Formula One news

Alonso doesn't expect podium finish this season

Renault driver and double F1 champion Fernando Alonso doesn't have any high hopes for a podium finish this season. The Spaniard, who finished 49 times on the podium in his F1 career, believes his team is simply not strong enough this season to reach the podium in 2008.

Normally Fernando Alonso would travel to Barcelona for his home Grand Prix with high hopes. Alonso finished in the top four for the last five years. This year though he isn't so sure he can continue this strong performance at Circuit de Catalunya. "It will be very difficult this year," he said. "It is true that every time I come here to my home grand prix I had always the possibility to fight for the pole position and fight for the victory. If not, the podium was a real possibility always.

"This year I don't think it is a real possibility, just a dream as it was in the first few races. Something strange needs to happen during the race if we want to reach the podium now. Hopefully this will be the first step we need to do during this season to be close to the podium. Sooner or later we need to start improving the car and I think this race will be the first opportunity to see if we are going in the right direction."

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