Renault finishes its race in the rails rather than in the points in Monaco
Renault F1's Grand Prix «, almost a home race », did not shine. Kevin Magnussen and Jolyon Palmer weren't on the pace, and neither finished more than a little off the track.
The Danish driver, best placed on the grid, was involved in a minor collision with Daniil Kvyat at Rascasse: « We got off to a good start at the beginning of the race and came in at the right time to change to intermediates, just after the Safety Car. We were among the only ones to make this choice so early, and it was the right decision. (…) Unfortunately, Kvyat just lost his mind and hit me, and it was like the end of my race. »
Kevin Magnussen then retired shortly after due to a collision, this time attributable to his own fault. With several laps behind the leaders, his race had lost all interest. « It’s a shame we didn’t have a good weekend, as we were very optimistic for the race. (…) We should be stronger in Montreal [in fifteen days] and should highlight the strengths of our car’s developments ». It is certainly to be hoped for Magnussen, as the RS16, despite aerodynamic and engine developments, did not seem up to speed in Monaco.
On the other side of the garage, Jolyon Palmer continues to disappoint his world. The English driver, already at fault during free practice, once again went to greet the rails at the restart of the race on the 8th lap. The GP2 champion went over a too-wet area on a pedestrian crossing in the pit straight and lost control of his car. “There was nothing I could do – I was just a passenger and went straight into the wall,” Palmer confided. “It’s really difficult. We know that the white areas are more slippery, but they are everywhere. I’m disappointed because I love this track which has been good to me in the past.”
VSC – and it's ours. Sorry everyone.
We hope Jo is ok, he's out of the car and walking… #MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/AUZ5isRTay— Renault Sport F1 (@RenaultSportF1) 29 mai 2016
Would Frédéric Vasseur be thinking more about replacing Jolyon Palmer with Esteban Ocon in the upcoming races? The Renault competition director, of course, did not let any hints slip. He focused on his team’s underperformance: « It was a difficult weekend for our two cars. Jolyon’s race ended on the straight as soon as the race resumed. He had a fairly serious crash at high speed, and that ended his day. There was nothing to be done,” the French official simply stated regarding his second driver.
