'The strategy worked...just' - Symonds

Pat Symonds of the Mild Seven Renault F1 Team was a happy man at the end of a scintillating Bahraini Grand Prix yesterday. Fernando Alonso took the victory in the first Grand Prix of the 2006 season. But not all sunshine for the Renault F1 Team in Bahrain, as Fisichella had to leave the race with an engine problem.

Interview with Pat Symonds

Pat, what did you think of that?!
"It was a fantastic race. I think it really showed what this Renault team is made of. From the driver onward, everybody played a vital part in this win."

It all came down to Fernando’s second pit-stop…
"Yes, obviously things were very close there. From the start of the race, and indeed in the pre-race briefing, we had said that those laps would be critical. We had built our strategy around slightly longer stints to give ourselves a chance of victory, so those laps with a clear track were the vital moments."

And it worked to perfection!
"The team completed a fantastic final pit-stop, one second faster than Ferrari. The strategy worked… just!"

What about Giancarlo’s race? It wasn’t quite so positive…
"We have apologised to him for what happened yesterday. The engine problem he had suffered in qualifying had not gone away, and his performance was seriously compromised. He lost some fifty horsepower, and in fact drove a really excellent race. But he was eventually halted by an hydraulic leak."

What did you think about Michelin’s performance under the new regulations?
"The tactics we employed were built around the fact we wanted to exploit the excellent performance of the tyres in slightly longer stints. Michelin have done a lot of development this winter, and the results speak for themselves. Our congratulations to them."

After such a close-fought race, what do you expect in six days’ time in Malaysia?
"We all spend a lot of time during the winter speculating on the pecking order, and this year, there were no major surprises at the front of the field. I think we will see a much closer fight for the championship this year, that may well full involve three or four teams."