By role
June 26 2003

In an interview to Atlas F1, Renault test driver, Allan McNish has explained what his situation is currently on the French team. he also has talked at lengths about his hopes for the future. Important are his views about the potential of young Alonso. The Spanish driver has turned many heads on the paddock this year by being three times on the podium and being 3rd in the Driver's Championship after 8 races.

"At the end of the day he is young and he does what we all do naturally - just drive. It is just that the team are very good and they have shielded him from all the other sort of things." McNish said. "He has extremely good engineers around him, very experienced, and he has always got a good car underneath him. All he has to do is to get in and drive it as fast as he can, and he does that very well. I think that is pretty important at his stage because he can then learn all the other things at a relatively lower pace, if you like. He is obviously very quick and he has got good potential but we will just have to see how it flourishes.

"Fernando is riding on the crest of a wave - he has had some good results and Jarno has been up and down. Jarno's potential has been there and it has not quite happened in the races for different reasons. Jarno has not had the roll of the dice too much so Fernando is the new man of the moment and everyone is looking for the next great person that is going to beat the current World Champion and that is always the case. Kimi is up there, Fernando is being talked about." Allan went on.

Flavio Briatore took a lot of heat from the press when he decided to replace Britton Jenson Button with Alonso. McNish backs his boss decision:

"I think Fernando has done a good job, and I would say he has justified his position and the decision to change Jenson for Fernando," McNish said. "Probably looking long-term future Flavio felt more comfortable with the situation. Fernando has finished on the podium a few times but it is very easy to make deductions between drivers at different times or even in the same team."