European GP: Renault Saturday qualifying notes

The Mild Seven Renault F1 Team goes into tomorrow's European Grand Prix at the Nürburgring in a confident frame of mind, following second qualifying this afternoon at the German circuit. Taking strategy into account, sixth (Jarno Trulli) and eighth (Fernando Alonso) positions constitute a satisfying result for the whole team.

Jarno Trulli, 6th, 1:31.976

"I am definitely pleased with my position, and also with the team's performance this weekend. We have worked hard since yesterday morning, because we had neither balance nor performance when we began. After qualifying, however, our position is definitely promising; I now hope the race will be good to us tomorrow."

Fernando Alonso, 8th, 1:32.424

"It was a good run for me: there were no mistakes, although the car balance still wasn't perfect. I haven't had any problems all day, and we worked hard to find the right compromise on set-up. I'm happy to be starting from the top ten tomorrow."

Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering:

"We did not start the weekend in the best of shape, but a lot of effort by the whole team, including the drivers, has brought us to a much more competitive position. Bearing in mind the strategy we have chosen, and the good performance of our Michelin tyres this weekend, we feel we will have a hard but rewarding race."

Denis Chevrier, Engine Operations Manager:

"This is a very fair result, which puts us in position to challenge our usual rivals tomorrow. We have learnt a lot since we arrived yesterday, and we now have the tools we need, as much in terms of speed as race preparation, to compete well. After a problem-free day, we are, as usual, confident for tomorrow."

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