Q & A with Renault's Pat Symonds

After getting the previous ban on mass dampers overturned by the race stewards, Renault then found themselves rocked by the FIA deciding to appeal against their own officials.

That decision put Renault on the back foot, and things did not get much better for the rest of the weekend.

And after their worst result of the season so far, it was no wonder that Renault personnel were hard to find straight after the race.

After a lengthy wait, however, autosport.com was lucky enough to grab Renault's director of engineering Pat Symonds as he left the Renault motorhome following a long debrief.

And if you wanted a clue to Renault's feelings at the moment, the fact that Symonds refused to stop and speak to reporters, instead marching forward through the packed paddock while talking, told you exactly what the mood is like in the Renault camp at the moment.

Q. Have you understood your relative lack of usual pace from yesterday?

Pat Symonds: Umm, yes I think we have, yes. Yes. I think we have understood quite a lot more.

Q. As a result of today?

PS: Yes, as a result of today.

Q. Is it right that on some sets of tyres you had some blistering and on others not so much?

PS: We were able to alter things a little bit.

Q. How worrying is the situation?

PS: I'd rather be in a better situation but we're not going to panic. We've already managed to learn a lot through that race and even in the hour we've had to analyse it afterwards, a few very obvious things have come up. And I'm sure by Tuesday night there'll be a lot more.

Q. Is it fair to say not having the mass dampers cost you?

PS: We've lost a bit from the mass damper as well. It's a combination of things.

Q. Was that a unique construction for you?

PS: Yes, it was.

Q. So was that part of the problem?

PS: I don't actually think it was part of the problem exactly. I wouldn't like to say more than that. I think we know where the problem is.

Q. And it is something rectifiable quite easily?

PS: Oh yes.

Q. So you expect to have it rectified by Hungary?

PS: I think so, yes. I wouldn't say completely everything by Hungary, but we've learnt so much today we can get back a long way in, in just a couple of days.

Q. Do you expect to run the mass dampers in Hungary?

PS: It's up to the FIA.

Q. Is the FIA appeal going to happen this week?

PS: No, it's not. It's not happening until Turkey, just before Turkey.

Q. So that gives you a bit of a dilemma about what to run in Hungary?

PS: Er, yes. We are sort of asking in view of the fact it can't be heard before the next race whether they'll look at it slightly differently.

Q. So some sort of dispensation you mean?

PS: Yes.

Q. And if you can't run with the mass damper does it make it a little more difficult to react to the problem.

PS: Yes, it does a little bit. Yep.