Characterisitics of Silverstone are good for R26 - Alonso

The championship leader, Fernando Alonso, expects a competitive performance this weekend at the British GP. Alonso has scored points during every race so far and was always on the podium, finishing first or second. The Spaniard hopes to do this again at Silverstone.

"The circuit is certainly very different now with the V8 engines, to how it was last year with the V10. We have a lot of high-speed corners at Silverstone, and even though this year’s cars have less power, there is more grip thanks to the softer tyres. That means we are much quicker in the corners, and a lot of the first part of the lap is now nearly flat out. Certainly, this is the biggest difference we have felt so far between the V8 and V10 engines."

"First of all, it makes the circuit tougher physically – with so many high-speed corners, and quite a bumpy track surface, Silverstone is difficult for the drivers to cope with. Then, of course, it is a question of fun. It is always a nice feeling to be attacking high-speed corners and be right on the limit…"

"For sure. The British fans have a special feeling for Formula 1 – not just passion, but very deep knowledge as well. That means there is a good relationship with the crowd at this circuit, and then of course, this is a little bit of a home race for us as well. The factory in Enstone is only half an hour away from the circuit, and all the people from the factory come to the circuit over the weekend to watch the race. So we know we are putting on the show for our team-mates as well, and that makes it fun to race there."

"The Michelin tyres were very good when we tested in Silverstone a couple of months ago, and I am very confident that they will be strongest this weekend. But we have to run, to wait and see the conditions, before we make too many predictions. At the last races, we have seen the balance of power shift between the first day of practice and the race itself, so we will have to see how the track evolves, and what the tyre performance is like on Sunday afternoon."

"You need the car to have a little bit of everything – good aerodynamic grip for the quick corners and a stable handling balance, good ride to cope with the bumps, and good mechanical grip for the slow section at the end of the lap. We basically have two circuits at Silverstone: a quick one in the first half, then lots of slow-speed corners in the second part of the lap. But it’s a track that separates the good cars from the bad ones."

"I am feeling very confident ahead of this race. We had a good test at Silverstone and we know that the characteristics of the circuit are good for the R26, so there is no reason to think we won’t be fighting at the front. There is no point making big predictions, saying we will definitely win. Ferrari will be very strong, McLaren maybe as well if they can maintain their speed from Monaco. It will not be an easy weekend, but I certainly think we can be fighting for the win."