British GP: Renault race notes

A difficult British Grand Prix for the Mild Seven Renault F1 Team. In spite of incidents during the race which cost both drivers dear, the team nonetheless added three more points to its championship score.

Jarno Trulli started second, and was leading the race when the safety car was deployed on both occasions. After his first pit-stop, he suffered from a loss of overall grip which prevented him from maintaining his early pace. He fought throughout the race, notably with Michael Schumacher and David Coulthard, and finished sixth.

Fernando Alonso lost a significant amount of time during the first pit-stop, made during the second safety car period, as he was forced to queue behind his team- mate. He was climbing back up the field during his second stint, but suffered a major electrical failure at his second pit-stop. His engine stalled, and he then drove without certain electronic systems, including traction control, before a gearbox problem ended his race.

Jarno Trulli, 6th position:

"Mixed feelings for me at the end of this race: on the positive side, I scored three more points, but it's a disappointing result given where I qualified. The car was perfect at the start of the race, and I was pulling away from Raikkonen, but both safety car periods cost me. After my first stop, the car's handling changed, and I lost grip all the way round the circuit. I was pushing all the way through the race, and had to fight hard to defend my position: it was right on the limit a few items, but always fair. Overall, I am not sure whether to be satisfied or disappointed."

Fernando Alonso, retired, lap 52:

"I was unfortunate not to complete the race, because I think I would have finished in a strong position. The car was handling well, and I felt I made the right tyre choice. At my second stop, the idle speed of the engine was very low, and it stalled. The mechanics pushed me to get the car going again, and then I had to drive without traction control: it was a little uncomfortable, but I was quite quick even so."

Mike Gascoyne, Technical Director:

"A very disappointing end to a competitive weekend. The two safety car incidents ruined our race: Jarno was pulling away from the cars behind and, when he was in the lead, things were trouble-free. As soon as he fell back into traffic, though, his lack of straight-line speed hurt him and he lost places. Fernando lost out by coming into the pits second at his first stop, and thus having to queue. He was driving well to climb back up the field when his engine stalled at the second stop. The car suffered a major electrical problem, and Fernando had to retire when the gearbox would no longer change gear."

Denis Chevrier, Engine Operations Manager:

"This was a race in which being able to defend one's position was essential, given the number of overtaking manoeuvres we witnessed. The start of the race was in line with our expectations, but was disrupted by some unusual incidents which hurt us, and even though we go home with more points, we can only be disappointed after qualifying so well."

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