Assessment – Renault is (very) satisfied with its weekend

Renault secured its first victory of the season last night with Fernando Alonso winning the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix, the first night race of the premier category.

Starting from 15th place on the grid after an incident in qualifying, Alonso opted for a very aggressive strategy with a short first stint on soft tires, allowing him to climb up the field. Piquet, on the other hand, was very heavy on fuel and made a mistake on lap 17, bringing out the safety car.

The Spaniard, who had already refueled, stayed on track while most of his competitors took advantage of this episode to return to the pits. Fernando Alonso then found himself leading the GP, a position he would not relinquish until the checkered flag, after building a comfortable lead.

The team thus secures its first victory of the season, an important result for all team members and which allows Renault to take fourth place in the Constructors’ standings, with a five-point lead over Toyota, its direct competitor.

The team now hopes to capitalize on this superb result for the last three races of the 2008 season.

Fernando Alonso – 1st

« It’s a fantastic result, my first podium of the season, the team’s first victory; I am very happy even though I think it will take me several days to really realize it! Winning a Grand Prix seemed impossible until now; we were unlucky yesterday in qualifying, we were lucky today, it’s a great result for the team! We opted for a very aggressive strategy, we had a bit of luck but we were in the rhythm and the car was really fantastic throughout the weekend! »

Nelson Piquet – Retirement

« From the start of the race, things were complicated, I had a long phase of graining and the situation only got worse. The team asked me to push, which I tried to do, and I eventually lost the rear of my car. I hit hard but I’m fine. I’m disappointed with my race but of course very happy for the team tonight!

Flavio Briatore – Managing Director ING Renault F1 Team

« It is a great victory for the Renault team and for Fernando. From Friday, we knew that the car was very competitive and we were very disappointed yesterday after the qualifying session. Today, the car was extremely fast, more efficient than the Ferraris and the McLarens. We were lucky with the entry of the safety car on the track but then we clearly deserved this victory. It’s a very important result for Renault after two difficult seasons and it allows us to prepare for 2009 in the best possible way!

Pat Symonds – Executive Director of Engineering

The luck we had today at the start of the race is a consolation for the lack of luck we had yesterday in qualifying! The car was very efficient and Fernando was remarkable! It’s a great result to credit to the entire team, and I want to congratulate the organizers for this very beautiful Grand Prix.

According to a statement from the Renault F1 Team