Renault needs more speed

Renault's team boss Flavio Briatore told his team that they need to find more speed, after they were outperformed at the Turkish GP by McLaren. Although Fernando Alonso managed to finish second and Giancarlo Fisichella 4th, they only took the second place because of Montoya's hit by Monteiro. Briatore added that their reliability was again a comfort.

Flavio Briatore: "This was a strong result for the team after a difficult afternoon. McLaren were very competitive Sunday, as we expected, so we tried something different in qualifying to get to the front of the field. It worked well, and both Fernando and Fisico drove great races - Fernando was in the right position to take advantage of Juan Pablo Montoya's mistake, and Giancarlo recovered well after problems at his pit-stop. Our reliability was perfect, and although the gaps are a little smaller after the race, we are still leading both championships. But we know we need to find more speed as well."

Giancarlo Fisichella agreed that they just didn't have the pace to match the McLaren's at the moment. The Italian also admitted that he let Fernando Alonso pass in the second lap, as he was struggling for grip.

Fisichella: "I got a great start even from the dirty side of the grid - we had a lighter fuel load than the McLarens, and that gave us an advantage off the line. But I was struggling to get my tyres
working properly in the opening laps, which meant I went off on lap one and that allowed Kimi to pass me; then the team had told me Fernando was quicker, so when he got a good slipstream down the back straight, I did not make things difficult for him because I knew I was fuelled a bit longer. I lost time at the first pit-stop with a problem on the fuel rig, so after that it was a good recovery to finish fourth. The balance of the car was quite good, so I was able to do consistent lap times and just push to the maximum. We have lost a few points in the championship to McLaren, but given the speed they showed Sunday, it's not too bad."

As if he was told to raise the pressure a little bit, McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rosa has accused Fernando Alonso of benefiting from an illegal call from the Renault pit during the early stages of the Turkish Grand Prix. Having seen both Alonso and team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella fall behind the Spaniard's main title
rival Kimi Raikkonen by lap two of the Istanbul race, the team told Alonso to overtake his teammate as he was obviously quicker. The Spaniard instantly did so and came in prime position to claim a damage-limiting podium finish.

De la Rosa told to the Spanish newspaper Marca:
"What Renault did was illegal. What they told Alonso on the radio was 100 per cent team orders - the instruction to pass was clear. All that we don't know was what may have been said to Fisichella."

Fisico: "I will do my race and, depending on how it goes, I will try to help Fernando. If Raikkonen falls behind us, or retires, I will fight for the victory but, if Kimi is ahead of us, I will try to help him. However, team orders that affect the outcome of a race are prohibited."

McLaren hasn't filed an official complaint while the FIA does not find it necessary to investigate the incident. As a result, Fernando Alonso is now leading over Kimi Raikkonen with 24 points and Renault 7 points to the good over McLaren.