Alonso: winning in Monte Carlo is the most special

In a paddock not yet completely assembled as the teams fought the tightest deadline in the calendar to build up the motorhomes and working areas, Fernando Alonso sat down with the media, just three days after their last meeting at his home grand prix. Asked about the news that technical director Aldo Costa stepped down from his role after the last race, he said, “considering this is not part of our job as drivers. We trust the team and we have full confidence in Stefano’s (team principal Domenicali) decisions as to what is best for Ferrari. I can say I feel a very positive atmosphere today here at the track. All decisions are made in the best interests of the team, so I have full confidence for the future, when I hope we can be more competitive.”

Even though Sunday’s Barcelona race did not go well for Scuderia Ferrari, it’s Spanish driver is not writing off his chances on this week’s street circuit. “Monaco is so different to all the other circuits that we always see some surprises here, such as the Williams being very quick from 2004 to 2006 and also in 2008,” he began. “I am confident as to our own possibilities. We were not competitive in Spain, but as I said, this is a completely different track. We will try and do our best here at a track where aerodynamics might be less important, so maybe we can have a good weekend and score many points.”

Fernando is a two time winner at this circuit and he still recalls his first victory in 2006. “It was very important for my career,” he said. “Winning in Monte Carlo is the most special for a driver, even if winning your home Grand Prix is the best feeling. We all used to watch Monaco on TV when we were kids and now we are on the streets that are very special, with a fantastic atmosphere all weekend. Even the Friday when we have some other activities, you can feel the support from the fans, so winning this race is a big prize and hopefully if we have a good weekend we can fight for that victory. I remember crossing the line when I won and being nervous all weekend, after having the chance in ’04 and ’05 and then I finally got the win in ’06 and even again in ’07.”

Fernando’s optimism in the face of a poor start to the season is something he still maintains. “We have only had five races, so no one can say bye bye to championship hopes after just five,” he explained. “The number of points we had at this stage last year is not too different to the situation we are in now. So I remain optimistic we can turn it around, but it is also true that we need to have a competitive car immediately. At the moment we are struggling too much to be a title contender as we are fighting for fifth place.”