Assessment: Renault does not benefit from the new diffuser!

Renault was unable to maximize its potential today, as Fernando Alonso and Nelson Piquet both finished out of the points. In the rain, the race started behind the safety car and this disrupted the team’s strategy, which had to fight in the middle of the pack throughout the race. Fernando finished just outside the points, in 9th position. Nelson, on the other hand, finished 16th.

Fernando Alonso – 9th:

« It was a disappointing end to the weekend as we had shown good potential. The team did a great job in making improvements to the car and we certainly proved we were competitive yesterday by taking second place on the starting line. It was one of those days where you make the wrong choices at the wrong time. We thought the safety car would be deployed for 10 to 15 laps, so we chose to refuel beforehand. Unfortunately, the safety car came in at the same time. So we rejoined the track at the very back. We were on the front row of the grid and all of a sudden, we were at the back of the pack. We need to improve our pace and become faster. Bahrain will be an important test for us, as will Barcelona a little later. »

Nelson Piquet – 16th:

« The conditions were so difficult today, with nonexistent visibility and constant aquaplaning, that staying on the track was a challenge. I had a few scares during the race, but I managed to keep going. Unfortunately, I had lost a lot of ground and was at the bottom of the standings. The weekend is therefore disappointing, but I am now focusing on Bahrain, where we will have some new developments on the car, and where I hope we will experience a dry race. »

Flavio Briatore, General Manager

The race did not take place under normal conditions, and it’s really unfortunate that we couldn’t fully exploit our potential. Apart from the top three, the race was very challenging for everyone. Fernando showed with his starting position that our performances are improving, but unfortunately, we were hindered by the weather. The car is now better and more competitive, and when we are in Bahrain, we will have new parts on both cars. The championship is still long, and I am confident that from Bahrain onwards, things will improve for us. The teams here and at the factory have worked very hard to bring improvements to the car this weekend.

Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering

A disappointing result today. We adopted an aggressive strategy hoping for the rain to make its appearance later in the afternoon. The arrival of the shower before the start and the beginning of the race behind the safety car compromised our chances. Unfortunately, we did not make optimal use of our potential today.

Remi Taffin, Renault F1 Team Track Coordinator

Our ranking does not match our initial ambitions, and our performance level was better yesterday. With the rain, it is difficult to predict anything, but those who were fastest yesterday were ultimately the fastest today. We would have deserved to finish in 5th position with Fernando. The result is not satisfactory, but we are taking lessons from the weekend.

According to a statement from the Renault F1 Team