makes it quite hard for the tyres too, and we have to be careful of rear tyre wear in the race – especially if it's very hot.
You had a strong podium result in Indianapolis last time out. More of the same in Magny-Cours?
GF: I had a really strong weekend in Indianapolis. I had a good feeling with the car straight away but even so, I left with mixed feelings. I felt that I did the maximum possible in finishing third, but we were still a long way off Ferrari. So for Magny-Cours, my goal is to maintain my personal level of performance – but from a position where we can beat both Ferraris. The team has been working hard to develop the car all season, and we have another engine step this weekend in France which will give us a boost. I am optimistic that Michelin will have a perfect tyre, so we want a weekend without problems to be able to give our fans they victory they want to see.
