Alonso and Grosjean talk about Spa

Romain, you made your Grand Prix debut in Valencia – did you enjoy your first race?
Yes, it was very exciting for me; I enjoyed every second of my first race I want to say a big ‘thank you’ to the team for their support and help through the weekend. Everything was new and I had to learn quickly, but I managed to get comfortable with the car and gradually built my confidence over the weekend. Overall I was pleased with my performance and glad to finish the race and gain some experience. When I crossed the line all my mechanics were on the pit wall cheering me on, which made me really happy. My aim now is to continue in the same way this weekend, working well with my engineers and making progress.

How did you spend the days after your first Grand Prix?
I stayed in Valencia for a day to enjoy the city and get some rest before I went home to Geneva. Then on Tuesday I went back to work at the bank* to keep in touch with reality! I think it’s important to continue like this as I enjoy working there and this routine has always worked well for me in the past.

*Romain works part-time at a bank in Geneva

Is Spa-Francorchamps a circuit that you know well?
Yes, it’s one of my favourites and I know it very well as I won the GP2 feature race there last year. Spa is one of the classic circuits of the world and I can’t wait to experience corners like Eau Rouge in my F1 car. After a street circuit, it will be nice to go to a more traditional track with fast, flowing corners as I continue to learn about the R29.

What’s your target this weekend?
So far the team has been very helpful and not put any pressure on me, but I would like to be more competitive in Spa and closer to Fernando. I know that I still have a lot to learn and so I will take things one day at a time and see how I feel after free practice before I start setting myself objectives. You also have to remember that in Spa the weather can be unpredictable and there’s usually a chance of rain so we need to be ready to react quickly to any opportunities in the race.

Alonso

Fernando, you came away from Valencia with three points – do you feel you got the most from the weekend?
We were certainly disappointed after qualifying as we thought we had the pace to be higher up the grid, but we had an issue with the brakes and all the teams are so competitive this year that every tenth counts and qualifying is especially tight. We were happier with the performance of the car in the race and to come away with three points was not a bad result considering that we started eighth. I would have loved to reward my Spanish fans with a better result, but being totally honest I think we got the maximum that we could from the race.

Spa is one of your favourite tracks – what makes it so special?
It’s one of the traditional circuits that has a lot of history and a special atmosphere. All the drivers love to race there and it’s the greatest driving challenge of the year. The high-speed corners are amazing, especially Eau Rouge and Pouhon, and it’s always a pleasure to drive there in an F1 car.

What are you expectations for the weekend?
Spa is a circuit where you need a complete car because it’s a very long lap and you need to find a set-up to cope with a lot of different challenges. There are quick corners, slow corners and long straights where you need good top speed to overtake or defend position, especially on the approach to Les Combes. Our car has been strong in the last few races so I think we can be quick in Spa too where I will continue pushing hard.