Austrian GP: Renault driver preview

Comments from the Renault drivers ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix

Jarno Trulli -- Race driver

Q: What driving abilities are essential on this circuit?

JT: Seen from the cockpit, Zeltweg is not a very complicated circuit: there is a series of three bends on the inner section of the course while the rest of the track is a sequence of accelerations and pretty hard braking. No, you wouldn't say that it is a circuit that demands any extra-special driving skills.

Q: Do you especially like this track? Is there anything about it which motivates you?

JT: Personally, I like all the tracks: I enjoy driving no matter what the circuit. Zeltweg is a track which is often dirty and slippery, and the grip isn't always great. Despite this, I feel very at ease on this circuit and I've always managed to be very quick in the past, so I hope it will be the case this year. I do particularly like the setting, and it's a real pleasure to drive through its spectacular surroundings.

Fernando Alonso -- Race driver

Q: Fernando, it must have been particularly special for you to put in such a strong performance at Barcelona in front of your home crowd: after this excellent result last weekend, what do you think the future holds in store?

FA: I am feeling very good and confident for the future: with every race, I get to know the team and the car a bit better. At my sixth race driving for Renault I feel I have learnt a lot as a driver. Today, I feel stronger when I come up against other drivers: last year, even if I drove thousands of kilometres as the team test driver, I was always alone, so there was never any direct confrontation.

These first few races have taught me a lot about pit-stops, the way tyre performance changes throughout the course of a race, and on how to manage your race. I think I am now becoming more and more capable of exploiting the car's potential.

Q: Do you know the A1-Ring well? Does it suit your driving style?

FA: In my view, this is the most straightforward F1 circuit there is. There are only six bends and it is very short compared to the others, so the gaps are always very tight. I like the circuit but I wouldn't say that it is my absolute favourite. On this track, the driver's skills are not as essential as they are at Suzuka, for example. We come to Austria with some good results behind us and I think we can do well. Zeltweg suits my driving style okay, even if the contribution I have to make here is less challenging than usual.

Allan McNish -- Test driver

Q: Allan, in your view, what benefits will you get out of the private tests on the Friday on this circuit?

AM: From the team's point of view, we actually don't have much past experience of this circuit, so having these extra two hours of tests, which will give us time to adapt the R23 to the circuit, gives us an important advantage over our rivals. Also, we are able to work on engine development, and those two hours on Friday morning will allow our engineers in Viry to work on fine-tuning the engine. As far as my personal plan for these tests is concerned, I'm going to concentrate on the development of the tyres with Michelin: We need to be sure the tyres we choose are the right ones in every respect.

Q: What does the car need to be competitive on this track?

AM:First of all, the car needs a braking stability in the chassis and good horsepower. Most of the corners are quite slow, that's why it's so important to have a braking stability: at the same time you need a good traction on exit of the corners and a good speed in order to be able to overtake.

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