Fernando Alonso

Fernando: (on the 'Adopt a Fan' competition launched by sponsor ING) This season, more than any other, I need to have my fans close to me. To this end I am looking for one fan who represents all my supporters, to feel their pulse, know what they like and what they don't like.

Fernando: (revealing he did not feel supported at McLaren after he was paired with Lewis Hamilton) I prefer to be in eighth place [with Renault] with a thousand people who want me to finish seventh, rather than in third place and the other way round.

Fernando: (a message to his fans after 2 races into the 2008 season) Take a sabbatical, or enjoy the season for the spectacle of Formula One and not for my chances of success.

Fernando: (on returning to Renault for the 2008-09 seasons) I am delighted to be returning to Renault. This is the team where I grew up as a driver in Formula 1. Now it is time for us to begin a new chapter together. I am very excited about working with this great team once more, and confident that together we can move back to the front of the field. Renault had a difficult year in 2007, but I know that the team has real strength in depth. I am confident they can produce a fast and competitive car and be back at the top in 2008.

Fernando: (on his departure from McLaren in 2007) Since I was a boy I had always wanted to drive for McLaren, but sometimes in life things do not work out. I continue to believe that McLaren is a great team. Yes, we have had our ups and downs during the season, which has made it extra-challenging for all of us, and it is not a secret that I never really felt at home. I know there have been suggestions of favouritism within the team and people say a lot of things in the heat of battle, but in the end I was always provided with an equal opportunity to win. Today's decision allows all of us to focus on 2008, and I wish the team, Vodafone, Banco Santander, Mutua Madrilena and all the other team Partners who I have worked closely with during the year, the best for the future.

Fernando: (refuting rumours of a rift between himself and team-mate Lewis Hamilton) They have been saying many, many things about us but they were not true. We never had problems with each other, we are fighting on track but outside the track we had very good relationship from day one.

Fernando: (following claims from Bernie Ecclestone that he does not do enough as a world champion) Everyone has their opinion. I try to be professional and I already answered this last year I think. Bernie said that after two Championships, I didn't do enough for Formula One. I don't know what I have to do. Normally, I have a contract to drive the car and be with the sponsors, so I try to do both things at the same time and that is all. I think Formula One has grown very quickly in Spain and I'm very proud. I will try to do my best to maybe change his opinion.

Fernando: (on McLaren team boss Ron Dennis in 2007) Sometimes it is better to shut up than to lie, and if he did that more often, I believe his team would be a better one. I believe that many of the things and the scandals that have occurred this year have been caused by him. I have spoken a lot with Coulthard, Montoya, with Kimi, and all of them left the team and found great happiness. There must be something. If something is going to improve, it has to start with them (the team). You always hear about, or I am always told about, the so-called equality of the team. It is impossible to have it in Formula One - there is always a better engine, a better lap to stop, always a better something or other.

Fernando: (down-playing claims he would take a sabatical for the 2008 season) That's not in my plans. I want to race, I'm 100 percent sure. Next year there will be an important change in the rules, removing all driving aids and it's a season you have to race. It's important to adapt to the cars, which will basically be completely new. I'd also be delighted not to have him (Hamilton) alongside. If we are not together next year and I have a competitive car, fine. And if we have to continue together, then we'll have another good fight.

Lewis Hamilton: (on his relationship with McLaren team-mate Fernando in 2007) I don't think we can continue as team-mates. I mean, if the team wants to keep him, they keep him, but I'm here to stay as long as they want me. I don't know who else would slip in here, but I'd much rather it were Fernando in a Ferrari and me in a McLaren.

Fernando: (discounting rumours he would leave McLaren at the end of 2007 following the F1 spy saga) For next year I have a contract with this team and I don't see any problem on that. I have been working with the engineers, with the mechanics, with everybody from the beginning of the season, until now with the same relationship. They are all very professional, very focused on doing the best we can and we are achieving good results. I won four races, I make some good podiums and I am fighting for the world championship so everything is going quite well for me and I am happy.

