Renault close to points in Melbourne

By taking the two Losange single-seaters to the checkered flag, Jolyon Palmer and Kevin Magnussen achieved an encouraging Grand Prix for the debut of the new RS16. The supervision of Renault Sport F1 Team does not hide its satisfaction with this first outing.

“It’s a very encouraging day for the team, explains competition director Frédéric Vasseur. We showed good pace in the race and that's a base we can build on. We first have to look at our level of performance in qualifying, to be a little higher on the grid and get good results. It would have been even better if we had scored points today. »

If Jolyon Palmer had a smooth race, struggling in particular with the Toro Rosso de Carlos Sainz and Kevin Magnussen, Kevin Magnussen suffered a puncture on the first lap, greatly slowing down his progress in Melbourne.

“It was quite difficult today, confesses the Dane. I was devastated when I felt the puncture. I don't think I had any contact, it's really a lack of success. We have a very good car. The rhythm is good, as are our basic settings. We will be able to rely on all of this to continue working and further improve performance. »

Discover the analysis of the Australian Grand Prix carried out by our special correspondents in issue 2055 of AUTOhebdo, available from Monday evening in digital version on all platforms, and from Wednesday on newsstands.