By role
July 8 2003

Fernando Alonso is full aware that he will have to keep up his form of this year into 2004. In order to that he will need a competitive car with a competitive engine to challenge the top 3 teams. However, the announcement made last month by Renault's Flavio Briatore that the team will go to a more traditional engine architecture has spread speculation than next year's Renault RS24 will be short of power.

All the teams will have to comply with the requirement to go to a one engine per week-end rule, and that will mean to increase the reliability of the current units for all. However, on the wide angle engine Renault is using this could not be achieved and therefore the team decided to go for a more traditional engine many believe will mean to update the 2000 Supertec that had a 72º angle.

Alonso was asked whatever he thought this was the right way to go:

"I don't know. I drive the car. I think we have very professional people working for us and they choose to change the strategy in the angle of the engine and if we change the strategy it is because we will be better. I think Jarno and me are confident it will be no problem for next year and it will be a step forward." He said on the Press Conference prior to the French GP.

The French GP saw the first retirement of both Renault's drivers due to engine failures of the season, something the team hopes will not happen again:

"The weekend had gone well for the team until the problems in the race. We were quite competitive, and could have scored some important points, instead of which we leave empty-handed. We will now work hard to solve these problems, and concentrate on the next race at Silverstone.” Said team boss Flavio Briatore after the weekend.