"We always knew that it would be very tight at the end of the championship, and I was prepared for this. At
Renault, we were ready for the opening races, and totally competitive:
maybe we started at 95 per cent of our maximum, while the others were at 70 per cent. Now, everybody is at 98 per cent or 99 per cent and the performance is very, very close. But we know we have the performance to win races, and we need to make it happen.
"We have been leading all year, and we want to finish in the same position!
Honestly, I think the motivation is greater than ever. These are the last three races for me with this fantastic Renault team, and also the last races for Michelin in this era of
Formula 1. So our motivation to win is enormous, and I think we can do it."
Alonso and team-mate
Giancarlo Fisichella finished 1-4 in Shanghai last season to secure the constructors' championship for the
regie, and Fisichella will be keen to get at least a similar result as he continues his pursuit of third place in the championship. The Italian had a quiet run to fourth at Monza last time out, but did so on a one-stop strategy, and is confident that the R26 will be strong in China.
"The car’s competitiveness was very good in Monza and the one-stop strategy worked well for us," he confirmed, "Michelin have done a fantastic job as well, and they have found some very good developments for the tyres. I think the overall situation is looking very positive at the moment.
"The Chinese Grand Prix is a fantastic race. The circuit is amazing, one of the best in the world with a challenging layout and incredible facilities. I think this will be a good circuit for the R26. You have to work hard to find a good balance, because the car has to be good under heavy braking but also stable for the quick corners, so you have to tune the aero and mechanical balance carefully. We were very quick there last year, with Fernando winning and I was fourth even with a drive-through penalty. I believe we can be very competitive in Shanghai.
