Hülkenberg scores more points for Renault

Once again, Nico Hülkenberg is the only Renault driver to reach the finish line of the race. The German driver, after qualifying on Saturday, was able to finish the Russian Grand Prix in 8th place.

A reason for satisfaction, particularly strategic, for the driver: « I am really happy with our strategy today. There wasn’t much left to get from the tires after that first stint, but we achieved what we wanted to do. I lost positions at the start, so we let everyone stop before us while going as far as possible with that first set. I kept attacking and the car was working really well. The track improvement even allowed me to be faster and faster. I was truly satisfied with our race pace. We still have work to do, but we clearly took a step in the right direction this weekend. »

Progress that unfortunately could not be confirmed by Jolyon Palmer, who found Romain Grosjean’s Haas in his path on the first lap of the race. The two men collided, blaming each other. But as a result, it’s once again into the wall that the Briton ends his race: « I got a pretty good start and there was a Sauber on the outside at the second corner. Romain then made a very ambitious move by going over the curb on the inside to overtake me. I had nowhere to go because of the Sauber. Romain might not have been aware, but he insisted, he touched me, and we both ended up there. It’s really unfortunate for both him and me. I’m sorry for my team who worked so hard on the car this weekend for such a short race. We now need to reset and recharge before Barcelona. »

However, Renault will now have to be considered a regular contender for a spot in the Top 10, as confirmed by Cyril Abiteboul, the team’s sporting director: « A new step was taken this weekend for the team, which not only confirms that we are consistently in the top ten in qualifying but also demonstrates that our race pace has improved in relation to our Saturday performances. »