Qualifying performance doesn't meet Renault's expectations
Today’s British qualifying session saw Renault Formula One Team drivers Fernando Alonso and Nelson Piquet qualify in 10th and 14th places respectively for tomorrow’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
FREE PRACTICE 3
Fernando Alonso: 14 laps, P8, 1:19.917 on lap 13
Run 1: 7 laps, new hard tyres
Run 2 : 6 laps, new soft tyres, change to rear springs
Nelson Piquet: 18 laps, P13, 1:20.232 on lap 17
Run 1: 6 laps, new hard tyres
Run 2: 6 laps, new hard tyres
Run 3: 5 laps, new soft tyres, change to front springs
QUALIFYING
Fernando Alonso P10, 1:20.741
Q1: 1 run on new hard tyres, 1 run on new soft tyres
Q2: 2 runs on new soft tyres
Q3: 2 runs on new soft tyres
Fernando: “Today we were carrying quite a bit of fuel as we decided it was better to do this than start light and lose track position by having to pit early. I think points could be possible in the race, but we have to hope that the strategy will come to us around the time of the pit-stops. I think the most important factor tomorrow will be managing the tyres because Silverstone is very demanding on them. So we need to look after them, especially the softer compound, on the long stints.”
Nelson Piquet, P14, 1:19.392
Q1: 1 run on new hard tyres, 2 runs on new soft tyres
Q2: 2 runs on new soft tyres
Nelson: “The car felt good at the start of the session and we had improved it since free practice, but something didn’t feel right at the rear of the car at the end of Q2 and so I had to abort the lap. I would have liked to have been a bit higher up, but we needed a couple of extra tenths to make it into Q3. Tomorrow will be a tough race as it’s difficult to overtake here, but with a good start and strategy we could challenge for some points.”
Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering: “The car looked very good this morning on fuel loads similar to those run in third qualifying, but unfortunately this afternoon we haven’t met our expectations. Something broke at the back of Nelson’s car towards the end of Q2 which we are still investigating.”
