Fernando, you picked up a couple points in Monaco – tell us about your race?
It was a tough race, just as it always is in Monaco and very demanding mentally. Starting ninth made it difficult to do much in the race and even with a good strategy we only managed to make up a couple of positions as the traffic did not work out well for us. To score two points is probably the best result that was possible on the day, although the car felt good and improved during the race. It’s important that we continue scoring points at every race as they will all be important at the end of the year.

The next race is at Istanbul Park in Turkey – is it a circuit you enjoy?
Yes, it’s a fun circuit with good overtaking opportunities, especially turn 12 at the end of the back straight, which leads into the final complex of low-speed corners. There are also fast sections and some special corners like the long left-hander of turn 8, which is one of the most exciting of the year. The challenge of Istanbul Park is to find the right balance so that you have a responsive car that works well in the fast and slow sections.

Are you happy with the development of the R29 so far this season?
It’s clear that we need to take another step forward. We will have new developments for the car over the next few weeks and that should help, but I’m not expecting to jump to the front of the grid in Turkey. However, I still believe that later in the year we can be back fighting for podiums and winning races, just as we did last year. We know it won’t be easy, but the whole team is extremely motivated and determined to get back to the front.

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