Fernando: (ahead of the 2007 Hungarian GP) I have some good memories from this track, as I took my first Formula 1 victory here. The track will always be special to me. I usually enjoy the race so am looking forward to racing there this year with McLaren. It is a very slow track but also tough physically because of the conditions, which are usually very hot.

Fernando: (on the championship following the 2007 French GP) I will have to focus on Lewis now. I have a lot to make up now as he has enlarged his championship lead. I truly hope I can start closing the gap in Silverstone. There will be a time that he has a problem, like a gearbox problem or the safety car going out at the wrong time. Hopefully I can close the gap with him with six or eight points right away next time.

Fernando: (following his 7th place at the 2007 French GP) I did the maximum I could today, but we knew it would be difficult starting 10th with a fuel strategy that was originally aiming for a top three grid position. This meant that at the pit stops I was always changing positions and ending up behind those I had already passed. The fight with Nick Heidfeld was fun, but it was a lot of hard work. I also made a good move on Giancarlo. I am contesting the World Championship, so I had to do whatever I could today and was not worried about the risks. It is a disappointing result, but we will have to look to improve next week, where we should be strong.

Fernando: (following his 2nd place at the 2007 American GP) I didn't win but I finally managed to leave Indianapolis with a trophy. I think the race was decided after the first corner, and I didn't manage to get past. All I could do was to stay as close to Lewis (Hamilton) as possible. We were side-by-side on one occasion, but it was all fair and square and it was good racing. I was constantly in his slipstream and was getting all kind of dirt from the brakes on my overalls, the car and the helmet which was why I sometimes went slightly off line to try and get some clean air. The car was working well, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the season. At the end of the day the team can leave Indianapolis having extended the gap to Ferrari in the Constructors' battle and having eight points is better than none. I'm looking forward to going back to Europe and the rest of the season.

Lewis Hamilton: (responding to comments by Alonso that McLaren favour Lewis) I find it strange he said that because I feel that ever since he joined the team, the team have been extremely motivated to push us both toward winning. Ron and the other guys on the team have been working very hard to make sure we have equal opportunity. It's probably always going to be difficult in a business, but obviously I've got a great relationship with all the guys in the team because I've been with them since I was 13. At the end of the day when Fernando came into the team, they were extremely excited and I feel built a very good relationship with him. So I don't see why he would say that. But I guess because he is Spanish and I am English, he might feel that way, but I don't agree with it personally.

Heikki Kovalainen: (on the Alonso/Hamilton battle) No, Fernando is not feeling the pressure. I don't think Lewis has any impact on him at all. Fernando is mentally very tough. He is one of the top guys and he pushes hard to win every race. Mistakes can happen and especially when you race like that. Yes, he may have made a mistake in Barcelona and one in Canada, and because they happened in a short period of time, it looks dramatic. But I don't think it affects him. He is going to fight for this championship for sure.

Fernando: (ahead of the 2007 American GP) I've won two races out of six, I've finished on the podium four times and I have those 40 points that will allow me to fight for the title in the end. I'm calm, I'm fine, though I know there is some impatience to return to the top and dominate. But I'm second in the championship. I'm eight points behind. At the moment, I am where I expected to be, and with a clear chance of winning the title in Brazil and not now, in the sixth race.

Fernando: (ahead of the 2007 American GP) Canada was a tough and frustrating race for me, but at least I left Montreal with some points and am in a strong second position in the Championship, which is not won or lost in one race. I am in a good situation in the table, the car is great, it is definitely capable of winning races and I am looking forward to getting back out on track in America and hopefully having no safety cars. I have not had very good results in this race in the previous years, it was better last year than in 2005, so I am hoping it will improve again this year! It is always great to go racing at Indy, fans at Indy are fantastic, they are pretty serious about their motor racing and their passion means there is a great atmosphere. I hope we are able to go out there and put on a good race for them. Indy is another of the tracks that I want to win at, it is so historic and is a very important circuit in this sport, to have a trophy from there in my collection would be fantastic

Fernando: (following his 2005 championship win) I won the championship with maybe not the best car, so I am proud of what I did. The fact that I have taken over the title from Michael Schumacher is a bonus. I came from a country with no tradition in F1. I had to fight my way alone. I have only had the help of two or three people in my career, no more.

