Jarno, you had a very difficult race in Spa: how do you bounce back from that?
Jarno Trulli: I am sure things will go much better in Monza. When you have a result like Spa, you need to have the confidence in yourself to bounce back, and I do. This is my home race, so I will have a lot of supporters and that brings added motivation, not pressure. The team have responded brilliantly to build a completely new car for this race, so I just hope I can get back to a normal level of performance at this race.
When you are working on the set-up, what are the important areas?
JT: The car is very light to drive: the downforce levels are extremely low, and that has an effect under braking and acceleration, not just in the corners. You have to brake very early compared to any other circuit, and the car is more nervous as well. We also have to get the right tyre choice, and find the right combination of consistency and performance. But overall, whatever areas we focus on, our aim is the same as at any other circuit: the find a good balance which gives the driver the confidence to push the car to the limit.
Finally, how competitive can the R24 be? The circuit has a lot of similarities to Montreal, where the team was very quick.
JT: We have focused on obtaining a good car set-up during testing so that on the race weekend itself, we are ready to attack and run an aggressive weekend. Over the past two years, our car has suited Monza well, and we should have the baseline performance to fight for the podium. If we can put ourselves in that position, then anything can happen in the race, especially with the heavy braking into the chicanes and the potential for incidents.
Fernando, what are your feelings as we approach the Italian Grand Prix?
Fernando Alonso: I am feeling strong and confident for this race. In Spa, I had a reliability problem that prevented me from finishing the race, but things were looking very good until then: I had started pulling away from Raikkonen's McLaren, and we were running similar fuel loads. In terms of racing in Italy, this will be a little bit like having another home race for me - I have spent a lot of time in Italy, and feel like I am at home whenever I come here. Monza is a unique place, a special place, to race, and the fans are always passionate. I am looking forward to the challenge.
How do you approach the circuit from a driver's point of view?
FA: We run the lowest downforce levels of the year at Monza, and you need to be very precise with the car. You can't make any mistakes under braking or in the corners, and if you do, it could give your competitors the opportunity to overtake as you lose speed down the straights. We worked hard during the test last week to get the car balanced properly, and we have found a set-up that we are happy with, so hopefully I can feel comfortable with the car straight away.
Finally, what are your hopes in terms of the results of this race?
FA: We always say that we want to wait and see, but obviously after the Monza test, we have a better idea than usual of where we are compared to the competition. Overall, that the car should suit this circuit, and we were competitive in terms of straightline speed during testing. It is always hard to make predictions, but we should certainly be fighting for the podium. It won't be easy and there will still be work to do on Friday to adapt the car to the conditions, and get the tyres working correctly. If we can do that, then we should be very strong in the race.
