Renault: Ricciardo’s F1 car undamaged after FP2 stoppage

Renault team boss Renault F1 boss Cyril Abiteboul has confirmed Daniel Ricciardo’s car suffered no damage when it suffered a hydraulic leak in second practice for the Belgian Grand Prix.

Ricciardo’s Renault came to a halt with 15 minutes on the clock on the Kemmel Straight.

The team quickly confirmed after his stoppage was done as a precaution to ensure no damage was done to the engine or gearbox.

Renault enjoyed a strong day at Spa with Ricciardo finishing FP2 in second; Esteban Ocon in sixth.

Reflecting on the day’s events, Abiteboul said: "What happens on Friday isn't always representative of Saturday and Sunday, and it's Sunday that matters.

"We see that the car has made some progress, except for Barcelona, where we were not quite able to get the set-up, but also in terms of overall aerodynamic performance competitiveness. At a low downforce track, a bit like Silverstone, but even a different extreme here, we feel good.

"We feel that the engine is working well. Obviously there is the disappointment of the run that was cut short because of the hydraulic problem, but as far as I understand no damage to the gearbox, which was new, or to the engine, which is what matters.

"The car was going to stop anyway when you lose hydraulic pressure, but we understand no damage was done to the engine."

Over the last couple of years, Renault has performed best at low downforce circuits and Abiteboul is hopeful it can convert its strong pace into good results this weekend at Spa and next week at Monza.

"I think you have a midfield that is so tight that the characteristics of the car, engine, downforce, drag and so forth, will have an impact on the competitiveness of the weekend.

"I think we have to try to work to improve on the weaknesses. In general we have a car which is a bit more competitive than the midfield on low downforce tracks, so hopefully it's going to play for us this weekend and next weekend in Monza."

Ricciardo was buoyed by Renault’s pace but is aware that producing when it matters tomorrow is key given that the French manufacturer has performed well in previous Friday sessions but failed to deliver in qualifying.

“It was another good FP2 as has been the case for us at the last few rounds. We have to do it tomorrow, though, as that’s when it counts," Ricciardo said. “Today was strong, even with the issue at the end. For safety, we pulled the car over as there’s no point taking risks with mechanical issues on Fridays. Our low fuel run was a good one.

“During the lap, I knew it felt good and sometimes you just know when the car’s working. I knew it was competitive and I wasn’t that surprised it was up there on the timesheets. It was a good day and we certainly understood a lot from it.”