Renault: Better results in Austria but no points yet
The two Renault drivers were satisfied with their car's performance compared with recent outings, but race circumstances prevented them from reaching the points zone at the Red Bull Ring.
For one of the rare times this season, Joylon Palmer finished a race ahead of his teammate Kevin Magnussen. The Brit missed scoring points by a narrow margin and leaves Austria with a sense of accomplishment: « I am quite happy with this Grand Prix. With a bit more luck, we would have finished in the top 10. The car was performing well, better than in the last race. On a personal level, it’s one of my best performances. If we had needed to switch to soft tires during the neutralization, it would have allowed us to make our stop and finish in the points. » said the Brit after the race.
With his home race next weekend at Silverstone, Palmer feels like he’s growing wings: « I feel stronger and stronger over the past few races. Knowing what we could have achieved today, I’m full of hope for the next round at Silverstone. »
Kevin Magnussen experienced a somewhat more complicated race, disrupted by the safety car and a silly penalty for behavior on track deemed dangerous: « The car was behaving well today, and we had a good first stint. Unfortunately, the safety car did not play in our favor; afterwards, we were not able to regain the pace to achieve a better result. That said, both our cars finished, and not all teams can say the same today. My five-second penalty was justified as I changed direction more than once, which is not allowed. At the same time, I don’t know where he was planning to pass. Sometimes it’s difficult to make the right choice. »
