Nick Heidfeld expects stronger performances from Renault: Formula 1 News
Renault’s driver Nick Heidfeld has claimed to be stronger in the upcoming races of the Formula 1, 2011 season. The team started well in the ongoing season with back-to-back podium finishes in the opening two races in Australia and Malaysia respectively.
However, the 2011 Chinese Grand Prix didn’t prove to be an ideal one for Renault, as the drivers, Heidfeld and Vitaly Petrov, struggled throughout the race weekend.
An optimistic Heidfeld stated, “The car is very innovative and it is quick. It is also responding well to set-up changes, it has got a good straight-line speed and has already proved to be competitive on different track layouts.”
The German driver further added, “We've already achieved two podiums from three races, which is a real plus. But on the other side, we haven't yet fulfilled our potential and I hope both we, as a team, and I can improve on that. The first three races gave
us a good picture of our strengths and weaknesses.”
Heidfeld didn’t get off to an ideal start to his 2011 campaign, as he was unable to finish in points at Melbourne. He bounced back in the Malaysian GP though, finishing third overall in the race.
Renault have planned some upgrades for the Turkish Grand Prix, which is scheduled to take place on Sunday, May 8. The team will work on the front wing, nose of the car and the floor, in order to maximise the performance of the car. The team also expects
their rivals to come hard in the next round, but are prepared for them.
Petrov was also confident of expressing better performances in the remainder season. He was targeting the front-runners in the coming races and claimed of working harder for consistency. The Russian is currently ranked seventh in the driver’s championship,
one position ahead of his team-mate.
Renault’s boss Eric Boullier was pleased with the performance of both his drivers until now and expected more to come from both of them. He said that the drivers were getting used to the car in the opening three races and will be looking for victories in
the next half of the season.
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