Renault director of engineering Pat Symonds is confident the team will be competitive in Valencia, which plays host to the European grand prix for the second year running.
Until Tuesday, whether Renault would be in attendance at Valencia was uncertain, as the team awaited the results of their appeal regarding a race suspension, which was handed to them for failing to attach Fernando Alonso’s right-front wheel correctly during the Spaniards first pit-stop in Hungary.
Luckily for the team, the FIA decided to lift the ban and Renault will be on the grid in Valencia and Symonds believes Alonso’s pole position at the Hungaroring proves the car has the pace.
'We wanted to show the potential of the car and confirm the step forward we had made in Germany, and I think to an extent we managed to do that,' said Symonds.
'It was great to get pole position, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve got the fastest car and fuel-corrected it’s true that the Red Bulls were faster.
'Even so, we were pleased with our performance and I believe our aggressive strategy with Fernando would have paid off in the race had we gone the distance, but it wasn’t to be,' he continued.
And the Director of Engineering at Renault believes the R29 has a lot more to give.
He said: 'We can certainly push a lot more developments onto the R29 in the final part of the season and there is another big aero update for later in the year.
'We’re also preparing the specific medium and low downforce configurations that are needed for Spa and Monza.
'How much more we do after that will depend how next year’s car, the R30, is progressing and whether we can transfer what we learn from that onto the current car,' Symonds added.
Symonds thinks that Renault now has the driver line-up to achieve results and that the support Alonso will have from the fans in Valencia should give the Spaniard a boost.
'The R29 has shown recently that it’s a good car in all types of corner and so I’m confident that we can be competitive in Valencia,' said Symonds.
'Like any street course, it rewards brave and capable drivers and we’ve certainly got that in Fernando, who will have home advantage and massive support from the fans this weekend.
'And I think Romain has a great racing ability and we’ve seen that demonstrated many times in GP2.
'He’s certainly one of the best in the series at overtaking and with the reverse grids he has shown that he’s good at fighting his way through the field. It will take him a while to settle into Formula One, but I’m sure that he will adapt well,' he continued.
Until Tuesday, whether Renault would be in attendance at Valencia was uncertain, as the team awaited the results of their appeal regarding a race suspension, which was handed to them for failing to attach Fernando Alonso’s right-front wheel correctly during the Spaniards first pit-stop in Hungary.
Luckily for the team, the FIA decided to lift the ban and Renault will be on the grid in Valencia and Symonds believes Alonso’s pole position at the Hungaroring proves the car has the pace.
'We wanted to show the potential of the car and confirm the step forward we had made in Germany, and I think to an extent we managed to do that,' said Symonds.
'It was great to get pole position, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve got the fastest car and fuel-corrected it’s true that the Red Bulls were faster.
'Even so, we were pleased with our performance and I believe our aggressive strategy with Fernando would have paid off in the race had we gone the distance, but it wasn’t to be,' he continued.
And the Director of Engineering at Renault believes the R29 has a lot more to give.
He said: 'We can certainly push a lot more developments onto the R29 in the final part of the season and there is another big aero update for later in the year.
'We’re also preparing the specific medium and low downforce configurations that are needed for Spa and Monza.
'How much more we do after that will depend how next year’s car, the R30, is progressing and whether we can transfer what we learn from that onto the current car,' Symonds added.
Symonds thinks that Renault now has the driver line-up to achieve results and that the support Alonso will have from the fans in Valencia should give the Spaniard a boost.
'The R29 has shown recently that it’s a good car in all types of corner and so I’m confident that we can be competitive in Valencia,' said Symonds.
'Like any street course, it rewards brave and capable drivers and we’ve certainly got that in Fernando, who will have home advantage and massive support from the fans this weekend.
'And I think Romain has a great racing ability and we’ve seen that demonstrated many times in GP2.
'He’s certainly one of the best in the series at overtaking and with the reverse grids he has shown that he’s good at fighting his way through the field. It will take him a while to settle into Formula One, but I’m sure that he will adapt well,' he continued.
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