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Bahrain GP - Saturday Press Conference

NEWS STORY
02/04/2005

Q: The battle continues, Fernando, but it was very, very close there again against Jarno…
Fernando Alonso: Yeah, again like Sepang, Jarno was our main competitor and he had been really close. Tomorrow I hope to do a better lap and get more distance.

Q: Coming off that great weekend in Malaysia, it appears as if so far the weekend has gone very very well for you?
FA: Yeah, it has been a good weekend again, no problems with the car at all, again the team did a fantastic job to prepare the car for this race. Everything was quite OK from the first running on Friday and we touched very few things on the car because it was already there. Today, with a little bit less fuel than yesterday and now in qualifying empty, the car is really quick again, really nice to drive and also the tyres seem to work again perfectly on hot tracks and we also have a big advantage on that.

Q: Let's talk a little bit about the conditions we may expect on race day, very hot, perhaps a bit windy, sand?
FA: Yes, it's still quite windy. This morning we noticed the wind had changed and was very strong, now in qualifying as well and now for the race will be a little more difficult with these conditions, to keep the concentration, the car on the track, with old tyres, with everything. It will be an interesting race for sure.

Q: Jarno, another great performance from you and the team.
Jarno Trulli: Yeah, you're right. I'm performing well because the team is doing a great job: the engineers, the mechanics, everybody I have to thank because it looks like that if we can get everything right during the weekend we can performance well. We have to keep up this momentum and carry on working because it's not only going to be an interesting race but an interesting season for us.

Q: You were talking yesterday about a little bit of oversteer into the corners; how's the car today?
JT: It was slightly better. I'm still suffering from oversteer. This is my main problem here. This morning I was working on the car set-up. The car seems quick, but not as I like or as I prefer. But anyway, both me and Ralf were quick and I think tomorrow we can hopefully again do another good job.

Q: Michael, what a weekend for you so far coming out of not such a good weekend in Malaysia, coming here with the new car, difficult to get everything together, not going out when the track was at its quickest. You must be very very happy where you are right now.
Michael Schumacher: Yeah, certainly we are, particularly after, as you said, Malaysia was a bit of a wake-up call for us. It was a great effort from everybody in the team to get the new car pushed forward to this Grand Prix due to the two race engine rules. It was really needed and it's paid off. That's the reason why we are back up on top. We are within a reasonable distance to the two guys in front and we are feeling quite good.

Q: It is obviously a team sport but it appears as if Bridgestone had some problems in Malaysia. Here they appear to be right back again.
MS: It is a team sport, there is no reason to say one part is responsible for a whatever, for a loss of a race. We have been winning together for five years, we have had two difficult races, particularly one. I don't think that's any worry as long as we find our way back on track and we seem to have.

Q: Your thoughts on this race at this point, how you think it might go?
MS: Usually, and particularly in Malaysia we have been pretty far off in qualifying. We looked a bit better in the race - still not good enough. Now we look in reasonably condition in qualifying and race performance seems to be comparable as well, so we are not too bad.

Q: Finally, Fernando, an unusual situation for you, the first time you have been in this situation, as successful as you are with the momentum that you have. Are you enjoying it?
FA: Of course, I feel great. From Australia, I was P1 in Sepang on Saturday, Sunday morning, the race and now here again. So the important thing is to be there tomorrow afternoon. For sure the car is working perfectly, all the Renault team is making all the effort to keep this momentum continuing in the team. The atmosphere is fantastic and I feel happier than I have ever been.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Fernando, your feelings about the provisional pole; it sounds as though you're excited about it, life's going sweetly…
FA: Yeah, it was a good lap but the real end of this qualifying is tomorrow. We've only started and tomorrow we have to finish the job, to be on the first row for the race. But yeah, in equal conditions we are again competitive. Tomorrow we will have a little bit of room maybe, to play with the fuel, with strategy and it has been a good weekend so far for us, a very competitive car from the beginning, not many set-up changes because the car was OK from the beginning and I'm really happy and tomorrow I hope to finish the job and start on the first row, on pole position if I can.

Q: What about the conditions since this morning, how much have they changed?
FA: From this morning and qualifying not too much, but from yesterday to this morning lot. There is a strong wind that is affecting the car in some corners. Some corners it helps, some corners not and it was a little more difficult to find the right place to go. For sure in qualifying to start at the end was a bit better with these windy conditions because maybe the track was not perfect at the beginning

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