Minor accident for Alonso with his R29

Renault was back on track today at the Jerez circuit in the south of Spain for a final testing session before the official start of the 2009 season at the Albert Park circuit for the Australian Grand Prix.

For this first day of testing, Fernando Alonso, at the wheel of the R29, completed 40 laps, covering a total of 177 kilometers.

The team benefited from excellent weather conditions but was interrupted in its program this morning. Indeed, after a run-off by the Spanish driver, the team had to carry out repairs at the front of the car. The team was able to continue its testing program this afternoon by focusing on aerodynamics and race procedures.

The Spaniard will be at the wheel of the R29 again tomorrow for a second day of work before giving way to Nelson Piquet, who will conclude this final test session.

Fernando Alonso stated: « I made a mistake this morning and went off track. That can happen during testing when you’re looking for the car’s limit. The team did a remarkable job and we were able to continue our testing program this afternoon by evaluating new parts. We managed to complete this program; certainly, we would have preferred to be able to do more laps. Tomorrow, we will try to make up for some of the time lost today. »

Christian Silk, Chief Test Engineer: « The start of the day was a bit difficult, but the team did a good job, and we were back on track this afternoon. What matters is not the number of laps completed but what we can learn during each of those laps, and we are satisfied with the results obtained. We evaluated new parts and the car showed good performance. We achieved our objectives today. »

According to a statement from the Renault F1 Team