Spanish GP, Saturday,
The Renault F1 Team took first and second positions on the
grid for the Spanish Grand Prix this afternoon, with World
Champion Fernando Alonso taking pole position at his home
race for the first time, ahead of team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella.
This is the first all-Renault front row since the 2005 Chinese
Grand Prix, the team's third pole position of the season in
six races, and Fernando Alonso's second consecutive pole.
Both drivers have enjoyed a trouble-free weekend so far,
and the R26 is handling well on the long high-speed corners
of the Circuit de Catalunya. Tomorrow, tyre performance is
expected to be a determining factor, as the circuit is notoriously
demanding for tyres. So far, both Renault drivers have demonstrated
the excellent single-lap performance of the Michelin products,
and are confident in their consistency over a race distance.
FA GF
Heat 1 1:15.816 1:16.046
Heat 2 1:15.124 1:14.766
Super-Pole 1:14.648 1:14.709
Fernando Alonso, Pole position
I don't think even 66 laps tomorrow will be enough for me
to enjoy this race, because it is pure pleasure to be driving
here in Barcelona this weekend in front of my people. It is
fantastic to be on pole because the times have been very close
all the way through practice, probably because we test a lot
at this circuit, and we expected the qualifying session to
be tough. In fact, we were more nervous about Q2 than Q3 before
the session started. But like in the Nürburgring, we
were not so strong in the second part, and then found something
extra in the third session, so I am really happy to take my
second consecutive pole. Looking ahead for tomorrow, after
the Renaults it is clear that Ferrari and especially Michael
are very strong. So far, my worst result in five races has
been second position, and if we can keep this consistency
then it will be good for the championship. But we will go
into the race thinking the victory is possible.
Giancarlo Fisichella, 2nd position
It is nice to be P2 after a couple of difficult qualifying
sessions for me at the last races. The Renault performance
has been very good here all winter in testing, and we expected
to be competitive at this circuit. To take the front row is
a great result, and we are optimistic that we have a good
package not just in qualifying, but for the race. I said at
the last races that I could have fought for the podium if
my qualifying position had been stronger, and I think I proved
that today. There will be a tough battle for us with Ferrari
tomorrow afternoon, and between the tyre manufacturers as
well. I am looking forward to a great race.
Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering
This was a very exciting qualifying session, and we were delighted
to see both of our drivers put in perfect laps today. We have
been pleased with the long-run performance of the Michelin
tyres so far this weekend, and this afternoon's result shows
they are working well on the first lap too. It has all the
makings of a very exciting race tomorrow.
Denis Chevrier, Head of Trackside Engine Operations
It is extremely satisfying to see both cars on the front row
this afternoon, and to see Fernando take pole in front of
his home fans – the second in a row for him, and the
RS26B engine. We have had a very smooth weekend so far, and
went into qualifying with the intention of putting ourselves
in the optimum position for the race. Taking the front row
is the perfect way to do that, and puts us in the right place
to make the most of our pace in race conditions. After two
difficult qualifying sessions, we were all pleased to see
Giancarlo put in a faultless performance, and qualify strongly
at the front of the field. We are now looking forward to a
strong team performance in tomorrow afternoon's Grand Prix.
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