Renault went to Singapore expecting a bad weekend and that’s exactly what they got.
Both drivers finished well outside the points. Having scored 60 in the first seven races of 2011, the last seven have yielded just ten points for Renault.
Eric Boullier described the team’s performance in Singapore as “embarrassing” and “painful”.
Bruno Senna | Vitaly Petrov | |
Qualifying position | 15 | 18 |
Qualifying time comparison (Q1) | 1’48.861 (-0.974) | 1’49.835 |
Race position | 15 | 17 |
Laps | 59/61 | 59/61 |
Pit stops | 4 | 3 |
Renault drivers’ lap times throughout the race (in seconds):
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | |
Bruno Senna | 130.107 | 119.932 | 118.827 | 119.251 | 118.267 | 118.623 | 118.947 | 118.854 | 118.963 | 127.994 | 171.531 | 147.079 | 117.912 | 127.047 | 120.441 | 119.283 | 117.495 | 118.554 | 121.555 | 121.513 | 120.223 | 117.891 | 116.948 | 116.604 | 125.467 | 121.075 | 118.633 | 139.919 | 160.255 | 122.29 | 118.735 | 137.401 | 124.503 | 118.832 | 118.638 | 120.201 | 116.766 | 117.622 | 115.023 | 115.501 | 115.539 | 116.568 | 117.431 | 117.748 | 119.138 | 117.758 | 117.812 | 126.211 | 137.982 | 113.962 | 117.653 | 114.862 | 115.92 | 113.907 | 113.774 | 116.995 | 119.541 | 115.688 | 115.419 | ||
Vitaly Petrov | 133.624 | 121.102 | 119.669 | 119.105 | 119.36 | 119.471 | 119.08 | 119.384 | 119.009 | 119.836 | 121.049 | 122.657 | 120.905 | 121.204 | 123.379 | 132.637 | 138.665 | 121.174 | 118.738 | 117.403 | 117.543 | 120.227 | 117.3 | 117.56 | 117.461 | 117.252 | 117.763 | 123.274 | 149.711 | 148.092 | 151.715 | 158.62 | 119.815 | 124.784 | 120.688 | 121.091 | 116.607 | 118.042 | 117.086 | 116.943 | 117.225 | 116.973 | 118.158 | 117.668 | 117.576 | 119.658 | 128.533 | 139.839 | 121.889 | 120.119 | 122.086 | 119.999 | 117.279 | 117.472 | 116.048 | 114.204 | 117.554 | 117.195 | 117.65 |
Bruno Senna
Start tyre | Super soft |
Pit stop 1 | Soft 35.398s |
Pit stop 2 | Soft 36.856s |
Pit stop 3 | Super soft 30.832s |
Pit stop 4 | Super soft 30.987s |
Senna finished where he started: 15th.
Having switched to soft tyres on lap ten he hit the wall, breaking his front wing, forcing him to make another pit stop on the next lap.
That left him down in 22nd place. When the safety car came out he switched back to super soft tyres.
Then followed a strange sequence of events in which the team incorrectly told him he was racing Sergio Perez for position even though Perez was a lap ahead, and the pair made contact, fortunately without significantly disrupting either of their races.
He progressed as far as 15th and, despite having to make a fourth pit stop, finished there.
“We suffered from some very high tyre degradation,” he explained.
“I was pushing hard to complete good lap times but we had to adjust the brake balance a lot to try and compensate for the rear tyre wear.
“When we put the soft tyres on they didn?t have quite the same bite as the super softs. Then, when I came into the hairpin which is the slowest corner of the track, my wheels locked up and I hit the wall.”
Vitaly Petrov
Start tyre | Soft |
Pit stop 1 | Soft 30.807s |
Pit stop 2 | Super soft 30.625s |
Pit stop 3 | Super soft 30.485s |
The team abandoned its efforts to run new parts of Petrov’s car in practice because of cooling problems.
Technical director James Allison explained: “The bodywork upgrade package had a problem with its water radiator.
“Without time to diagnose the problem we had to make a swift decision to revert to the original package for the remainder of the weekend. We will figure out what went wrong ahead of the next race.”
Petrov admitted he made a mistake on his quickest lap which cost him up to half a second, which meant he was knocked out in Q1 for the first time this year.
He started the race on soft tyres but dropped back behind Jarno Trulli. He spent the first stint following Jaime Alguersuari behind the Lotus.
Alguersuari hit Trulli which ultimately removed both of them from in front of Petrov. But when he pitted during the safety car period he dropped behind Heikki Kovalainen.
He spent the rest of the race behind the Lotus, unable to get ahead when they pitted together on lap 47.
Petrov found a way past Jerome d’Ambrosio on lap 53 which left him 17th at the flag.
At the end of a tough weekend, Eric Boullier said: “The R31 was never suited to street circuits and there were very few reasons to hope this might change here.
“However, we never expected our performance to be so embarrassing. Seeing our cars so low in the classification today, clearly struggling for grip among blue flags, was a painful experience.”
2011 Singapore Grand Prix
- Vettel and Button take Driver of the Weekend wins
- Rate the race result: 2011 Singapore Grand Prix
- Ferrari deny Massa told to cause Hamilton crash
- From Kovalainen’s fire to fireworks: your Singapore videos
- 2011 Singapore Grand Prix: complete race weekend review
- Vote for your Singapore GP driver of the weekend
- Red Bull: Vettel supreme as championship beckons
- McLaren: Another collision, another penalty for Hamilton
- Ferrari: Alonso wants to focus on 2012 in last races
- Force India: Di Resta claims best result yet
Image ?? Renault/LAT
Antony Butler (@butler_f1)
26th September 2011, 15:48
Looks like Petrov ruined everyones fun of going “Oh look whoever qualifies in 18th will score points”
that was a fun game :(
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
27th September 2011, 9:24
It always going to be a little harder around Singapore than most places. Get Webber back down there.
