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ISTANBUL, Turkey -- Fernando Alonso concedes Renault could be doing better. Nevertheless, the Spaniard believes the Formula One team is on the right track.
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The two-time world champion came seventh in qualifying Saturday for the Turkish Grand Prix.
"To be seventh is more or less our expected position. And the race will hopefully be an opportunity to recover some places," Alonso said.
Alonso has never finished off the podium at Istanbul since placing second at the inaugural race in 2005, with a second- and third-place results since.
"I have always (had) a good performance here. I like this track and hopefully I will (be) on the podium soon," said Alonso, who has six championship points to trail leader Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari by 23.
Renault is in seventh place in the constructors' standing with six points and Alonso's Brazilian teammate, Nelson Piquet Jr., has yet to collect a point. He finished 17th in Saturday's qualifying round.
"It's important not to forget where we were just two races ago," Alonso said.
"We improved a lot our car. But we don't want to stop here. We want to fight for the podium and for high places. For tomorrow, the start of the race will be vital, but I think that we should be able to fight for some points."
Birthday blues
Nick Heidfeld of BMW Sauber didn't receive the gift he had been hoping for on his 31st birthday Saturday.
Heidfeld will start ninth on the grid at the Turkish Grand Prix on Sunday after his second straight ninth-place showing in Formula One qualifying.
"A good birthday present, hopefully," Heidfeld said what he expects from Sunday's race. "I'm seeing the positive side of it. It went much better than practice did. My very, very last lap was actually really good until the final sector when I made a mistake which cost me about three-tenths of a second."
Heidfeld has 16 points to rank fifth in the drivers' standings. BMW Sauber is second behind Ferrari in the constructors' standings, but it has been losing momentum. The German team risks missing out on a podium for the second straight time after finishing in the top three in the first three races.
"We have seen throughout these races that we are very close with McLaren, but here it looks like they are a bit stronger than us," BMW Sauber driver Robert Kubica said.
"Here, I think it will be difficult to fight with McLaren. I have to make sure I drive as fast as possible," said Kubica, who trailed Lewis Hamilton of McLaren by almost half a second.
No passage through India
Giancarlo Fisichella had his weekend ruined before it even started. The Force India driver didn't have to also ruin Sebastien Bourdais', however.
Fisichella left the pit lane early at Friday's first practice session to receive a three-place penalty on the grid that will force the Italian driver to start last in 20th spot for Sunday's Turkish Grand Prix.
Bourdais blamed the two Force India drivers for finishing in 18th place in qualifying.
"Bad traffic, basically the Force India guys ruined my afternoon," Bourdais said after only finishing ahead of Force India drivers Adrian Sutil and Fisichella.
"On my first run, I was held up by Sutil as early as turn 3, and on the second I came up behind Fisichella in turn 8."
