Tyre Gamble Pays Off for Trulli
Saturday August 28th, 2004
Italian Trulli was extremely happy after he pipped World Champion Michael Schumacher by just 0.074 seconds to claim his second pole of the year ahead of Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix.
Italian Trulli claimed the second pole of his career from Schumacher after a tyre choice gamble by Renault played into his hands. Trulli took to the track on wet weather tyres, rather than the extreme wet weather tyres used by other drivers, and his time set in the middle of the session proved unbeatable.
Trulli's only other pole came in Monaco in May when he turned the qualifying performance into his maiden Grand Prix victory.
"It was a gamble," said Trulli. "I took the intermediate tyres right before hitting the track, a few seconds before I had to leave the pits, and it worked very well for me. I am extremely happy because up to yesterday I was struggling with the car set-up.
"I have been very lucky with the gamble and I am very, very happy with this result."
Spanish teammate Fernando Alonso, third fastest today, said a good start in could be vital after they claimed first and third on the grid in qualifying on Saturday.
"It will be very interesting tomorrow," said Alonso. "Usually we start very well and tomorrow we have the chance to arrive, maybe, one-two in the first corner and that is very important for the team. Now we have to prepare the race properly. It was a very difficult day today with no practice this morning and then single lap qualifying with this changing weather conditions is always difficult for any driver.
"I think to be in the top three is fantastic today. I was lucky with the weather conditions for my lap and I think for tomorrow I have a good car, a competitive car, in dry conditions in wet conditions and I am very happy." |
