A new alternator failure that makes Renault uncomfortable
The Italian Grand Prix was not the best for Renault. The French engine manufacturer, supplying four teams this season, placed only one car in the top 5 with Räikkönen and only two in the top 10, counting the point scored by Bruno Senna and his Williams. The weekend was all the more difficult as Sebastian Vettel had to retire after his alternator broke down a few laps before the finish... enough to apologize to the teams involved.
Kimi Räikkönen was the highest-ranked Renault-powered driver at the Italian Grand Prix this weekend. The Finn finished in fifth place, allowing him to position himself third in the drivers’ championship. Bruno Senna (Williams F1 Team) crossed the finish line in tenth position, one place ahead of his teammate Pastor Maldonado.
Jérôme d’Ambrosio demonstrated a strong pace in the other E20, finishing 13th in his first race for Lotus. The Caterham F1 Team also achieved a double finish with Heikki Kovalainen and Vitaly Petrov placing 14th and 15th overall, respectively.
Unfortunately, the Red Bull Racing cars of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber were both forced to retire in this race. Sebastian experienced an alternator failure five laps from the checkered flag, while Mark Webber retired following a spin.
Rémi Taffin, head of track operations at Renault Sport F1, considers the outcome poor: « This weekend was unacceptable, whether from a performance viewpoint or in terms of reliability. We owe Red Bull an apology for the two issues that occurred with Sebastian’s car, first during the third free practice session and now during the race. In both cases, the alternator failed. We introduced a new alternator specification following the problems in Valencia, believing it would solve the issues. We are still searching for the reasons why the part failed again here, but what we are sure of is that despite operating the alternator entirely within the prescribed ranges, the part itself overheated and cut the power supply. This is a priority for us and our suppliers, and we must ensure we have completely contained and resolved the issue before Singapore. »
« Lotus once again had a very good finish and Kimi maximized the potential of the car, but there was a KERS problem on Jérôme’s car that we also need to look into. »
« Obviously, these types of problems should not happen, and we will work tirelessly on our side, as well as with our suppliers, to be back in shape in all areas, in Singapore and for the rest of the season. »
More than seven races to convince Red Bull, Lotus, Williams, and Caterham that Renault was the right choice to make at the end of 2011.
According to a Renault Sport F1 press release
