Bahrain GP: Alonso is still in the race for the title

The Renault team had everything in their hands to emerge victorious from the Chinese Grand Prix, which was taking place at the beginning of the season for the first time. Unfortunately, this change in the schedule didn’t help the French team…

Starting from the front row, Fernando Alonso found himself relegated to last place due to the rain. The Spaniard had a light fuel load and, unfortunately, the race began under the control of the safety car. He had to refuel a few laps after the start of the GP. With his four points earned in Australia, Alonso remains mid-pack but is already far from the frontrunners. However, he remains hopeful and believes in the improvement of his R29.

Fernando [Alonso], the team made a big step forward in China but you weren’t very lucky on Sunday afternoon…

Yes, that’s true. Not scoring points is a disappointing end to the weekend, even though overall it was rather positive. We had shown great potential. The new elements added to the car gave us a significant performance gain, and the team did a very good job bringing them in time for the Chinese Grand Prix. Qualifying on the front row of the starting grid proved the real progress that has been made. It was also very encouraging for the whole team. Unfortunately, since we weren’t fueled at the start of the race, I had to make my pit stop under the safety car just as it came in. And this more or less meant the end of my race as I found myself last. It was one of those days where you make the wrong choices at the wrong time.

We will be in Bahrain this weekend, a circuit where you have won in the past. Do you enjoy this circuit?

« Indeed, I have good memories there because I won in 2005 and 2006 with Renault. It’s an unusual circuit due to the sandy winds that sweep across the track surface, and conditions can change every lap. So, you have to be careful. It offers overtaking opportunities, especially in turns 1 and 4. It’s a very demanding circuit for the brakes because there are many braking zones. From the first practice sessions on Friday, it will be a parameter that we keep in mind and focus on to ensure we do not encounter problems during the race. »

In your opinion, what are the possible achievements this weekend?

« I hope we can replicate the performance shown in China, be in Q3, and fight to score points. We are still in the early stages of the championship, and the team has already made enormous progress. So, I think we can still fight for the championship. We will bring new elements once in Europe and, at this stage of the season, it is important to score as many points as possible in each race to be in the battle at the end of the season.

According to a statement from the Renault F1 Team