Malaysian GP – A race that suits Alonso well

Fernando Alonso can be proud of his return. The reason being, his R28 was among the 7 cars still in the race at the end of the Australian Grand Prix. After starting the race from 11th place, the Spaniard made a remarkable comeback to score his first 5 points.

He now turns towards Malaysia, where the race has always been favorable to him since his debut. The objective is to achieve better qualification in order to put pressure on his competitors from the first corner on a track that is likely to be wet.

Fernando, you had a remarkable race in Australia to move up to fourth place. A good start to the 2008 championship?

« Yes, this result is very important for the team, it gives us confidence and an additional motivation to continue our effort. We managed to take advantage of a race with particular circumstances but we also needed to be able to do it. However, this is only the first race and we still need to progress to get back in the rhythm of the other teams. There’s work to be done, but a result like the one in Melbourne makes us want to believe. »

You are now ready to compete in the Malaysian Grand Prix, a race where you have always succeeded. Excited?

« Yes, without a doubt. Sepang is really my favorite circuit. I got my first pole position on this track in 2003, with Renault already, and I’ve won this race twice. It’s really a circuit that I enjoy, and I always tend to push a little more in Malaysia. I hope that this year, I can enjoy it again. I’m really looking forward to it. »

Malaysia is known for being a challenging Grand Prix for both men and machines. Are you worried?

« No, not particularly. We already faced surprisingly high temperatures last week in Australia; we shouldn’t have any specific problems in that area. Physically, I did a lot of laps this winter, so I’m in good shape, and again, there shouldn’t be any issues. »

After Australia, what areas do you think you will need to focus on in preparing for the next event?

« I think we must mainly improve our performance level on a single lap, in qualifying configuration, to aim for a better position on the grid because it makes things much easier for the race. After that, it’s important to have a good race pace to maintain our position and possibly move up, and I think that’s what we should keep in mind during the first practice sessions on Friday in Sepang. »

According to the Renault F1 Team