Confidence reigns in the Renault camp
Despite the few laps completed during the two free practice sessions, the Renault team, making its return to Formula 1, is quite confident for the rest of the weekend.
The weather conditions have not been ideal for restarting the machine on the Melbourne track today. The Renault drivers have made the best of a bad situation and prefer to focus on the excitement of starting a new season full of promise.
Kevin Magnussen, back in competition after a gap year with McLaren, is very happy to be back behind the wheel of a race car. His last official appearance was at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix when he replaced Fernando Alonso for the weekend: « We didn’t have the best conditions today, but it was still great to be back on track in Australia. My day mainly consisted of out-laps and in-laps to the pits, but I was able to push a bit on a flying lap. We don’t have a lot of data to prepare for tomorrow, but it’s not my first time, including at Albert Park. I’m sure qualifying will go well. »
Jolyon Palmer would have liked to have more time on the track, but he is nevertheless satisfied with his debut: « It was my first time driving on this circuit, and I must say that I appreciate the urban aspect of Albert Park. It’s a bit bumpy, and this track is a challenge in itself. The car was nice to drive in the wet today. The balance was good in both sessions, and we did not encounter any particular mishaps. There will be a lot of work to do tomorrow. I’m looking forward to qualifying, especially because it will be my first laps in the dry here. »
