Formula 1

Renault DP World F1 Team hoping to reproduce the good results of Spa-Francorchamps

2 Mins read
Credit: Renault DP World F1 Team

Renault DP World F1 Team will be going into the Italian Grand Prix with promise of more good results. In the last outing at Spa-Francorchamps, the driver duo crossed the finish line in fourth and fifth. They also done the same at Monza in 2019.

Daniel Ricciardo, who finished Spa-Francorchamps in fourth and also recorded the fastest lap of the race, is looking forward to going to one of his favourite tracks.

The Australian driver, who has Italian roots, enjoys the awesome energy of Monza but knows it will be missing the fans.

Ricciardo said: “Monza is one of my favourite tracks. It’s probably not typical for my style as I love street circuits with walls and the close shaves. 

“But Monza is high-speed and a lot of fun, especially with the low downforce as the car skates around. I really like the setting in the park and I certainly get a buzz there. It’s also home to the best pizza in the world, which is my weekend fuel. 

“Although there won’t be fans there, you can feel the awesome energy about the place. My background is Italian, so I do love it there.”

Esteban Ocon recorded his best finish in the 2020 season at Spa-Francorchamps with a fifth-place finish. 

The Frenchman knows that Monza has similar characteristics as Spa-Francorchamps so hopes the team will be able to be strong again.

“Monza is a really fun track. I have good memories from there back in 2017, when I started the race from third after qualifying fifth in the rain. I had a good race fighting with the Ferraris, which was nice.”
 Stated Ocon. 

“In 2018, I qualified quite well in eighth and ended up sixth in the race, which was also a great result. My years in Monza have been decent and I’m going there with the aim of replicating Spa. That’s the target. Our performance in Spa shows we’re capable of some good things and the similar track characteristics means we should be in a good position to get strong points. I have quite close links to Italy. 

“I lived there in my Formula 3 days with Prema Racing and most of my karting was also in Italy. I speak Italian, so I reckon 40% of my life is Italy!”

Ciaron Pilbeam, Chief Race Engineer, is hoping the team can put together another performance like the last one and get some good points.

“We were competitive in Spa, and we’re hoping for another good weekend. We were competitive in Monza last year, finishing 4th and 5th, and we have just seen again that the car is good on lower downforce. 

“If we can put together another weekend like the last one we hope to score some good points. The technical directive that comes into force in Monza, regarding qualifying and race engine modes, will affect all teams to some extent, and it will be interesting to see whether it affects the order of the grid in qualifying and the race.”

Avatar photo
226 posts

About author
Motorsport fan - see me tweet at @JasmineButlerr
Articles
Related posts
Formula 1

2024 Australian Grand Prix – What the Drivers are Saying after the Race – Part 1

7 Mins read
The top ten finishers at Albert Park reflect on their performances after the conclusion of round three of the 2024 Formula 1 season.
Formula 1

2024 Australian Grand Prix – Sainz Claims Victory as Verstappen Retires

4 Mins read
Carlos Sainz Jr. won the Australian Grand Prix in a Ferrari one-two after pole sitter Max Verstappen was forced out with a braking issue early on to end his chance of victory.
Formula 1

2024 Australian Grand Prix – What the Drivers Said after Qualifying – Part 2

5 Mins read
TheCheckeredFlag looks at what the lower half of the grid from qualifying had to say ahead of the grand prix on Sunday.