Formula One news
Fisi rues missed chance after mistake
18 June 2007 / Results / PhotosGiancarlo Fisichella has apologised for finishing ninth in the American Grand Prix after a spin early on cost him dear. Fisichella's one-stop strategy was severely compromised by a mistake on the second lap, when he spun on his way into turn 4 and dropped from 8th position to 19th. He subsequently began a determined fight-back, overtaking every car up to 11th place before making his first stop. After this point, he was able to extend his advantage over the cars behind him, but unable to make ground on the next group, some 45 seconds in front.
Fisichella said: "I am just really sorry about the result today. I lost the rear end going into turn 4 on lap 2, and that compromised my whole race. We had planned to do a one-stop strategy, and even with the heavy fuel load I was able to pass guys quite easily on my way back through the field. The pace was very strong today, and I even managed to overtake a few cars off-line on the outside of turn 6.
"I had to be aggressive and I was, but we still ended up just outside the points. Without the spin, I could definitely have got P6 I think, so it's a missed opportunity. The results in these two races haven't been good, but the pace of the car has, and that is encouraging as we go back to Europe. We are heading in the right direction, and there are two important races for the team coming up now. I am confident we can race with BMW, and start closing the gap in the championship."
Renault F1 managing director Flavio Briatore commented on Fisichella's performance: "Giancarlo could have done something similar (to team-mate Heikki Kovalainen's fifth), but unfortunately a mistake early in the race ruined his chances."
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