Tougher than expected - Fisico

The ING Renault F1 Team’s Italian driver, Giancarlo Fisichella, is satisfied with his performance, but did not have an easy race. The Roman crossed the finish line at Albert Park circuit as fifth today.

“It was a busy one! I did not have a moment’s respite. I made a good start even if I didn’t gain any places. Then I adopted my rhythm to the strategy we’d decided on, but I have to say that this grand prix was tougher then expected.”

“We thought that our race performance would be better; that we would be closer to the leaders. The long runs on Friday showed that we were on the pace, but today we were a bit further back. We’ve still got a lot of work to do.”

“Like Heikki I chose hard rubber for my first two stints then soft tyres for the third. Kimi, the winner, used the same strategy, as did the McLarens.”

“I think I’ve got every reason to be. I reckon I got the maximum out of the package at my disposal. I also managed to fend off Felipe Massa’s attacks in the closing laps. The positive thing is that I’m happy with the car’s balance and reliability today. All we’ve got to do now is to find more speed and the team will soon get down to doing just that.”