Question: Alan, looking back to Silverstone - and the wet race lottery - were you happy with the final result?
Alan Permane: We have mixed feelings. While it was good to get some more points on the board, there is definitely a feeling that we could have come away with even more. Obviously the decision not to change Fernando’s wet tyres at the first pit-stop proved to be the wrong one, and the rest of his race was compromised. Equally, Nelson’s weekend ended in disappointment when he was caught out by the heavy rain, which probably cost us a double points finish.
Question: Fernando Alonso was strong all weekend. Sum up his performance for us?
Alan Permane: Fernando was excellent and got the most from the car as always. The hard work was done the week before the race at the test and so we arrived at Silverstone with a well balanced car. He was competitive at the beginning of the race, but at the first pit stop it was 50/50 as to whether it would rain again and we chose to gamble by not changing his tyres. Ultimately that didn’t work, but it was definitely worth taking the chance because we’ve seen similar decisions in other races really pay off.
Question: What are the objectives for the weekend?
Alan Permane: Having tested in Hockenheim last week, we should be in good shape for this weekend. Obviously we go to each event aiming to win, but we have to be realistic, and, based on our performance in the last two races, I think we can aim to get both cars into the top ten in qualifying and hopefully race strongly in the points on Sunday afternoon. We have quite a large aero update for Hockenheim, and we know the car has speed, so the mood in the team is one of optimism. We’re focused on what we need to do, and ready to close the gap on those around us to try and secure fourth place in the constructors’ championship.
| 
|