Budapest (AFP)
Only four points for Renault with the Australian Daniel Ricciardo: the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday hardly did the business of the French contingent.
. Renault: "weekend to forget" for Ocon, not for Ricciardo
Fourteenth on the grid as in the GP, Esteban Ocon experienced a "weekend to forget". "We are all disappointed," he says. "It was bad from start to finish." However, things had not started so badly in free practice, but in qualifying the behavior of his car and the strategic choices made with his team did not satisfy him. He did not do better in the race, unlike his teammate Daniel Ricciardo, 8th and "happy enough to take points". "We had a good pace, there are some positive things to take away," said the Australian, 11th in the drivers' classification with 8 units, against 4 for Ocon, 13th. Among the manufacturers, Renault is 6th with 12 points, outdistanced by McLaren and Racing Point (41 and 40 units each).
. The planets aligned against Gasly
When it does not want, it does not want ... All weekend, Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri) was afflicted by mechanical problems: deprived of free practice 1 by a recalcitrant engine, forced to the exploit in qualifications by an engine still failing which he then had to change, then betrayed in the race by his gearbox, which forced him to give up on the 16th lap. "I'm a little disappointed," he says. "On a circuit on which we knew we could do something, it's a bit boring ..." His tenth place on the grid should be the only proof . The Normand is 12th in the championship with 6 points.
. Bet lost for Grosjean
By swapping the rain tires of his two drivers for slicks before the start, Haas made a rather profitable "bet" for the Dane Kevin Magnussen (10th after penalty), not for Romain Grosjean (16th after penalty, out of the race) on points by a clash with the Thai Alexander Albon (Red Bull). Both saw their time swelled by 10 seconds after the race, which made them lose a place each, the rules not authorizing the teams to give the instruction to their pilots to return to the pits change tires during the formation lap. "The first laps were a bit ole ole then everything started to work well and the pace was good", despite a front left tire a little damaged, comments Grosjean. Unfortunately, there was this contact with Albon, who was going up on him. "The front wing was damaged and suddenly the car was less efficient, we tried everything but it was over, impossible to stay in the points ", continues the Franco-Swiss . This strategic move should not overshadow 18th place only on the grid. "The car is not yet fast enough," insists the man, who still has to score his first point in the driver classification.
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