Assessment: A Fatal First Round for the Renault Team

The Belgian Grand Prix ended in the most disappointing way for the Renault team with a double retirement, despite encouraging performances from the car.

The drivers of the Losange got off to a perfect start but faced the difficulties of a pack start at Spa: Alonso touched Sutil at the first corner and damaged his front left wheel, with serious consequences during his first pit stop.

As for Romain Grosjean, his second F1 race ended in the first lap: positioned on the inside of turn 5, Button swerved into him, causing both men to retire and a pile-up behind them.

The Renault F1 Team says it is therefore disappointed with this new missed opportunity but remains hopeful of bouncing back at Monza.

Fernando Alonso – retirement:

Today I missed an opportunity to be on the podium. I had a good start, gaining a few positions and the strategy seemed promising. The car was better than we expected and I was in third position when I came in for my pit stop, and it became clear that something was wrong with my front left tire and the team asked me to retire. We now think the tire was damaged on the first corner at the start of the race. Anyway, Monza is in two weeks and I’m looking forward to wiping away today’s disappointment.

Romain Grosjean – retirement:

I had a very good start, going up to 13th position and I had a good rhythm when Button took me out at turn 5 and that was the end for me. It’s frustrating because I would have loved to finish the race and learn much more about the car on this very special circuit. I hope to do better at Monza.

Flavio Briatore – Director:

«Today we made the decision to withdraw Alonso from the race even though he was very competitive in the first part of the race. It’s also frustrating that Romain’s race ended so quickly. We need to turn the page and focus on Monza in two weeks. »

Pat Symonds – Technical Director:

The race for Romain was unfortunately very short since he was hit by Button on the first lap, which is a shame because his race would have been important for his experience and learning. Fernando’s race was also disrupted by damage caused in the first lap. This led to a refueling problem and for safety reasons, we decided to retire the car.

Rémi Taffin – Head of Engine

Unfortunately for us, the weekend ended in a disappointing manner. On the engine side, the weekend went very well and we encountered no problems. We always go to Spa well-prepared, as the circuit presents many challenges. It’s the type of circuit we simulate in winter on the test benches and we have proven to have done a good job. We can now face Monza with the same engines that performed perfectly here.

According to a statement from the Renault F1 Team