Alonso makes a grand return behind the wheel of the R29

Renault continued its initial tests of the season today, and after Nelson Piquet, it was Fernando Alonso’s turn to drive the R29 for the first time.

After two days of rain, the track conditions were more favorable today, and under a clear sky, Fernando Alonso was able to start his program. The goal for the Spaniard was to get acquainted with the R29 and settle into his new cockpit.

If the track was damp at the beginning of the morning, Fernando was quickly able to try slick tires on the new Algarve Motor Park circuit and thus collect interesting data for this first day of dry work with the new Renault single-seater. The Spaniard will be on track tomorrow for the final day of testing for the week.

Fernando Alonso said: “We are still at the beginning of our work with the new car, we are making progress and learning lap after lap. There is a lot to learn in a very short time and we really need to maximize our track time. Doing a lot of laps today is already a satisfaction. For tomorrow, it will be about doing the same and hopefully, the weather will be favorable!”

Christian Silk, Chief Test Engineer, added: « We benefited from better conditions and the car performed very well. We were very busy today as we tried to make up for the lack of running over the past two days due to the rain. We collected a lot of information that we will analyze tonight to make the most of our last test day tomorrow. »

According to a statement from the Renault F1 Team