Friday Report – Very good points for the team with the diamond!

The outcome of these initial tests is encouraging as both Fernando Alonso and Nelson Piquet demonstrated a solid level of performance and were able to complete their entire program without difficulty.

The tests took place in very high temperature conditions, which is common in Hungary at this time of year, and the track, which was slippery this morning, kept getting covered in rubber, eventually seeing its grip level improve significantly.

The two Renault F1 Team drivers primarily focused on fine-tuning their car by exploring various setup solutions and evaluating the soft and hyper-soft tires available to them this weekend.

Fernando Alonso – 5th and 4th:

« It’s a traditional testing day with many laps completed and a lot of data to analyze for tomorrow’s day. We have made progress and are moving in the right direction. We still have some points to improve and I hope to make use of tomorrow morning’s testing to approach the qualifiers calmly. »

Nelson Piquet – 8th and 2nd:

« Our tests went well and we made good progress. The car responded well to the different tuning solutions we explored and I am quite satisfied this evening. The track evolved a lot throughout the day, it is very demanding, there are many turns, rhythm, but I enjoyed driving my car today and I hope to continue in this direction again tomorrow.

Pat Symonds – Executive Director of Engineering:

« It was a very productive first day of work. On this circuit, where qualifications are crucial, it goes without saying that our fuel load was slightly lower than what we usually use on Fridays. But despite this, our relative performance level seems good. Our priority today was to understand the behavior of the tires, particularly the phenomenon of graining. Overall, it’s a good day of testing for us. »

Denis Chevrier – Head of Track Engine Teams;

We were not discovering this circuit, and the goal was primarily to fine-tune our package. The session went smoothly, allowing us to make good progress in our program, and the outcome of these initial tests is therefore rather encouraging. It’s difficult to determine exactly where we stand compared to the competition because the impact of the fuel load is very significant here, but the main thing was to complete our program, which has been done!

*Press Release from Renault F1 Team*