Both drivers ready for next round

By role
June 23 2003

Both Jarno Trulli and Fernando Alonso are looking forward to this weekend's European Grand Prix. Renault did better than expected at the last canadian GP with Alonso finishing 4th just 2 seconds away of the winner and setting the fastest lap of the race they all move to Germany for the European GP.

Jarno Trulli has had a tough first half of the season with a best result of 5th but has been outscored by his younger teammate.

However, he is looking forward to the second half of the season with lots of confidence and optimism:

"I know the track well from F3. Local knowledge is important for tracking the changes in the weather, and adapting your strategy accordingly. We should be competitive,” he says. “I can’t wait to begin the second half of the season with a good result.”

He likes the track though recognizes that is not a very technical circuit:

“I like all the tracks, and this is no exception!” comments Jarno. “It’s what I would call a pretty normal circuit, because it is fairly simple and not particularly technical. The most important thing is to get into a good rhythm.”

Last time Alonso raced on the Nürburgring was in 2001 and the track had some modifications prior to the 2002 GP. He expects, however, to learn the secrets of the changes quickly:

“The new section will definitely be the trickiest part of the circuit for me, because I don’t know it at all,” Says Alonso. “Fortunately, I had the advantage of two extra hours’ testing on Friday morning. When free practice starts, I will have a good knowledge of the circuit, and I think we can be competitive.”

Alonso was on duty for 2 days at the Circuit of Jerez during testing last week:

“At Jerez, we completed over 200 laps, which is fantastic for the team in terms of reliability. We found some interesting solutions for the tyres and set-up. I was fast both days,” he continues, “and I’m looking forward to this weekend. The Nürburgring should be a track that suits us.”