Friday: Renault calmly examines and prepares for the qualifications

Renault had to make do with the resources available to them today during the free practice sessions. The French team indeed gave Fernando Alonso a maximum rest, as he was ill, while Nelson Piquet took care of developing the car.

The Brazilian driver completed stints of 6 to 8 laps each time, seeking the best balance but also faced a mechanical issue with his front right wheel this morning.

Fernando Alonso, for his part, only completed about thirty laps during the day and focused on shorter stints of 4-5 laps to assess the car and prepare it for qualifying.

Fernando Alonso – 16th and 15th:

We didn’t complete many laps today because I wasn’t feeling completely fit. It’s a very challenging weekend, it’s very hot, we’re sweating a lot, and we had to limit our driving to gather only the essential information. I believe this data will be valuable and that we can use it to improve the car’s setup for tomorrow. I hope to recover a bit this afternoon and tonight. The important thing is that I feel better tomorrow and can give 100% in qualifying, which promises to be the most crucial part of the weekend.

Nelson Piquet – 14th and 10th:

A good first day during which we didn’t encounter any major issues. The situation seems a bit better than in Melbourne. There is a lot of room for improvement, of course, but I am pleased with the progress made between the first and second sessions. With the ambient temperature, the race will be challenging for both the bodies and the mechanics, but I can’t wait for it.

Pat Symonds – Executive Director of Engineering:

Track conditions: « The track was quite slippery this morning. This was probably due to the huge downpour that hit the circuit yesterday. »

Chassis balance: « It is a little better than in Australia. We still need to improve the car’s stability under braking. »

Tire usage: « The hard compound offered this weekend has never been used before. Therefore, we need to tame it like everyone else. However, its behavior seems satisfactory. »

Problems encountered: « Nelson [Piquet] went off the track this morning due to a problem with the right front wheel. We are still analyzing the reason for this mechanical failure. Fernando’s performance, on the other hand, was not optimal because he is a little unwell.

Prospects for the rest of the weekend: « We need to raise our level of play and improve our performances compared to Australia. Today’s results show that we can achieve this. »

According to a press release from the Renault F1 Team