Finishing strongly in the points must remain our priority - Alonso

After a three-day test at Hockenheimring, the ING Renault F1 Team prepares itself for the tenth round of the 2008 F1 World Championship at the same circuit: the German Grand Prix. As always, Fernando Alonso's priority is to finish strongly in the points.

"I had said that when it rains, anything can happen, and that turned out to be the case. It was a difficult race, with changeable track conditions and we did not make the best choice in terms of tyres when I made my first stop. After that my tyres wore out quickly and controlling the car therefore became difficult, especially towards the end of the race. We probably could have had a better result, but in the end I scored three points, which is important for the team and the championship."

"It’s important for us to continue improving because we want to finish this season strongly and have some good races. At the moment we are not on terms with the leading teams, but we are moving in the right direction. The team is working hard and I will continue to give my maximum."

"It’s a very physical track for the drivers. It can also be quite hot, which makes things difficult for the whole team. For the car, good straight-line speed is necessary, but not as much as it was in the past when the circuit was different. In the slow corners grip is always poor, but it is possible to make up for some of that with a good mechanical set-up and a car that is easy to drive. To be fast in Hockenheim, the right compromise is always difficult to find."

"We drove in Germany three days last week to improve the set-up of the car and so that we could approach the race in the best shape possible. The weather was mixed, but we were still able to complete our programme, and I think that we have a good basis to work from when we start free practice on Friday. The R28 has performed well on different types of circuit already this season, and we must concentrate on realising our potential this weekend."