No triumphalism at Renault

The day started off rather badly for the double World Champion. Equipped with the new diffuser, its car could only complete six laps during the final free practice session. “We had a small scare when the exhausts were burning the bodywork,” explains Pat Symonds. “Once again, the mechanics did a magnificent job to correct the problem before qualifying.”

In six rounds, Alonso could still verify the validity of the developments adopted during the night from Saturday to Sunday. Everything went much better during qualifying. By climbing to the front row under the checkered flag, the Asturian spoke of a rather incredible result: “Finally reaching the front row is a great source of motivation for the team. This is the first time I've seen something like this. The team members had been working around the clock for weeks, and today was the moment of truth. A big thank you to the engineers and mechanics at the circuit, who didn't sleep much to prepare the car. Also, the engines Renault occupy the first three places in the grid, thanks to our French branch, Viruses-Châtillon. We can be satisfied with today's result and we can't wait to start tomorrow. The objective will be to score points. »