Fernando Alonso: "Hopefully we can fight for the podium"

Fernando, the race in Hungary was disappointing, but there were some positives to take from the weekend...Yes, our performance in Hungary was encouraging as the car was quick and we managed to get pole, which was actually a bit of a surprise. To retire from the race was disappointing, but I'm looking on the bright side because I think that the car can be just as competitive in Valencia. Last year my race there was very short – less than a lap – so I'm really determined to make up for that this weekend and hopefully we can fight for the podium.

How is the mood in the team after the summer break?I think the break was good for everyone and the team has come back refreshed and ready to push hard for the final part of the season. I also have a new teammate this weekend and I'm looking forward to working with Romain who I'm sure will do a good job for the team. I already have a good relationship with him and hopefully he can help us score some important points for the championship.

How excited are you to be racing on home ground this weekend? Racing at home is always special and Valencia is a beautiful city and a great place to have a race. I've always enjoyed racing on street circuits as they have a special atmosphere and the whole city gets involved in the race. Also, as it's a home race for me I know that there will be amazing support from the fans and I really want to reward them with a good result. As I've said, I would love to fight for the podium, but the main priority is to score points this weekend.

Romain Grosjean: "I'm ready to make the most of this opportunity"

Romain, you will race with the team for the rest of the season. How does it feel to have this opportunity?Of course I'm very excited and I want to thank the team for giving me this chance. I started dreaming about being a Formula One driver when I was seven or eight years old when I was watching the battles between Prost and Senna on television so to make my debut in Valencia really is a dream come true.

Does it feel special to drive for the only French team on the grid?My goal has always been to become a Formula One driver and to do that with a French team makes it even more special. Renault has supported me since 2006 and it was only with their help that I could afford to continue racing. There is maybe a bit more attention because people have been waiting for a French driver in a Renault, but I will do my best to show that they were right to believe in me.

How valuable has it been to attend all the races as third driver this year? It has been really helpful as I've got to know everybody and seen how the team works. Attending all the meetings and debriefs during the last six months will certainly help me make the most of this opportunity.

How does it feel to be teammate to Fernando Alonso – a double world champion?He is a great champion – maybe the best driver in Formula One and I'm looking forward to working with him for the rest of the season. We already get on well and because he has so much experience I know there is a lot I can learn from him.

You raced in Valencia in GP2 last year – what did you think of the circuit?It's a mix between a street course and a normal circuit because in some places the track is narrow and tricky and in other places it's really wide with lots of run-off. It's not the easiest place to make your debut, but I've always liked street races and enjoy the atmosphere of being in the middle of a city.

How have you been preparing for your debut?I've tried to make my preparation as normal as possible, although I have been training my neck muscles more than usual because Formula One is more demanding than GP2 on this part of the body. I've also taken some holiday time during the summer break to make sure I am fresh and 100% ready for Valencia.

What are you hopes for the weekend?I've only driven the R29 in straight-line testing so my first race will be a learning experience. It's difficult to set myself an objective so my first priority will be to get comfortable with the car, build my confidence over the weekend and do the best job I can for the team.

Pat Symonds: "I'm confident that we can be competitive in Valencia"

