Renault Report – Alonso Saves the Day!

The Renault F1 team managed to take advantage of a particularly competitive race today to secure a fourth place at the 2008 Australian Grand Prix with Fernando Alonso. However, the joy of this first result was tempered by the retirement of Nelson Piquet, who unfortunately was unable to see the finish of his first Grand Prix due to a racing incident on the first lap that damaged his car.

After a difficult qualifying session yesterday afternoon, Alonso and Piquet started from the 11th and 20th positions on the grid, respectively, but the team was confident and hoped to finish in the points for this opening race. This seemed realistic at the end of the first lap as both Renault F1 Team drivers managed to make their way through the bustling pack. Nelson, having moved up to 12th position, quickly realized that his car had been damaged during the start, ultimately shortening his first race.

Despite several periods under the Safety Car, the Spaniard led a particularly aggressive race to ultimately move up to fourth place after several strong overtakes in the final laps.

Renault is currently fourth in the World Constructors’ Championship with 5 points and is now preparing to compete in the second event in Malaysia next weekend.

Fernando Alonso – 4th:

« It was a very special race with lots of overtaking, incidents, and mechanical issues for some competitors. We managed to seize the opportunity presented today and finished this first Grand Prix with a good result that will undoubtedly boost the entire team and give us confidence for the rest of the championship. However, we must continue our efforts to improve our performance level in qualifying and our race pace but it is a very important result for us today!

Nelson Piquet – Retirement:

I got off to a good start and managed to find my place in the pack after the first lap, which was quite eventful to say the least. I got hit at the start, which damaged my car, and in the end, I couldn’t finish my first Grand Prix. I’m disappointed, of course, but I learned a lot this weekend and I’m now eager to go to Malaysia to continue my learning and try to achieve a better result. I already know this circuit, so it should be easier.

Flavio Briatore – General Manager

The fourth place for Fernando today is an excellent sign for the beginning of the season. He had a superb race, fought like a devil to climb back into the pack. Even though we were twice hindered by the safety car, what he managed to accomplish today is exceptional. His overtake on the McLaren in the last laps was spectacular. We still need to progress, but it’s encouraging to see that we are not the only ones who still need to improve. For Nelson, his first race proved difficult, but I am convinced that he learned a lot and that he will be able to progress quickly in the upcoming races.

Pat Symonds – Executive Director of Engineering:

I believe that Fernando’s performance today is simply magnificent. He exploited everything we were able to give him and more. We were somewhat unlucky with the safety car episodes and considered changing strategy to switch to a one-stop, but the level of wear on our tires made this option unrealistic. Fernando suffered from significant tire graining, so he had to drive with severe understeer. Nelson’s weekend was more complicated; he was hit at the start, which seriously damaged the rear of his car. It was therefore more difficult to drive, which explains his lap times and probably his retirement, which we now need to analyze to understand exactly what happened.

According to the Renault F1 Team