By role
May 17 2004

Fernando Alonso is clear of what will be the key for a good result at the race on the streets of Montecarlo: A good qualifying lap! Alonso has not revisited the podium since the first race at Australia and the Spaniard is eager to savour the champagne again. For that to happen Alonso needs to maximise his flying lap on Saturday in order to start the race as higher possible on the grid:

"So far, the results this year have been excellent for the team - our third and fourth places in Barcelona helped us build a gap to BAR in the Constructors' Championship, so that is extremely positive. Obviously, I was disappointed not to get onto the podium in the race, but I set third fastest lap just one tenth slower than Michael, so it was clear we had a good level of performance with the car. But to use that race performance consistently, we need to work hard on qualifying further up the grid, and that will be even more important in Monaco where it is so difficult to overtake - if we get stuck behind slower cars, it is much harder to make up positions there than at other circuits." Said Alonso.

How well can Alonso do in his third visit to Monaco?

"We will see - the race is so different to anywhere else that we cannot make any predictions until we have started running on Thursday. It is very important to know the circuit well and to have experience racing there, to know how the track changes, and to best understand how to set the car up and cope with the changing conditions - grip levels increase very quickly, and that can catch you out if you don't have the experience to adapt. Also, we have an extra day between practice and qualifying, and the circuit changes a lot in that time: you have to learn everything again on Saturday morning." He added.

Alnso does not rate Monaco as one of his favourite tracks, though he recognises that concentration is paramount:

"To be honest, you are so busy in the car, all the time, at every point around the circuit, that it is hard to enjoy it.You need maximum concentration at every stage of the race, because any mistake will put you out. For me personally, the best part of the circuit is the first sector, with the quicker corners at Massenet and Casino Square, but Monaco is definitely more of a challenging circuit than an enjoyable one." He concluded.