Renault lacking traction in Austria
A particularly complicated Friday for Renault, with significant damage to Nico Hülkenberg's car in the morning and a lack of pace for both drivers in the afternoon.

It was not a gentle Friday in the sun for Renault in Spielberg. Nico Hülkenberg made waves at the end of the first practice session by causing a red flag. The reason? He lost a large piece of his wing while riding one of the raised curbs in the final corner.
But the damage was not limited to this one element, as the team was forced to change the front wing, the floor, and the side deflectors. This inevitably reignited the debate about the famous raised curbs surrounding the Austrian track, which make their mark every year. Nicknamed “sausages” due to their shape, they are not necessarily to the German’s liking: “I think sausages are meant to be eaten and not to be ridden over with a car,” he stated with a smile. “It’s still a hefty price to pay for the team for a small mistake. There must be other solutions to enforce track limits.”
In the afternoon, the two Yellow and Black single-seaters were unable to raise their game and found themselves at the back of the grid, in 16th and 17th positions. Daniel Ricciardo was optimistic at the end of the day: « The only good news is that Nico and I have the same feedback. As a result, the team can push in the same direction and is not torn between two approaches. »
The two men thus predicted a long evening with the engineers to address the chronic lack of grip they suffered from. Especially since the Renaults were particularly affected by the wind, which sent Max Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas into the wall, as Daniel Ricciardo observed: “The wind seemed to affect quite a few people. It clearly impacted us and it was tricky on the track.”
If the French team wants to replicate its double result in the points at Montreal and Le Castellet (if we do not count Daniel Ricciardo’s double penalty), they will need to find a solution by tomorrow.
From our special correspondent in Spielberg