Fernando: (on joining McLaren for the 2007 season) To become part of a team with such a desire to succeed and passion for performance is a dream come true for any Formula One driver. Obviously I will be sad to leave Renault but sometimes possibilities come along which are just too good to miss. It will be a new beginning for me and a tremendous challenge.

Fernando: I am very proud of what we have built in Spain, because it is not a traditional Formula 1 country. I think we have found passionate fans, and built up a strong culture for the sport, and things are improving every day, with more and more people getting interested.

Fernando: For me, it was not destiny to make it to where I am now. I thought for a long time I would become a go-kart mechanic, not an F1 driver.

Ron Denis: (commenting on the situation within the McLaren team) The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team is made up by extremely passionate and competitive people and there is a healthy competition between the teams working on each car, this is inevitable and there is no issue with that. However I can categorically state once again that both drivers have equal equipment, equal support and equal opportunity to win within the team and both Fernando and Lewis know and support this.

Fernando: (on his McLaren team) This is an English team, with an English team-mate. You know that all of the help goes his (Lewis Hamilton) way. I have understood that from the first moment and I won't complain about it.

Fernando: (following the 07 Canadian GP) I think this was a strange race with the Safety Car being deployed so many times which worked to Lewis' advantage today and my disadvantage. I came into the pits for the first time on lap 24 as I had no more fuel so basically there was nothing I could do. It was a shame as this resulted in a ten second penalty but I guess that unfortunately those are the rules but there was no alternative other than to stop on track with no fuel. After that I had to push as hard as possible because I was stuck in the middle of the field and when you push to the maximum you sometimes go off track but at that stage there was nothing to lose.

Fernando: My father has always instilled good values and education into me, and I shall always thank him for it. I knew how to value what I had, the effort they had to make at home, because we are just a normal family. My parents both worked, and I spent a good part of their wages on my karting, the only way to "pay" for their effort in some way was to win races and make the sport worthwhile. Seeing my father's face after every win was the best reward he could give me.

Fernando: (revealing he finds the fascination by the press on McLaren's line-up in 2007 uncomfortable) It is an uncomfortable situation at the moment. If I am seven tenths in front of [Lewis] Hamilton I have to explain myself. The same is true if I am behind.

Eddie Irvine: (commenting on Fernando being beaten by his team-mates) If you look at when [Jarno] Trulli started to get on top of him at Renault, Alonso started performing worse and that's common amongst drivers. When you're quicker than your team-mate you feel good about yourself, you drive faster, you feel faster but when your team-mate starts to get on top of you, you start thinking about it and you go slower. Alonso's got a lot to think about now.

Fernando: (ahead of the 2007 season opener in Australia) Having spent the winter getting to know my new team and new car, I feel really at home and am very motivated to start racing. I always enjoy Australia, there is a great atmosphere and I am excited to get out there and see where we are compared to the other teams. There are a lot of new things in the sport this season such as new rules, all teams running on Bridgestone Potenzas, drivers changing teams. Everyone is starting from zero and it is going to make things very interesting. Am I going to go out at Albert Park and win my first race with Vodafone McLaren Mercedes? We are certainly going to push hard to try.

Fernando: (prior to the 2007 F1 season) To win one (title) may have meant you had the best car that year, to win two I feel is a great achievement. But to win another, all the big names in the sport and the drivers we remember won three or more world titles. If you ask me which is more important, winning three titles with one team or two with different teams, then the answer is easy.