Renault Team began its preparations for the Turkish Grand Prix today as both Fernando Alonso and Nelson Piquet completed trouble-free practice sessions. Track conditions were poor with low temperatures contributing towards a low-grip surface and a lunchtime rain shower giving a damp start for the afternoon session. Despite this the team was able to complete a productive day's work to leave the team hopeful of a competitive performance in tomorrow's qualifying session.
"The track conditions were certainly not ideal today, buy they were the same for all the teams and did not disturb our programme too much," said Alonso. "As usual we worked hard and I was able to evaluate a lot of things with my car and gathered some interesting information. We still have to make a few more improvements tomorrow, especially with the general balance of the car, but today's performance is encouraging for the rest of the weekend."
Nelson Piquet commented, "My day was pretty normal. I had quite a busy programme with set-up work this morning and tyre testing in the afternoon. The aim was to feel at home in the car and to try to improve the balance, and we managed to do this because we did not have any problems during the two sessions. The track conditions were relatively stable, even though it rained a little bit at the beginning of the afternoon. Overall I think that we have prepared well, and I am determined to make the most of the final practice session tomorrow."
Engineering chief Pat Symonds added, "It has not been easy today. We were expecting low temperatures with the race being held earlier in the year than usual, but the temperatures have turned out to be even lower than we had anticipated. Consequently grip is pretty low, which is why we saw so many incidents on the circuit today. Both drivers are still looking to improve the balance of the car, but I am happy with the work we've done as we have been able to evaluate the tyres and looked at some different set-up options."
Paul Ricard