Renault: A Double Points Finish That Feels Good

The race for the two Renault drivers experienced a reverse trajectory through the rails of the Monaco circuit. Thanks to an aggressive strategy and the option offered by his 11th place on the grid to choose Ultra Soft tires from the start, Nico Hülkenberg managed to finish the race in a commendable 8th position, ahead of his teammate Carlos Sainz, who started ahead of him: « I am very positive today. I had the opportunity to use a different strategy than Carlos, and it worked well. It’s a good conclusion after a qualification session that wasn’t very conclusive yesterday, and I think this eighth place is the best result we could aim for in this context. My first run was a success in itself. It was very difficult in the middle because I had a lot of graining, but the tires improved, and I was able to string together fast laps to regain control of my race. It’s typical of Monaco: it can be crazy or like today, but I believe we made the most of the opportunities available to us. » stated the smiling German as he emerged from his car.

With a more classic strategy, Carlos fought throughout the race but still managed to bring back an important point in the Principality: « It was a very difficult race for me. We changed the tires on the 16th lap and then I had to do more than sixty laps with the ultra-softs. It really wasn’t ideal because of the graining. »

Sainz could do nothing against the comeback of Max Verstappen’s Red Bull, which overtook him in a tough but fair maneuver at the tunnel exit: « I couldn’t do more, other cars with different strategies were simply faster. We will calmly look at all of this next week to arrive stronger in Montreal. » concluded the Spaniard.

Tire management was once again a focal point during the race, as confirmed by Cyril Abiteboul, the team’s Sporting Director: “We need to work even more on tire management and understanding. In this situation, it was almost better to start eleventh and have a free choice of tires, rather than being in the top ten with the obligation to use the qualifying tires.”