Placed in Q3, Renault hopes to progress in the race

Renault, which is openly aiming for fourth place in the Manufacturers' standings, managed to place its two machines in the final phase of qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix held in Melbourne. Nico Hulkenberg ahead Carlos Sainz Jr by four hundredths in 8th and 9th place, behind both Haas but ahead of the Force India and others McLaren.

Nico Hulkenberg actually looked grim when he got out of his car. The German had an up-and-down session, including a lap in the Albert Park clearings. “Overall it was tough for me, especially my Q3 lap which wasn't as good as it could have been. We made some changes to the car after yesterday's testing. Free Practice 3, held on a wet track, did not give us plenty of time to validate these changes. It's very close and I think there will be a lot to do in the race. »

His Spanish teammate Carlos Sainz Jr (who finally chose the black decoration of his helmet after asking the opinion of his fans on the Internet) follows him in 9th place, but expected better. “We managed to place both cars in the top 10 and this confirms the progress of the entire team. I hoped to be a little higher on the grid, however the time did not come in Q3. I will work with my engineers to analyze all of this. »

“For tomorrow, I am convinced that we can progress in the hierarchy. It will be close but we have a good car and we should be able to fight with those around us,” believes the son of the double world champion WRC. Alan Permane, the sporting director of the Yellow and Black is satisfied with the day. “Our cars looked balanced in qualifying and we were happy with our pace over the long series of laps in the second free practice session. »