F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Renault a victim of circumstance in China - Abiteboul

Renault endured a frustrating weekend in China with both cars finishing out of the points after an eventful afternoon in Shanghai.

Nico Hulkenberg failed to capitalise on his fine qualifying performance, falling victim to the successive Safety Car circumstances which negated the team's strategy, while Jolyon Palmer's race was also partially undone by the double neutralization.

At the end of the day, both drivers followed each other home to finish P12 and P13.

"Ultimately, this has been a frustrating weekend for us," said Renault Sport boss Cyril Abiteboul.

"We showed strong potential with our P7 on Saturday, however the race did not deliver the results we wanted.

"The early Virtual Safety Car meant we were immediately on the back foot as we’d already pitted Nico to cover the threat from those behind. He then also received a penalty.

"Jolyon suffered from the same Virtual Safety Car affecting his strategy and after that we were on damage limitation."

While race result will be written off by Renault, Abiteboul was encouraged however by the RS17's speed and its ability to sustain an enduring effort.

"We are disappointed to end the second Grand Prix with no points, however the positives are that we showed both pace and reliability here.

"We need to harness our potential better in the coming races."

GALLERY: All the pictures from Sunday in Shanghai

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

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