ALONSO INTERVIEW Monza - On Ferrari And 2009

Renault's Fernando Alonso says that news of Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari deal being extended to the end of the 2010 season will make no difference to his choice of team for next year.

The former double world champion is free to leave Renault at the end of this season, and had been widely linked with a move to Ferrari in either 2009 or 2010.

However, Alonso says his priority was always on securing a competitive drive for next year.

"I knew already that they will extend the contract FOR TWO MONTHS," said Alonso. "Nothing has changed. Talking about 2010 and 2011 is way too far for me. I want to win before that!

"Always my plans were more focused on 2009 and in 2009 there was no possibility of Ferrari so it was never in my plans."

Alonso also reiterated that he had set "no time" for his final decision.

BMW Sauber and Honda are both known to have held talks with him, but the Spaniard says his first choice is still to stay with Renault provided the team can convince him they will be more competitive next year.

"Obviously as soon as you can is better because you start working for next year with the team," said Alonso. "The first priority for me is to stay at Renault because when I came here last year I came because I wanted to repeat the success we had in the past.

"I believe in these guys but this year was not as good as we expected so I need to check if in 2009 it will be better."


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Q. What happened today?

Fernando Alonso: Nothing new. I think we knew already from Spa and yesterday that we thought this would be the most difficult weekend for us. Unfortunately it was right.

We don't have the pace, we don't have the speed, and we don't have the traction, the braking stability, or the riding over the kerbs. This circuit has everything we miss the whole championship. Unfortunately it will be a difficult weekend.

The only good news of the day is that Toyota are the same as us, so we are all in the last four positions and maybe this is good news for us. Maybe we will pass Monza with not too many points lost from them.

Q. The announcement of Ferrari that Kimi Raikkonen has signed for another year. Did that come as a surprise for you?

FA: No.

Q. Since when did you know?

FA: A couple of months.

Q. Does it change the decision about your future?

FA: No. Not at all. When you were talking about 2010 and 2011 and all these decisions, for me it seemed crazy. We are in the middle of 2008 and I cannot put my future thinking into two years forward. I want to be on the podium as soon as possible, I want to win races as soon as possible - and this is starting from 2009.

In 2009, the drivers for Ferrari and McLaren, they were confirmed a couple of months ago. It was never a possibility. And as I have said before, the first priority is to stay with Renault and when I joined them last year, it was because I believe in this team, it was because I believe we can win races as we did two years ago.

This year was not as good as we thought, and I need to see if the R29 will be any better. If not, I will try to choose my best possibility for next year. But, this is not changed by what happened today.

Q. Is it like a poker game where you see how long you can wait?

FA: No. It is not a poker game, where you try to wait as long as you can to find nothing more. It is not a game at all. I just need to make sure how the possibilities are for next year, and how Renault will approach next year. What are the targets? What are the positive and negative things? And I will decide as soon as I can.

Q. But can you judge just from paper how good or how bad a team will be next year?

FA: No, it is more of a gamble than ever I think next year. The change of regulations will be massive and anything can happen. You need to trust the people. You need to see more than paper the whole team and the whole atmosphere. Obviously Renault two years ago were world champions so they should know how to make a fast car.

Q. Can you clarify that you knew two months ago that there was no seat at Ferrari for 2010?

FA: No. It was not two months. It was just a rumour, a voice that was around, that Kimi would extend the contract for 2010 as well. In a way, sooner or later, I was expecting to see the official statement. So it was not a surprise like that. But it was nothing more than that – but I don't know if it was two months ago, or three weeks ago or six weeks ago.

Q. But at some stage you stopped talking to them about 2010?

FA: No, I never talked with them. I heard this coming from friends, from the Italian press and from all this. Not from them.

Q. Do you feel the door is still open at Ferrari for the future?

FA: Again, for me it is impossible to think about three year's time. I don't know what I will do in 2011 or 2012. Maybe I am racing in motorbikes, or playing golf. I just look at 2009 and I want to win as soon as possible. That is what I am thinking now. More than 2009, I cannot concentrate on.

Q. Will the standings of this year's championship help you decide?

FA: It is just a gamble because the results of this championship are more or less clear. It will not change anything from now to the last race. We saw the whole championship with three teams at the top, and the rest have better and worst races. Next year everything can change, maybe the top three teams are down because they failed to develop a good KERS system or to adapt the car to slicks, and maybe a small team can win races. It is more a gamble.

Q. Is it the first time that a small team could be on the top?

FA: Small teams, I think these days are only Force India and Toro Rosso. All the other teams are not small teams. Red Bull are a big team already, Honda are a big team, Toyota are a big team – anyone can win next year.

Q. When will you decide your future?

FA: I don't know! I don't know!

 

Yes, I got it from Autosport magazine, sorry that I did not give them credit. They usually quote interviews that take place on the Thursday before a Grand Prix.

2011 is an entirely different ball game, Alonso is still young, much can happen.