SirCoolbeans (@sircoolbeans)
26th September 2011, 15:58
Ouchy! They did say it would happen before the race, but that must have been painful.
Still, it was good to see Senna ahead of Petrov again.
Eggry (@eggry)
26th September 2011, 16:00
Disaster…
Fixy (@)
28th September 2011, 16:32
The Renault that had two podiums aftr two races is another one compared to the current one. Their drop in performance has been drastic and may compromise their championship.
gwenouille (@gwenouille)
26th September 2011, 16:40
So, maybe about time for Renault to think about someone else at the head of this team ?
Mr Boullier seems to be quite un-charismatic, non-energical and dull. From 4th, possibly 3rd at the start of the year to 4th possibly 3rd worse at the end…
Klaas (@klaas)
27th September 2011, 8:13
Non-energical? You should remember with how much energy Boullier criticized the former management and drivers (Alonso and Grosjean). When he first came to Renault he was talking about himself as a Messiah who will return Renault to his former glory (which ironically was achieved by the management and driver he criticized). What has become of the team now? A line-up of pay-drivers who are out in Q1? Hope Kubica returns and things might go better.
verstappen (@verstappen)
26th September 2011, 17:02
I just thought, hey where’s Senna. Pitting again?
No images, no replay, nothing. Way to go!
Mr draw
26th September 2011, 17:08
They were completely ignored by the cameras, so their disappointing results go by unnoticed by most people. ;)
Journeyer (@journeyer)
26th September 2011, 17:13
Whatever hopes they had of retaking 4th in the WCC from Mercedes were crushed into smithereens here. I think they may need to look more in their figurative mirrors now, as Force India have clearly established themselves as the 5th fastest car at the moment. FIF1 will need a bit of luck, but I can see them making Renault a tad nervous for 5th.
dam00r (@dam00r)
26th September 2011, 19:46
The poor performance in Singapore was maybe because of fact that either Petrov or Senna has the cojones to drive it to the maximum in Singapore
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
26th September 2011, 22:47
No, that had nothing to do with it. Didn’t you see the footage of Petrov early in the race? It was about the only time a Renault was actually shown. The R31 was mincing its rear tyres.
Thomas
26th September 2011, 19:51
I agree completely, Mr Boullier seems to be uninspired, akin to a bureaucrat, who manages a position; but feels no passion for what he does.
In killing the career of Heidfeld, who, while no magician, was their top points scorer, but keeping Petrov, and throwing salt in the would by taking a mediocre replacement like Bruno Senna, Boullier clearly sets a trajectory for his team; Downwards.
So if Renault in 2012 want to do better – start by replacing Boullier with a guy who sets his sights higher. Then replace one of the also-rans, with someone who has actually won a Grand Prix, and who can serve as a true benchmark.
Finally, Renault is “the french team”, so get an F1 legend like Prost involved somehow.
Eggry (@eggry)
26th September 2011, 20:05
Well it’s not French team already. It will be much definite when they finally become JUST Lotus. They are British team which use French Renault engine like Redbull. Of course Redbull’s nationality is Austria but who cares?
BasCB (@bascb)
26th September 2011, 21:06
I am not too sure about Boullier being uninspired and a bureaucrat. From some interviews at the start of the season he seems to be the best of the lot of the top management at the Enstone Outfit right now.
But I find it strange, that he is telling us how their car does not go with street circuits.
After all, Petrov was running in the points when Alguersuari got lodged up the back of his car in Monaco, wasn’t he?
bosyber (@bosyber)
27th September 2011, 10:25
Must have been a great drive then? Or maybe they just always were weaker at those tracks, but because they were relatively strong at the start of the year that meant points was still a reachable goal at the time?
DVC (@dvc)
27th September 2011, 12:42
Someone who has won a race in a drivers’ seat eh? Who did you have in mind? There aren’t that many to choose from.
mickey18 (@mickey18)
28th September 2011, 9:11
why would they get prost when already have senna..
Enigma (@enigma)
26th September 2011, 20:21
Could their lack of traction be because of the front exhaust exit?
James_mc (@james_mc)
26th September 2011, 21:41
Regardless of the car not performing on a given circuit, mistaking a car that is a lap ahead for one on your lap (even if it is a Sauber) is ineptitude.
Mike (@mike)
27th September 2011, 1:25
I suppose you will be more understanding of Team Lotus now eh?
wasiF1 (@wasif1)
27th September 2011, 3:37
They promised a lot since their podiums in the opening two races but now they are missing a driver like Kubica who could have develope their cars mid-season & even though they are talking not to take him on board for 2012.
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
27th September 2011, 9:27
To be fair, I think the decision on Kubica has been taken out of their control.
wasiF1 (@wasif1)
27th September 2011, 10:35
Yeah but they just can give a timeline to a driver who is talented & trying every which way to comeback in F1.
Tom L. (@tom-l)
27th September 2011, 9:01
Three races since Heidfeld left the team and Petrov still hasn’t managed to overhaul his points tally…
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
27th September 2011, 9:29
Well, at least Renault can make accurate predictions.
Ok, that may be clutching at straws.
Mallesh Magdum (@malleshmagdum)
27th September 2011, 11:37
asking Senna to overtake a faster car whch was a lap ahead was the cause of all embarassment…..hw did that happen?!!
abeed
28th September 2011, 6:35
renault obviously needs a management and driver line up overhaul…