Renault expected better… Alonso still hopes

The Renault F1 Team concludes a difficult weekend at the Bahrain International Circuit with Fernando Alonso finishing this third race of the world championship in tenth position and Nelson Piquet forced to retire due to a gearbox problem.

After qualifying in tenth and fourteenth positions, the team had come to terms with the idea that it would probably be difficult to score points today but remained optimistic and hoped to climb up during the race. The two drivers from Losange managed to take advantage of a particularly hectic first lap to move up the pack, but Fernando was then hit in the second lap, which damaged his rear wing, while Nelson spun on an oil patch, a consequence of an incident involving a rival car.

The two drivers gave their best throughout the race, but unfortunately Fernando couldn’t do better than tenth place. Nelson’s efforts were also cut short as he suffered from gearbox problems after his second stop, which eventually forced him to retire.

A weekend to forget then for ING Renault F1 Team, the team now turns all its attention to the next round of the World Championship in Spain and hopes to capitalize on the tests that will take place in about ten days on the Catalan circuit.

Fernando Alonso

« The race was difficult as we had expected. Our qualification yesterday in Q3 was a nice surprise, but we knew that our race pace wouldn’t allow us to hope for much better this weekend. We still lack speed, and that’s what we hope to improve by Barcelona. »

Nelson Piquet – Abandonment

« I had a good start, the car was responding well, then I suffered from a gearbox problem. I tried to continue, but it was becoming dangerous, and my engineers preferred to call me in, which should allow me to avoid a penalty for the next race. The overall feeling tonight is a bit mixed, but I’ve still learned a lot this weekend, and that’s what should be remembered. I will now try to prepare for the next race as much as possible by taking advantage of the upcoming tests in Barcelona in about ten days. »

Flavio Briatore, Managing Director ING Renault F1 Team

« Fernando’s race was compromised from the start when he was hit by Hamilton. We are, however, well aware that we still need to improve our performance levels. Fernando did everything he could despite a damaged car. As for Nelson, he suffered from a reliability issue after having had a good start. So it’s a weekend to forget for us. We now need to keep working. We actually have an intensive program for the upcoming tests in Barcelona. »

Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering

« It was certainly not a satisfying race for the team, especially in terms of reliability with Nelson being forced to retire on the 41st lap due to a gearbox problem. However, we are relieved to know that he will not be given a penalty at the next event. Fernando’s race was challenging; he fought with a damaged car after his incident with Hamilton at the start of the race. Our focus is now on the Spanish Grand Prix and our developments that will be tested in Barcelona during our upcoming practice sessions. We need to offer a better package to our drivers; that is our goal. »

According to a Renault F1 press release