Summary: Alonso finishes 8th on the verge of dehydration

At the end of a very hot afternoon at the Sakhir circuit, Fernando Alonso and Nelson Piquet secured the 8th and 10th final positions. With an additional point on the scoreboard, bringing their total to 5, the team occupies fifth place in the constructors’ standings.

It’s the departure of the Spaniard that caused this position and he couldn’t improve it afterwards. His water supply pump didn’t function this afternoon during the race. Therefore, he couldn’t drink during the race. Severely dehydrated upon exiting the car, he had a slight fainting spell but is now completely recovered.

On the other hand, the Brazilian gains five places to finally achieve a decent performance even though he does not finish in the points.

Renault is now focusing on the Spanish Grand Prix, which will mark the return of F1 in Europe and will take place in two weeks.

Fernando Alonso – 8th:

« We did our best today. The start of the race wasn’t perfect and I lost positions: I was seventh on the grid and eighth at the first corner. No particular event marked the 57 laps, no retirements were noted. So logically, we were the 8th fastest and we finished 8th. Our goal is to score points but there is only one today and we need to improve our performance for the next Grand Prix. »

Nelson Piquet – 10th:

I had a good race and the car was balanced. It would have been better to have a shorter first stint and a longer second one, but overall I’m happy with this solid race, which we needed. Now we need to focus on performance for the next Grand Prix.

Flavio Briatore – General Manager

« We expected better this weekend. We return with only one point. Fernando [Alonso] did not have a good start and, despite all his efforts afterwards, it compromised his progress. Nelson [Piquet] drove an aggressive race and showed great consistency. He finishes 10th after starting from 15th place. It’s a pity he didn’t get into the points. »

Pat Symonds – Executive Director of Engineering:

« Today’s Grand Prix was difficult for us: the conditions were very hot and the race was intense from the first to the last lap in the pack. Fernando Alonso lost a lot by having an average start, and with the cars’ performances being very close, it was difficult for him to make his way back up the standings. That said, our final position certainly reflects our level of competitiveness. Nelson Piquet had a great race, with his lap times being consistent and close to Fernando’s. For the upcoming races, we need to improve the car in order to turn the entire team’s efforts into points. »

Remi Taffin – Renault F1 Team Track Coordinator:

« Today we took a point, but it’s not a big reward for everyone’s efforts this weekend. Everyone worked very well, the team as well as the drivers. It was a good race from Fernando Alonso and Nelson Piquet. We finished eighth and tenth. I think part of our race was affected before the first turn when we were overtaken by a number of cars, and unfortunately, that put us in a bit of a difficult situation. Nevertheless, we are still moving in the right direction, and that is very important. »

According to a statement from the Renault F1 Team