"The result in Monaco was great for everyone in the team, it was a dream result considering it was my first year there in an
F1 car, and it means we are going to North America at the top of both championship tables," he notes, "I cannot wait to get back on track and continue to focus on racing. This will be my debut at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and, because of the chances there are to pass, it looks like a great track to compete on. It has some very distinctive characteristics, such as the low grip, the long straights, hard braking and so on, so my initial laps will focus on understanding all these and how best to drive the track to get good times, but it will be great to finally take to the track."
Renault – Giancarlo Fisichella (#3), Heikki Kovalainen (#4):
Defending Canadian Grand Prix winner, the Renault team will have its work cut out to repeat
Fernando Alonso's win from 2006, but is bullish enough to suggest that the improvements that took Giancarlo Fisichella to fourth in Monaco could see it battling
BMW Sauber for 'best of the rest' honours this weekend.
"The last test and race have given us some more confidence, and I think we will perform well this weekend," the Italian insists, "I think that we can be optimistic. Things have improved for us in the last weeks, the car balance is better, and the overall grip is higher too. Both factories are working flat out to improve the car even more, and all the members of the team are pushing to the limit. They have done a fantastic job so far. That hard work will definitely pay off, and I am confident that, in Montreal, we will show we’re back on form.
"Yes, it’s important for me and for the team to see we are going forward step by step, and that we are finding answers to the problems we have suffered since the start of the season. The team has worked night and day in the last weeks, and it is a boost to everybody’s determination to see the first rewards on track."
Chief engineer Alan Permane backs up Fisichella's belief that the team has gained on its rivals, even if there is still work to do.
