ALONSO Interview July 17, On Red Bull, Renault, His Future

(from autosport)

Q. What did you test here last week?

Fernando Alonso: We tested some new parts on the car and some setup work. The aerodynamic parts were to help the total downforce and the grip of the car, while the setup work was specific for this circuit so we can arrive with a better car starting tomorrow morning here. I was quite happy with the test so we just need to compare ourselves to our competitors in the race.

Q. What are your expectations for this race?

FA: The same as the last two or three Grands Prix. We will try to do a good qualifying and hopefully finish in the top five or six in the race. We want to keep scoring points in the race. Now it is no longer important the results of the next race, we need to think overall now for the general points of the championship and try to get points every race to earn a better position in the constructors' championship.

Q. Does this mean a more risk-free policy for the team, after being quite aggressive in the last few races?

FA: No, it depends on the conditions and it depends on the situation you are in the race. There are times when you need to risk, because there is a clear opportunity to take advantage. And there are some situations where we need to be happy with the points we have, even if it is sixth or seventh or whatever it is, because maybe at the end of the season it will be important. Our races now are with Toyota, Red Bull Racing and Williams. We need to forget about the top three teams and we just need to concentrate on our competitors.

Q. Do you feel you have missed out on the opportunities given to you by the wet races this year?

FA: Well, there is always a luck factor in wet races. For sure at Silverstone at the first stop if I had changed tyres I could have finished second because I was in front of Nick Heidfeld by 10 seconds. After the race, Heidfeld finished second so maybe that second was my position if I had changed tyres.

It was a one-second decision on whether to change tyres or not, and the weather forecast we had was for no more rain, so you normally keep the tyres. Then it rains and you finish at the back of the grid. There are situations where you need a bit of luck and you need some good decisions, and maybe we miss some results through mistakes. But this is F1, and I am sure there are teams that feel the same as us - like Ferrari, at Silverstone they had the same strategy as us with the same problems. It is not only us, it is a risk you have to take sometimes.

Q. Are you satisfied with the improvements made by the team this season, or do you think it is not enough?

FA: Yes, I think the improvements made since the beginning of the season are very, very good. They are quite big improvements and the car is much better now than it was in Australia. The problem for us was that in Australia the level of our performance was too low, so with the big improvements we made we still are not in the position we wanted. I think the problem of us this year was the starting point was not good enough.

Q. Does Sebastian Vettel's signing at Red Bull Racing mean you are staying at Renault?

FA: I have said many times, it is not the right time to talk about my future in July. I will need time, I will need to concentrate now in the championship because it is clear that we need to improve our results compared to the first half of the season. In the first nine races we scored 15 points, and as a minimum we need to double that in the second half. So, this is quite an optimistic target and I am fully concentrated on that. For the future, it is too early.

Q. Is there something you expect from Renault to be able to stay next year?

FA: No. Obviously it will be important every race. If we keep improving as we are doing now, then it is clear that Renault can have a good car. And maybe it could be the opposite too. There are teams who could grow up quite quickly in the summer and they finish the year very strong, and a good thing for next year. Every race is important for the decision as well.

Q. Does the team inform you of the job they are doing for next year?

FA: They are starting and there are always some things that they need the opinion of the driver about – a part in the cockpit or whatever for comfort or vision. So you need to be involved in everything.

 

Christian Horner says the timing was not right for Red Bull Racing to try and hire Fernando Alonso for next season.

The Milton Keynes-based team confirmed Sebastian Vettel will replace David Coulthard at the team in 2009, ending speculation about a possible move by Alonso from Renault.

Horner said the two-time champion was never an option for the team because of the current situation of the team and the driver.

"That was never an option," Horner told reporters in Germany. "Sebastian has been a member of the Red Bull young driver programme for many years now and he had demonstrated obvious potential.

"So after David announced his retirement it was an easy and natural decision to replace him with Sebastian.

"Fernando is a fantastic driver, I have got huge respect for him. I think he is one of the best three in the world, but the timing wasn't right for Red Bull Racing and him.

"It's early in the year to have both drivers confirmed but we decided to have stability in the team, to give clarity to the engineering staff. Now is the best time to make a commitment to what we knew was a 99% certainty anyway, and focus on the future."

Horner revealed, however, that Red Bull would have only considered Alonso had they not hired Vettel.

He added: "For us the only other driver we would have considered other than Sebastian was Fernando, but as I said, the timing wasn't right for either party in terms of what they were looking for out of a potential relationship."

 

About Silverstone:
"It was a one-second decision on whether to change tyres or not, and the weather forecast we had was for no more rain, so you normally keep the tyres. Then it rains and you finish at the back of the grid. There are situations where you need a bit of luck and you need some good decisions, and maybe we miss some results through mistakes. But this is F1, and I am sure there are teams that feel the same as us - like Ferrari, at Silverstone they had the same strategy as us with the same problems. It is not only us, it is a risk you have to take sometimes".

For those of you that blasted Ferraris management for their decision at Silverstone, sometimes you gamble and win, other times you look stupid. But that's racing.

 

Nah, right hand still in some pain, right foot a bit uncomfortable. And this is 13 months later, damn burns suck. I hated having to learn to masterbate with my left hand. So very unnatural. Thank God I found a good woman.

Thanks for asking, I really do appreciate the thought. My philosophy is if I have information I can share to make this forum better, I will.

 

"Fernando is a fantastic driver, I have got huge respect for him. I think he is one of the best three in the world, but the timing wasn't right for Red Bull Racing and him".

I truly wonder who are the other two in Horner's opinion?