Renault disappointed but looking forward
It was a mixed Monaco Grand Prix for the ING Renault F1 Team as Fernando Alonso finished seventh, a race in which he showed improved pace all through the event. Teammate Nelson Piquet was in a good position before he was taken out in the early stages.
Fernando Alonso, R29-04, P7
1st stint: 28 laps, soft tyres
2nd stint: 38 laps, soft tyres
3rd stint: 12 laps, super-soft tyres
Fernando: “It was a hard race and very tight from the beginning, but the car felt good and kept improving during the race. We had a good strategy but here in Monaco the starting position is essential and so starting ninth and gaining two places and two points is a satisfying result. My motivation and the motivation of the team remain very high. We have a lot of new things for the upcoming races and we are confident that the second part of the season should be better for us.”
Nelson Piquet, R29-01, DNF
1st stint: 10 laps, soft tyres
Nelson: “I’m really disappointed to have been taken out of the race. I made a decent start and I was in good shape because I was running a long first stint and all the cars ahead of me were very close. Then I got hit from behind on the straight by Sebastien Buemi, which damaged the rear of my car and forced me to retire. It’s really frustrating as I think I could have maybe scored some points today.”
Flavio Briatore, Managing Director: “Very disappointing for us today as we were not helped by the circumstances. Nelson’s race was cut short by an accident where he was not to blame and Fernando’s was spoiled by the traffic, which didn’t work in our favour. Nevertheless, we know that Monaco is an atypical race. It’s also some consolation that the car kept improving during the race and was matching the pace of our main competitors. We are working harder than ever and plan to introduce another step forward, starting at the next race in Turkey. We have shown we can react fast and hopefully the rest of the season will see us bring in serious points for the team.”
Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering: “It was a long and tough afternoon, but Fernando pushed hard throughout the race and has come away with a couple of points. We had higher hopes for this race, but it’s encouraging that the car’s pace was really improving throughout the race. Nelson was very unlucky to have been taken out in the early stages as he had made a good start and was running a promising strategy. It’s a shame for him, but he’ll bounce back in Turkey.”
Remi Taffin, Head of Engine Operations: “Despite finishing seventh, we are a bit disappointed. We actually thought that we would be able to do better. Our strategy did not unfold as we wanted it to and we were blocked by some slower cars. However, when Fernando was in clean air, the performance was there. Nelson’s race ended prematurely with an accident which is a shame because I think he could have been competitive today. However, we will take these two points and hope to get a better result in Turkey.”
