By role
June 8 2004

Fernando Alonso is having a difficult start of the season. After finishing on the podium at the opening Australian Grand Prix. The Spanish star has been overshadowed by his Italian teammate that has scored a podium, a pole and a race win at Monaco. Alonso, however, is determined to fight his way back soon and to continue to set the F1 world alight with his performances. Next stop is Canada and the Spaniard knows too well that the team will need a good set-up to perform:
”Well, we know the car has improved in both of these areas, but predictions are difficult - each race has been different, and at the moment, our competitiveness depends a lot on how well we manage the weekend, and how good a set-up we can find. Overall, I think we can be strong, because this is a team with a lot of experience and motivation. Our car has good traction out of slow corners and is good under braking, which are two important areas in Montreal. I think we should be looking for podium finishes to maintain our championship position.” He said.
Last season Alonso finished 4th at Montreal after setting the fastest lap during the race. However, his star of the 2004 season has not been as good as his last:
“I have mixed feelings (about this season), because it could have been better, I think. We have been very reliable, and that has given us a strong position in the championship as we approach the halfway stage of the season, but it will be a big fight to stay where we are. The team is pushing hard to improve the car and the engine, but it then comes down to us as drivers to get the most out of our package. I have been disappointed with my results in the past few races, and I definitely want to improve things as we move into the summer.” He added.
Alonso is fully aware that he is going to experience a nervous car at Canada:
“The car is always nervous because of the low downforce levels, which makes things more difficult - you have to push as much as possible like in every other race, but it is harder to drive the car on the limit. The chicanes at Montreal are not like other circuits - in Imola you can really attack them and be aggressive, whereas you have to be smoother in Canada. It is quite a difficult balance between attacking enough to be fast and not pushing too far, because it is quite easy to step over the limit. The barriers are very close if you do, so you cannot afford any mistakes at all.” He concluded.