Kubica joins the four teams for the Chinese GP

This is a very encouraging result for the Renault team on the eve of the Chinese Formula 1 race from the Shanghai circuit. Robert Kubica managed to enter Q3 to finish in 8th place. Vitaly Petrov, against all odds and despite his accident, achieved an honorable 14th place.

Robert Kubica – 8th and 8th: « A good session for me, probably my best performance this year from a driving perspective. I am particularly satisfied with my times in Q3. If someone had told me yesterday that I would be 8th today, I would have been very happy. So, it’s a very good result that allows us to hope to score points tomorrow. »

Vitaly Petrov – 15th and 14th: I am quite satisfied with my performance because it is my best result in qualifying on a dry track, even though my ultimate goal is to enter Q3, as Robert shows the car is capable of it. Overall, I am heading in the right direction: I am improving my performance and getting more and more comfortable with the car. I also have to say a big thank you to my mechanics, who did a fantastic job repairing my car in time after my off-track excursion this morning.

Eric Boullier – Team Principal:

« We are satisfied with the car’s performance today, it shows that the team continues to progress. Robert’s 8th place is a good result: we are between two Mercedes in qualifying, and we can hope for an even better race pace. Vitaly reacted well after his accident this morning. This mishap is part of his learning process and is something normal for a driver participating in his fourth Grand Prix. He is giving it his all and pushing the car to the maximum; his performances keep improving every weekend. He did well to secure the 14th qualifying time, achieving the best performance of all the rookie drivers. »

Alan Permane – Chief Race Engineer:

« It’s a good session for both our drivers, with Robert making it into Q3 and Vitaly securing 14th position. Finishing ahead of one of the Mercedes is satisfying, and the 8th place allows us to aim for a good race. After Vitaly’s off-track excursion this morning, the mechanics did an exceptional job to get him ready for the qualifying session. Both drivers put in a strong effort, and we know our car will perform better with a full fuel load. We are well-positioned to score points with both cars. The weather forecast indicates some risk of rain for tomorrow, but we will be satisfied regardless of the conditions.

According to a statement from the Renault F1 Team