23/08/2004
NEWS STORY
Jarno, are you happy to be returning to Spa?
Jarno Trulli: Definitely - like I think every other driver is too. Through the lap, you need to be able to deal with every type of technical corner, and you can make up time in lots of places. As a driver, it really demands total concentration - but you also must find the rhythm of the circuit and plug into it. You need to be right on the limit over the entire lap, but you are talking about 1 minute 40 seconds here rather than one minute fifteen. And at Spa, that limit is just a little bit harder to find than at more normal tracks. I think it is a circuit that really shows a driver's true potential.
Will the R24 perform well here?
JT: Well, earlier in the year we seemed to struggle at the high speed circuits like Malaysia, but we have made good progress with the car since then. When we last came here in 2002, we were on course for points finishes in the race until retiring, and I think the circuit can suit the R24. Of course, choosing the tyres will be crucial, so Friday will be an important day to get a good understanding of how they will work on the long runs. But if we perform to our maximum, then we should be competitive around Spa.
And on a personal level, what are you hoping for?
JT: I haven't scored points in the last three races, so my first priority will be to get the car to the finish and add to my championship total. I am still pushing 100% for myself and the team to try and consolidate my position in the championship, and also to help Renault to second place in the constructors' race. I had an excellent first half of the season, and I want to get that run of form back again for the last five races. That would be a good way to round off a very successful season for me.
Fernando, you have scored three podiums in the last four races - things seem to be going well for you.
Fernando Alonso: Yes, I was happy with the result in Hungary, and indeed all the results since Magny-Cours. I have not had any mechanical failures in the races, I have not made mistakes and things are going as we expected now. We are around the podium at every race, and sometimes we make it, sometimes not, but we are pushing in all areas. Looking to Spa, I don't think we go there as confident as we were before Hungary, but we have seen this year that our feelings about a weekend can change as it progresses. It will be a tough challenge to get on the podium in Spa, but it doesn't hold any fear for us. The team is working well and the car is quick, so we just need to perform to our maximum all weekend.
When setting the car up for Spa, what do you concentrate on?
FA: The circuit is different to any other, it has a different character, and as drivers we need to step up to its challenge. It is very difficult to have a car that is perfect in all areas around Spa, because the lap is so long, so you need to be pragmatic and try and feel confident with the car. We focus on the high speed balance, and getting the car stable in the quick corners, while making sure it is not too bad in the slower sections. After that, you need to do laps and gain confidence to push more and more from a driver point of view.
Some people say that now it is taken without lifting, Eau Rouge has lost its challenge. Do you agree?
FA: Well, I hope they don't think it is easy. You come into the corner downhill, have a sudden change at the bottom and then go very steep uphill. From the cockpit, you cannot see the exit and as you come over the crest, you don't know where you will land. It is a crucial corner for the timed lap, and also in the race, because you have a long uphill straight afterwards where you can lose a lot of time if you make a mistake. But it is also an important corner for the driver's feeling. It makes a special impression every lap, because you also have a compression in your body as you go through the bottom of the corner. It is very strange, but good fun as well.