Report – Friday – Renault stays on course

With nearly 128 laps on the clock, Fernando Alonso and Nelson Piquet were both able to complete their entire program without encountering any problems.

It was on a wet track that the first session began this morning, allowing Fernando and Nelson to get their bearings in these conditions; which could prove useful since the rain could still disrupt this German Grand Prix. They were then able to work on a dry track this afternoon, which, based on the tests already conducted here last week, allowed the Renault drivers to make progress on the setup of their car.

At the end of the day, Renault can be satisfied with having once again recorded interesting data that can be completed tomorrow during the final preparation session ahead of the qualifications.

Fernando Alonso – 4th and 6th:

« The day went smoothly, without any difficulties. The rain this morning slightly disrupted our schedule, but it also allowed us to practice on a wet track, which could be useful for the rest of the weekend. We still need to make progress with the car’s overall performance but the foundations are there. »

Nelson Piquet – 10th and 15th:

« As we shot here last week, we already had a good working base that we completed today, both on the wet track this morning and on the dry track this afternoon. We have made good progress in setting up the car. We will be able to fine-tune it again tomorrow morning to be ready for the qualifications, but we are heading in the right direction. »

Pat Symonds – Executive Director of Engineering:

« As with the last race, we recently conducted testing on this circuit, and our program for the day was mainly to cover the elements that couldn’t be addressed last week. The conditions were slightly different today but still featured a cold track and relatively low grip levels. We are not yet fully satisfied with the car’s balance, but we made good progress today and hope to be competitive for the rest of the weekend. »

Denis Chevrier – Head of Trackside Engine Teams:

« We were not in a discovery phase today because it is a circuit we know and where we conducted tests last week. Today was mainly about optimizing the car’s performance based on the data recorded last week and making the most of these three hours of testing. On the engine side, everything went well; once again, most elements such as gear ratios and cooling levels were covered last week, and today was about validating them. »

According to a Renault F1 press release