Pat, the team had a disappointing end to a promising weekend in Hungary. Give us your thoughts on the race?We wanted to show the potential of the car and confirm the step forward we had made in Germany, and I think to an extent we managed to do that. It was great to get pole position, but it doesn't necessarily mean that you've got the fastest car and fuel-corrected it's true that the Red Bulls were faster. Even so, we were pleased with our performance and I believe our aggressive strategy with Fernando would have paid off in the race had we gone the distance, but it wasn't to be.The performance of the R29 in Budapest confirmed the team's recent progress. Can the team maintain this rate of development?We can certainly push a lot more developments onto the R29 in the final part of the season and there is another big aero update for later in the year. We're also preparing the specific medium and low downforce configurations that are needed for Spa and Monza. How much more we do after that will depend how next year's car, the R30, is progressing and whether we can transfer what we learn from that onto the current car.The team has changed its driver line-up this weekend with Romain Grosjean making his debut. What has impressed you most about him?I think Romain has a great racing ability and we've seen that demonstrated many times in GP2. He's certainly one of the best in the series at overtaking and with the reverse grids he has shown that he's good at fighting his way through the field. It will take him a while to settle into Formula One, but I'm sure that he will adapt well.How has the team been helping Romain prepare for his first Grand Prix?In the past he would have done lots of testing miles, but that's not the way of modern Formula One with the ban on in-season testing. However, he has done several aero tests already this year and has spent a lot of time with the team at races attending briefings and debriefings to learn the way we work and the personalities of the team.What are your expectations for this weekend's race?The R29 has shown recently that it's a good car in all types of corner and so I'm confident that we can be competitive in Valencia. Like any street course, it rewards brave and capable drivers and we've certainly got that in Fernando, who will have home advantage and massive support from the fans this weekend.

Valencia: Tech FileSituated in the marina area of Valencia, the European Grand Prix street course is one of the most exciting additions to the Formula One calendar in recent years. Hemmed in by concrete walls, the 25-turn circuit combines a mix of high and low-speed sections and presents a challenging layout for the drivers and engineers. Good straight-line speed and stability under braking are therefore paramount, as is good mechanical grip through the mix of low and medium-speed corners.Aerodynamics The track layout means that the teams run with medium levels of downforce with a similar set-up to that used in Shanghai and Bahrain earlier this year. This set-up is possible as there are no high-speed corners and good straight-line speed is important down the long back straight.Fernando explains: "One of the most exciting parts of the lap is the final section from turns 17 to 25. You are flat-out almost all the way from the exit of 17 to the final corner, but there are so many kinks that you are constantly in a corner. Turn 25 is quite difficult because it's so slow and yet you approach it at over 300 km/h. So you have to brake as you are coming through turn 24, which makes it's easy to lock a wheel or make a mistake." Brakes The circuit is particularly demanding on the brakes and on a par with somewhere like Bahrain. There are frequent large stops from over 300km/h, such as turns 12 and 17, leading into tight second gear corners which put high energy though the braking systems. Brake cooling therefore needs special attention and the team will use larger brake cooling ducts than usual, as was the case in Bahrain.General car set-upThe drivers need a responsive and well-balanced car with good change of direction to deal with the high-speed kinks that are spread around the circuit. But, as always, this needs to be balanced with a supple enough suspension to give good mechanical grip in the low-speed corners. Good braking stability is also important, especially at the end of the straights, to avoid locking wheels on a track where there is little margin for error.Fernando explains: "Overtaking is always difficult on a street circuit and Valencia is no exception. Turn 12 at the end of the long back straight is probably the best opportunity as it's the biggest braking zone on the track. There's also quite a lot of tarmac run-off in case you go too deep into the corner."Tyres Bridgestone will bring the soft and super-soft compounds from its 2009 range, just as it did for the streets of Monaco and at last month's Hungarian Grand Prix. This choice is possible as the tarmac is not particularly abrasive and the softest compounds from the range will offer good grip on what is likely to be quite a slippery track surface to begin with. However, like any temporary circuit, we can expect the track to gradually evolve, becoming faster with each lap as it rubbers-in. The main concern over the weekend will be monitoring the rear tyre wear, which tends to be high due to the number of low-speed corners that lead onto long straights where traction demands are high.EngineThe mix of straights, low speed chicanes and hairpins means that the engine will be used in a very stop-start fashion. About 60% of the lap is spent at full throttle, which is slightly below average for the season, and so Valencia is not a demanding test for the engine. The key to a good lap time is not peak power, but good torque to help launch the car out of the slow corners and onto the straights. Getting the car well balanced will therefore be of utmost importance to avoid understeer out of the low-speed corners to allow early application of the throttle.