Renault targets McLaren as mid-table challenger

There is a semblance of renewed energy among Renault. Friday, during the second free practice session in Montreal (Canada), the two French cars finished within the top 10, with the eighth fastest time Daniel Ricciardo (1'13''016) followed by his teammate Nico Hulkenberg (1'13''168). 

“It was a good day, commented the Australian. No unpleasant surprises or problems, so it's good to have a smooth day. There are always mid-table competitors in front of us, on the short relays. We need to find some time in this area. I saw a beaver in the pit lane, it was one of the highlights of the day (Laughter) !

“The day was pretty good and we rode a lot. It looks like we are close to our goal, but we still want a little more. »
Our pilots summed up their victory #CanadianGP.
https://t.co/KjlfG1rrPf#RSspirit pic.twitter.com/BE9qsPHeVp

- Renault F1 Team (@RenaultF1Team) 7th June 2019

The one who scored his first victory in F1 on the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit in 2014 remains focused on the objective of Q3 during qualifying. “Scoring points is a realistic goal. It will be difficult but we should probably benefit from a car capable of going to Q3 on Saturday. I would say that the McLaren are the best opponents in the middle of the pack, whether with little fuel or a full tank”, he advances.

His colleague Nico Hülkenberg pointed out the lack of grip during the first laps. “The track was very dusty. This is due to pit lane work in recent months, construction equipment has dirtied the track. 

The F1s vacuum up all the deposits present on the asphalt, so the plume of dust released was comparable to water splashes during rainy conditions! But it quickly got better. »

Practice pitstop for Nico; his red boots are replaced by a set of used Hard tires. #RSspirit #CanadianGP # FP2 pic.twitter.com/j4XXf9m5zT

- Renault F1 Team (@ RenaultF1Team) 7th June 2019

Nick Chester, the Technical Director dedicated to the Renault chassis, deciphers this day of testing.  “We conducted some interesting tire evaluations because the compound gaps were a little different than we expected. The track was very dusty this morning and we Were not able to learn as much as we wanted in the first session, but she continued to improve in the afternoon. 

EL2 was more representative and we were able to do a series of laps with different quantities of fuel on board. It was a linear Friday without any real problems, but, as always, the peloton is very compact and we have a little more pace to find between now and tomorrow. »