Australian GP: Renault race notes

The Mild Seven Renault F1 Team scored a satisfying result in the first race of the 2004 championship.

The Mild Seven Renault F1 Team scored a satisfying result in the first race of the 2004 championship, with Fernando Alonso finishing third and Jarno Trulli seventh. The team currently lies third in the Constructors Championship, behind Ferrari and Williams.

Alonso jumped into third place at the start, in spite of taking to the grass to avoid Montoya's Williams. He then drove a faultless race to finish in the same position, a little over twenty seconds ahead of Ralf Schumacher.

Conversely, Jarno Trulli experienced a troubled race. An excellent start saw him climb to fifth at the start of the race, but the rear of the car was damaged in a collision at the first corner. The car subsequently lacked grip, and Trulli lost two positions during the race to finish seventh.

Fernando Alonso, 3rd position:

"I made a great start, even though Montoya forced me onto the grass. After he out-braked himself at the first corner, I found myself third and from then on, it was a pretty easy race. I was too slow to be able to fight with the Ferraris, but I managed to pull out a gap to Jenson and the Williams. Our objective for this race was to start scoring points before the start of the European season; to take a podium is everything we could have hoped for."

Jarno Trulli, 7th position:

"Overall, it was a disappointing race from my perspective. I got a very good start, but somebody - Sato I think - hit me and damaged the diffuser. After that, the car just lacked grip and the rest of the race was very tough. It is obviously disappointing to finish seventh after having been as high as fifth, but it is nevertheless positive to have finished in the points with a damaged car."

Flavio Briatore, Managing Director:

"I am very pleased for the whole team. We worked hard over the winter, and this result gives an initial idea of how competitive we can be. We have a good chassis, a good engine and good drivers. Getting on to the podium at the first race puts us on the right track for the rest of the year."

Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering:

"It is satisfying to get the first race under our belt after what seemed like a very short winter. The team performed well throughout the weekend, and the car's level of competitiveness was pretty much what we had expected. I am particularly pleased with the engine: it has more torque, more power and has been 100% reliable over the three days. It is hard to be disappointed with getting a podium at the first race, but hats off to Ferrari: we all have a lot of work to do to catch them. But we will."

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