GP Monaco – Alonso: « Continue to progress… »

Double titleholder in Monaco as he was victorious in the principality in 2006 with Renault and in 2007 with McLaren, Fernando Alonso is far from arriving on the Mediterranean shores with the status of the leader. He will likely not be first, but why not 7th!

Indeed, the Spaniard himself admits that Renault is behind Ferrari, McLaren, and BMW, and that the 7th place is his objective, just like in Turkey. And as on the Istanbul circuit, the Iberian will take advantage of errors made by the top six drivers to seize at least one place…

Fernando Alonso, you confirmed in Turkey the progress anticipated during the Spanish Grand Prix. What is your mindset?

« I’m happy, really. We showed in Turkey that the progress we made in Spain was not just a coincidence. We needed to confirm it, and that’s what we did in Istanbul. I secured three points, admittedly helped by Heikki Kovalainen’s problem at the beginning of the race, but these are important points and, above all, proof that we are now making progress and coming back. There is still a lot to do to be able to fight at the front, but the trend is there, and we are more determined than ever to get there! »

Two victories in Monaco in the last two editions, it must be very special for you to race in the Principality?

« Yes, it’s a very atypical circuit on the calendar and I have very fond memories of it because winning in Monaco is something very special for a driver! It’s an event I enjoy because the atmosphere is very particular and driving in the city is very exciting. You can’t afford to make mistakes and this year, the race promises to be very interesting once again.

Do you think that the progress made over the past two races allows you to defend your chances in Monaco?

« We have made progress, but we are still behind Ferrari, McLaren, and BMW. If Monaco is a circuit where anything can happen and where the driver can truly make a difference, a good car will always be an advantage and make things easier. We will still try to stand out and seize any opportunity that comes our way. Under normal circumstances, we are fighting for seventh place today, but we saw in Istanbul that it is possible to do better if one of the favorites has a problem. Therefore, we must be ready and sharp! »

Which area will require special attention in the development of your single-seater?

The Monaco circuit, with its technical sequences, requires good traction to accelerate well out of corners and thus potentially defend one’s position or overtake a competitor. This is not the strong point of our R28 at the moment, even though we have made progress, so I think we will pay particular attention to it from the first runs on Thursday.

According to a Renault F1 statement