Q: Fernando, another winner here in 2006. How did you feel the Ferrari was in testing? Did you feel it was a lot different?
Fernando Alonso: No, not really. We didn't have any big improvements in the car, so what we tested were different set- ups and things we missed from winter testing. It's been quite difficult for us with a lot of problems on the car and not many laps. The Mugello test was to complete what we had left from winter but in terms of improvements, we had minimum changes on the car so it felt the same?
Q: Did that set-up research, as it were, make you feel more comfortable with the car, more competitive?
FA: Well, we'll see. Obviously we had some ideas in terms of setup and some different possibilities that we were not introducing in the first four races because we didn't have the opportunity to test them. So, it was good in Mugello: some of them were positive; some of them were negative so it's good to know. As much information as you have is better preparation for the next grand prix. Obviously we arrive more prepared now than how we arrived in Australia with only three tests in the winter. But to make the car faster I think in terms of setup you cannot find much. If you want to be running at the front it's more aerodynamic parts and updates in the car. Hopefully they come but we need to wait.
Q: You know this circuit pretty well, you had a very good start to the race last year - do you think we're going to see more overtaking on the circuit now, what with more KERS and a longer DRS as well?
FA: I think it will be similar to last year, to be honest. I saw some numbers of previous races here. On average like four or five overtaking manoeuvres in the last nine years and last year there were 57 - so it was a big change. The race this year will be similar to last year because of the degradation, the DRS and the KERS. With all the possibilities that we have now, as we had last year, for sure we will see some more overtaking. This changes also a little bit the philosophy of this circuit. As Kimi said, pole position was 60 per cent of the victories, now pole position is obviously the best starting position but it's not crucial anymore because with this year's tyres it's less important.
Q: Fernando, you have a very different car from this race. Let's suppose this car does not correspondent to that criteria… FA: We'll see, we'll see after the race, because we don't know what car we have. Obviously we have new parts, but everybody has new parts. Because it's Ferrari, there are quite a lot of expectations every race we go to. It seems like only Ferrari is bringing new parts. We have a step forward, we believe, on what we had in Bahrain, but we also know that it's not the last step we have to do. It's a continuous work, that we need to start here in Barcelona, making a step forward and try to improve our qualifying position and our race pace, but in Monaco we have to bring new parts. In Canada (we have to) bring new parts. So we will not bring a new car to every race as it seems that we brought here in Barcelona.
Q: But just to finish the question: if the car does not correspond…
FA: I answer you on Sunday.
Q: Yes, but just to finish: considering your car has completely new ideas, a revolutionary car, do you think this could be the end of the season for Ferrari and you will start thinking about next year's car?
FA: I don't think so. I don't think so. We need to see how the car works here and if it works fine, it will be a good step, the first step of many that we have to do during the next couple of races. If the step is not good enough, because the others improved the same or more than us so we remain in the same position, we need to work harder, for Monaco and for Canada, and bring more new parts in a more aggressive approach or whatever, because the championship is long and we will never give up in May, after four races.
Q: Do you think the basis of this car could be used for next year's car?
FA: I think so.
Q: Following the rulings in the two Nico Rosberg incidents in Bahrain - one of which Fernando was involved in - are you clear in terms of what's allowed and what isn't when it comes to defending your position?
FA: Yes.
Q: Has your understanding changed between before Bahrain to now?
FA: No, maybe I did…
Q: if a fan of Formula One in Spain is thinking about coming here on Sunday, what are your goals for the race? What can you offer to the people?
FA: Giving 100 percent. We cannot promise anything. This is not a mathematical problem, it's a sport, we all try to do our best so we will work hard, we will take care of every detail this weekend as we do normally, trying to do a serious job and hopefully finishing in the best position possible, but you cannot promise anything.
Q: After testing at Mugello, Vitaly Petrov criticised the circuit, because he expressed concern about its safety, so do you think he was wrong to express his concern like this? He was criticised by other drivers, because he expressed concern. Is he wrong?
FA: I think everyone will have his opinion. I'm not someone to say that Vitaly is right or wrong. It's more maybe the safety commission's job or whatever. Personally, everyone will have their opinion, as I said. I like Mugello, I like the layout, I like the feelings, the emotions that you have driving there. As I said after the test, driving one lap in Mugello is like driving one hundred at another circuit, for adrenalin and how much you enjoy the lap. We were in Italy, with a lot of Ferrari support. I enjoy those three days testing so much, but in terms of how safe the track was or not, I don't have the information to give an answer.
Q: Mugello is different from every other track that you guys race on in the year so does this very fact make it less useful to have tested there instead of somewhere else?
FA: I think it was good to test some parts of the car, not for some others, but like all the other circuits. When we test in Jerez, test in Barcelona, we try different things. I remember in the old days testing in Paul Ricard. Some days we test on the 50s lap circuit because we were testing for Monaco Grand Prix: different tyres and different parts, so every test is welcome for different areas of the car, but it's good. For people who don't like Mugello there is a very easy solution.
(source : http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/5/13323.html )
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