F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Renault breaks curfew to replace Ricciardo chassis

The Renault team was forced to break F1's curfew late on Friday night, with the French outfit's crews working extended hours to replace the fractured R.S.20 chassis of Daniel Ricciardo.

Renault discovered a hairline fracture in the Aussie's monocoque after Friday's final practice session, but the team used one of two individual exceptions permitted by F1's curfew rules to undertake the task of building up a new chassis, therefor no action was taken by the British Grand Prix stewards.

"Due to a hairline fracture on the chassis in practice yesterday, Daniel will take a new chassis for the rest of the weekend," Renault said in a statement released on Saturday morning.

"The team broke the curfew overnight, but all is ready for practice today."

Riccardo concluded FP2 yesterday P9, three spots ahead of teammate Esteban Ocon.

The Aussie's main complaint at the end of his first day of running centered around the lack of consistency of his R.S.20's balance.

"In terms of our running, we showed some promising signs but, on my side, we lacked a bit of consistency in the car," Ricciardo said.

"On some runs, I felt happier than others, so we have some work to do there. As always, it’s pretty close between a group of cars. The temperature is dropping tomorrow, so it should change quite a bit."

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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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