Assessment: Renault on the right track… Grosjean satisfactory

The Renault F1 Team leaves Valencia with the three points from the sixth place achieved today by Fernando Alonso at the European Grand Prix. Rookie Romain Grosjean finished his first F1 race in 15th position and quite satisfied his team leaders.

The diamond team’s performance wasn’t at its best during qualifying yesterday. As a result, even with a higher pace today, they weren’t able to score big points. Alonso thus finishes 6th, unable to compete with Nico Rosberg and his Williams, but ahead of Button and his Brawn GP.

Romain Grosjean, for his part, confidently finished his first F1 race. The Franco-Swiss driver made two mistakes, one at the start forcing him to change the front wing and causing him to lose a lot of time. Promising beginnings, to be confirmed next week at Spa – a very demanding circuit!

Fernando Alonso – 6th:

I did my best today for this home Grand Prix. The 6th place and the three points that come with it are a good result considering my position on the grid. The race was very tough. First of all, it was very hot. Then, it was very eventful. To maintain my position, I had to fight from start to finish and constantly attack. That said, we were competitive this weekend and I am quite confident for Spa, where we can achieve a better result if we keep up this pace.

Romain Grosjean – 15th:

Unfortunately, the first round didn’t go very well for me and it compromised the rest of my race. Despite that, I think there are a lot of positive elements to take away from this Grand Prix. I paid particular attention at the start, keeping an eye on everything happening around me. Then, I tried to be as consistent as possible. It is certain that we need to do better at Spa-Francorchamps next week. I will use the experience gained this weekend to improve by then.

Flavio Briatore – Director:

Fernando’s race was compromised by yesterday’s qualifying. He did his best today and brings back three points. Romain did an excellent job throughout the weekend and I’m sure he will progress quickly until the end of the season. The car is competitive and we hope to do better next week in Belgium, on a more traditional track than Valencia.

Pat Symonds – Executive Director of Engineering:

« After the problem he encountered yesterday in qualifying, Fernando adopted a good pace in the race. However, on this circuit, it would have been difficult to do better and we leave with a few points, which are welcome. Romain was unlucky because he was hit in the first lap but, after that, he drove a solid race and was able to assess the car’s behavior over a Grand Prix distance. He did very well, and we are really very pleased that he saw the finish line. »

Remi Taffin – Track Coordinator Renault F1 Team:

«We scored the maximum possible points today because for us, the race was decided in the qualifications. Romain, despite his first lap incident, had a good race. His pace was fast and he could have secured a good result. In Valencia, we completed a cycle of engines, our V8s having finished their third race. We took a lot of precautions to protect them and everything went well. We will be able to use them later in free practice on Friday. Spa will be a new challenge; we will certainly use new engines and we hope to be able to place higher on the grid. »

According to a statement from the Renault F1 Team