Report – A Difficult Encounter Between Renault and F1 2009

It is with mixed feelings that Renault leaves the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne. Fernando Alonso, in fact, finished in 6th position (eventually 5th) today, while his teammate, Nelson Piquet, had to retire halfway through the race due to a technical issue.

During a race with a hectic start and the safety car intervening twice, the Spaniard quickly climbed back up the field after losing a few positions in the first lap. He attacked on every lap and finished in the points at the end of his final stint. With four points, the team is now focusing its efforts on the Malaysian Grand Prix, which will be held next week in Kuala Lumpur, with the goal of achieving better performances.

Fernando Alonso – 5th (finished 6th):

A sixth place is not a fantastic result but we have to be satisfied with it because we started the race under very difficult conditions. Indeed, I was pushed off the track in the first corner, went through the grass, and resumed the race in last place.

From there, things became difficult and scoring points is remarkable. Thanks to race incidents and neutralizations, we finished in sixth position. Considering the results of our rivals, we can be content. The KERS system did not make a huge difference, and I was a bit disappointed with its effectiveness. We will also need to optimize the use of our tires in the next race.

Nelson Piquet – Retirement:

« I was happy to have emerged unscathed from the first corner and gained several places. The R29 was good and my performance was consistent. However, when the safety car came into play, I started experiencing brake issues. Then the race resumed, I managed to get a good start, I overtook Nico Rosberg, but when I hit the brakes, the pedal went to the floor. I went off track and ended up in the gravel. The car wasn’t damaged. »

« It wasn’t as competitive as we wanted this weekend, but we were in the top 8 in the race. The Sepang circuit should suit us better and I’m confident that we can achieve a good result there.

Flavio Briatore – Director:

« The three points we secure (ultimately four) this afternoon are a slight consolation at the end of a weekend that turned out to be more challenging than expected. We were not competitive enough, and our grid qualification penalized us for the race. Fernando lost several positions at the start due to the starting incident, which he could not recover from. »

« That said, both our drivers were consistent and made the best out of the situation. Nelson made a good start and his race was very promising, but a technical problem unfortunately ended his race. It’s only the first Grand Prix, and our intention is to fight to climb back quickly starting next week in Malaysia. »

Pat Symonds – Technical Director

« Nelson’s exit seems to have been caused by a problem related to the braking system, but we do not yet know exactly what it is. It’s a shame because he was in a good position. We are not as competitive as expected and we have a lot of work to do to be at the forefront again. »

Remi Taffin – Engine Manager

A mixed result this afternoon with Nelson’s retirement. We will have to analyze why he couldn’t finish the race. He was in a promising position after negotiating a good first corner.

« I think we could have made it to the podium today and we’re missing out on a great opportunity. It’s really a shame. We end up 6th with Fernando (ultimately 5th), but considering our competitiveness this weekend, it’s not such a bad result. We could have done better, we know that, and we will try to prove it next week. »

According to a statement from the Renault F1 Team