18/06/2005
NEWS STORY
The Mild Seven Renault F1 Team overcame the disadvantage of early qualifying slots to score a strong result in qualifying ahead of tomorrow's US Grand Prix at Indianapolis. Giancarlo Fisichella, fourth car to run in the session, drove an impressive lap to claim fourth position on the grid, while Fernando Alonso will line up sixth, having finished the session just nine hundredths of a second behind his team-mate on a very tight grid.
Giancarlo Fisichella: I had a good lap this afternoon, and the balance of the car has improved a lot today. I feel more comfortable attacking the corners and the handling is much more consistent. I had to run very early in the session, which was a small disadvantage, so I am really pleased to be on the second row. We have worked a lot to get the car strong for the race, and I am confident that we can be competitive again tomorrow.
Fernando Alonso: My qualifying lap was a good one, without any mistakes. The car had a little bit of understeer, which slowed me down a bit on a single lap, but we have set it up like that with the race in mind. We are clearly not as competitive as we were in Canada, but after qualifying early, I think a position on the third row is a good starting point – especially as the times are very close. I can have a strong race from here.
Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering: The disadvantage of our early qualifying slots did not prove to be too great at this circuit, and both drivers completed quick, clean laps. We had time overnight and this morning to work on the balance of the cars, and the drivers and engineers have done a good job in making an enormous improvement to both driveability and performance. We are confident that our grid positions can give us a good platform for the race, and if all things stay normal, we will be aiming for a strong finish.
Denis Chevrier, Head of Engine Operations: The grid is extremely close, with very small gaps between most of the drivers – and then two cars well in front of them on the front row, which may be explained by a different approach to race strategy. Our drivers put in very similar, competitive performances and we are in a strong position to challenge at the front of the field, starting from the second and third rows. We will be hoping to make up positions at the start, and our car seems to be set up for consistent performance throughout the race, both in terms of lap-time and straight-line speed.