Renault - We're baffled

Team unclear over drop-off in performance

Last updated: 7th July 2008

fernando alonso renault 6/7/2008

Alonso: fell off the pace

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Renault executive director of engineering Pat Symonds said he was confused as to why the team fell off the pace in the latter stages of the British Grand Prix.

The start of the wet race saw both Fernando Alonso and Nelson Piquet Jr. running in the points, with the double World Champion briefly the fastest man on the Silverstone track in the opening laps.

However, the first round of pit stops proved detrimental to Renault's cause as the team opted to keep Alonso, who was running in fourth place for the majority of his opening stint, on the same set of intermediate tyres.

The gamble failed when more rain subsequently fell and Alonso fell back to eighth place as he suffered with a dire lack of grip.

He was forced to pit again six laps later for new tyres. However, after climbing back to fourth place, Alonso still found himself lacking the pace needed to hold off Kimi Raikkonen and Heikki Kovalainen in the latter stages of the race.

Alonso eventually finished sixth, with his drop-off in performance leaving Symonds baffled.

"Our pace at the start of the race seemed reasonable, but it was obviously a mistake to leave the tyres on Fernando's car at the first stop," Symonds said.

"Later in the race we were clearly uncompetitive and we need to find the reason why."

Piquet was running in fourth place when he retired after spinning off the track on lap 36.