Malaysian GP, Saturday - 18 MAR 2006
The second ‘super-pole' style qualifying session of
the 2006 Formula 1 season, held in sweltering conditions this
afternoon at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia, once again saw
the Renault F1 Team experience mixed fortunes during the hour.
While Giancarlo Fisichella raced to pole position, a fuel
rig problem between Heat 2 and the Super-Pole session left
Fernando Alonso disadvantaged during the final twenty-minute
session.
The World Champion qualified eighth, but will start seventh
– and on the cleaner side of the grid – once Michael
Schumacher's Ferrari has been demoted ten places following
an engine change this morning. With the Michelin tyres performing
strongly in the oppressive heat, the team is optimistic that
Giancarlo can aim for the race win, while Fernando will be
looking to recover from his qualifying difficulties to score
a maximum number of points.
FA
Heat 1: 1:35.752
Heat 2: 1:33.997
Super-Pole: 1:35.747, P8
Will start P7
GF
Heat 1: 1:34.791
Heat 2: 1:33.623
Super-Pole: 1:33.840, P1
Giancarlo Fisichella
I want to dedicate this win to Pietro, a childhood friend
of mine who died last Sunday. This is the best pole I have
had so far. Last year it was thanks to the rain, but today,
everybody was up there and fighting hard for it. The engineers
made some changes to the car overnight that really improved
the balance, and from the first run this morning, I could
feel we had the pace to fight for the first two rows. After
that, it was a question of doing the best possible job in
the qualifying session, and performing to the maximum at the
right time. We did it, and tomorrow, I will only be thinking
about the win.
Fernando Alonso
It was obviously a very disappointing qualifying session for
me. Fisico showed what the car can do at this circuit, and
I should have been up there as well. We had a problem with
the fuel rig before the final part of qualifying, and I didn't
have the performance on my lap with new tyres at the end.
Even so, I am not actually in too bad a position, and I will
gain a place before tomorrow. The package actually feels good,
and we are consistent with our pace, so I am not ruling anything
our for tomorrow.
Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering
It was fantastic for Giancarlo to grab pole in a very busy
and exciting session. His performance this afternoon shows
not just the innate performance of the R26, but also his own
personal strength of character to bounce back from a difficult
weekend in Bahrain. Unfortunately, Fernando was unable to
make use of the car's full potential through no fault of his
own. We suffered a problem with the fuel rigs which has meant
his car does not have the optimum fuel load in it.
Denis Chevrier, Head of Trackside Engine Operations
It is always very satisfying to be on pole, and Giancarlo
drove an excellent lap this afternoon in the high-pressure
moments of the final session. From the team's perspective,
we are in a similar situation to that we encountered in Sakhir,
as our two cars were unable to express their full performance
this afternoon after the fuel rig problem encountered by Fernando.
From the engine's point of view, we have not had any unexpected
incidents, and our measurements show that the car is coping
well with the hot conditions, in terms of our choice of cooling
level and gear ratios. We are ready for an aggressive race
tomorrow, and starting from the front row, we have every hope
of fighting for the win. As for Fernando, we have seen on
numerous occasions that he is capable of extraordinary performances
from less than ideal grid positions.
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