Renault is now the 3rd force on the grid

Two weeks after winning the Singapore Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso once again claimed victory today at the Fuji Speedway track, winning the 2008 Japanese Grand Prix. His teammate made the most impressive comeback of the weekend to secure fourth place. Both men had a great start, gaining several positions. At the end of the first lap, Fernando was in second place, while Nelson was eighth. After the first pit stops, Fernando took the lead, and Nelson continued his climb, already reaching sixth position.

Regular and consistent, Fernando built a solid lead of nearly 13 seconds over Kubica before going into the pits for his last refueling. He then put on the soft tires and kept the lead until the checkered flag. Nelson, very fast at the end of the race, emerged fourth after his last refueling, a position he would hold until the end!

With two consecutive victories, Renault confirms its comeback and increases its lead over its main rival for fourth place in the Constructors’ standings; an encouraging result as the team now prepares to compete in the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday!

Fernando Alonso, rather surprised, declared: “I still can’t believe what we did today! Winning in Singapore was unexpected, but we benefited from special conditions. Today, we won again, on a circuit that was not particularly favorable to us. The team has really done a remarkable job to return to the forefront, and we are now the third force on the grid. It’s incredible, and I’m really happy tonight!”

Nelson Piquet added: « I am very happy, it’s a superb result for the team. I had a bit of luck at the start, the car then worked very well, I was in the rhythm and I made an effort to stay focused and attack until the end! The team is having a very nice end of the season and I hope this continues! »

Flavio Briatore, General Manager of Renault confirms the revival of the team: « I am very happy, it’s a superb result for the team, Fernando, Nelson, and Renault! We had everything right today and this victory is fully deserved. Fernando and Nelson had a remarkable race, our strategy worked wonders, and after our difficult start to the season, I want to thank all the team members for their efforts. We said we could come back to the top, and we confirm it today! »

Finally, Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering also acknowledges Renault’s performance gain: « Winning in Singapore was very satisfying but even more so today for two reasons: the race took place under normal conditions, allowing us to prove what we are capable of, and also because our two cars achieved a great result today. Congratulations to the whole team and our two drivers! »

According to a statement from the Renault F1 Team