"I will do my race, do my pace"Giancarlo Fisichella will start from the second row of the grid tomorrow – with the realistic hope of a podium...
Giancarlo, you must be pleased to be third, behind only the two Ferraris…
"I am pleased, of course, but with mixed feelings
because we are a long way behind Ferrari. The balance of the car was quite good by the end of Q3, but we were still struggling for grip – like we have done all weekend so far."
Were you surprised to find Ferrari so far in front?
"After practice this morning, no, but overall I think it is a surprise to see how fast they are. They seem to be almost a second ahead, and they have been very competitive on old tyres. So there is no question they are faster than us here in America."
Even so, you are the top Michelin runner – and you out-qualified Fernando…
"Yes, I have had a good feeling about the car since the start of the weekend. I have felt in tune with the track, and we have made good improvements, so I am pleased with my performance."
You are in an interesting position, starting behind Renault’s closest rivals in the championship, but with a championship-leading team-mate behind you. How does that affect your race?
"I will do my race, do my pace and push to the maximum.
I think it will be hard to fight with Michael, but I think I can make life hard for Massa. We will need a good start, and then let’s see how it goes from there…"
Also, you are just two points behind
Kimi Raikkonen in the championship – and he will start six places behind you. A good chance to make up some ground?
"Yes, for sure. McLaren seem to be struggling this weekend, so it’s important for me to score as many points as I can and take this opportunity. It will be a good boost if I can leave Indy third in the championship."
Finally, how will things unfold tomorrow?
"I don’t know because we have seen things change round a lot from Saturday to Sunday this year. It will be a long race tomorrow, with 73 laps. It will be tough for the tyres, tough physically and a big mental challenge to keep concentration too. We have a chance to do well, and hopefully get on the podium."
Source Renault
