Renault Conduct Private Test at Kemble Airport

Renault will try just about anything to improve their car ahead of the new season. Following reports that the Renault R29 lacks performance – Alonso's car was the slowest of all 4 new cars present at the Portimao test last month – the Enstone-based team took their 2009 challenger to the Kemble Airport for a drive, as reported by Spanish newspaper Diario AS.

The team was clearly trying to test some new aerodynamic devices, as the R29 was also accompanied by no less than 5 trucks, which suggests important data recording and complex test operation from Flavio Briatore's team.

Technical director Pat Symonds admitted he was confused with the new car's performances after the first testing session of the year, at Algarve. While unable to explain it, he insisted that Renault will introduce a new aerodynamic package in the following month that will boost the R29's speed on track.

According to the aforementioned source, it seems Renault are already developing a new nose that is to be introduced in the last testing session of the off-season (Barcelona), in mid-March. Until then, they are to develop the new part in the wind tunnel, while hoping it won't go the same as the previous aero package – whose tunnel data did not correspond with its usage on track.

“We can't find the final set-up until we've got the full aero package. I don't really know where we are relative to other people. I was impressed with the speed of the Williams – there's no doubt about that – but let's see what we've got in those last couple of tests,” had stated Symonds last week, when commenting on the R29's performances in Portugal.