No points this time for the Renault Sport F1 Team
Far from the spotlight, neither Jolyon Palmer (13th) nor Kévin Magnussen (15th) had any chance of adding further points to Viry-Châtillon's tally.
Besides the disappointment of still not unlocking his personal score, Jolyon Palmer leaves Spain at least with the satisfaction of having beaten his teammate over the 66 laps of the race.
« I think I just had my best race in terms of pace and performance. I felt good with the car, and while we had to be mindful of tire degradation, it was manageable. It’s a bit disappointing not to finish in the points, but I’m satisfied. »
The British driver can indeed be satisfied with ultimately finishing ahead of Kevin Magnussen after having swapped positions multiple times during the race.
But it is mainly about reattaching the top 10 wagon for the rest of the season. The 2014 GP2 Series champion is certainly optimistic for the future: « We should gain in performance thanks to the developments that are ready at the factory. I’m looking forward to being in Monaco. »
Truly a race to forget, however, for Kevin Magnussen, penalized with 10 seconds in the standings for a collision in the last lap with Palmer. He thus loses a position, overtaken by Felipe Nasr’s Sauber. The damage was already done anyway:
« We had a good pace on the soft tires, but we struggled more with the hard and medium compounds, particularly the mediums. It wasn’t a good day for me, and I will work with the team to understand the reasons that prevented us from doing better. I’m really looking forward to testing, where we’ll be able to try new things on the car. Today’s result really doesn’t reflect what we are capable of achieving. »
In difficult times, Frédéric Vasseur nonetheless praises the fighting spirit of his team.
« It was a difficult race for us, but our drivers relentlessly attacked until the checkered flag. Kevin had difficulties with the hard tires, and consequently, we altered his strategy. At the same time, Jolyon was able to benefit from a two-stop strategy and delivered his best performance to date. »
Striking contrast, however, as much higher up, Verstappen’s Red Bull, with its rebranded Renault engine, created quite the sensation by securing the victory. Proof of the improved relations between Renault and Red Bull, the racing director paid tribute to the performance of the Austrian brand:
We experienced a great Formula 1 race today. Congratulations to Max Verstappen for his first F1 victory. It’s good for the sport to see Red Bull back on the top step of the podium, especially in this manner.
