Renault F1 car 'worse' at Monaco Grand Prix - Kevin Magnussen
Kevin Magnussen believes Renault has made its car worse ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix following a successful in-season Formula 1 test

Although Magnussen claims the team has delivered what was promised with its engine upgrade, he ended Thursday's free practice running three seconds adrift of the pace set by Daniel Ricciardo in the Renault-powered Red Bull.
"It's all chassis," said Magnussen, with regard to the gap to Ricciardo. "The engine has delivered, it's a good step.
"We could have the best engine on the grid right now and we'd still be close to where we are, so the engine is not our main concern at the moment.
"I'm very happy to say Renault has done a great job, they've achieved what they promised with the numbers and laptime goals, so that is very encouraging.
"We just have to improve our car, and we've a big job on our hands.
"It's not going to be this weekend, it's not going to be the next, so we just have to keep cool.
"Unfortunately, we have made the car worse, and that's a mistake from us.
"We thought we'd made the car better from the test.
"I'm sure some of the things we tried were improvements, but balance and set-up wise, it's not made the car better for this track."
Magnussen has confirmed the team will revert to a former set-up for the rest of the race weekend.
"We'll go back to what we know and have run many times which should suit this track better," he said.
"I still have laps, so I'm not too nervous about that.
"Hopefully it should be better because at the moment we have a car that is very snappy on turn in, and having that in Monaco is not the best."
BOTH CARS IN THE WALL
Magnussen crashed in FP2 at the final corner, an accident he put down to having no grip on turn-in.
Team-mate Jolyon Palmer's incident in FP1, when he hit the wall at Tabac on his first lap on ultra-softs, resulted in damage to the suspension and uprights, which because of the time needed to make changes meant he also missed the start of FP2.
Palmer also claimed the car to be "snappy", adding: "It's been quite difficult to drive all day, and very oversteery.
"It's not very confidence inspiring around here, where you need a lot of confidence.
"We've been trying something from testing, and we'll probably revert back to something we know for Saturday.
"The main thing is we have learned something and we can try it again in practice days."

Previous article
Sauber and Force India approach FIA with 2017 F1 engine concerns
Next article
Monaco drain incident proves F1 needs cockpit canopies - Alonso

About this article
Series | Formula 1 |
Drivers | Kevin Magnussen |
Teams | Renault F1 Team |
Author | Ian Parkes |
Renault F1 car 'worse' at Monaco Grand Prix - Kevin Magnussen
Trending
Albert Park Circuit Modifications Project
Mercedes-AMG F1 Team: Bahrain GP Race Debrief
The delay that quashed Aston Martin’s last F1 venture
Aston Martin’s only previous foray into Formula 1 in the late 1950s was a short-lived and unsuccessful affair. But it could have been so different, says NIGEL ROEBUCK
Verstappen exclusive: Why lack of car-racing titles won't hurt Red Bull's ace
Max Verstappen’s star quality in Formula 1 is clear. Now equipped with a Red Bull car that is, right now, the world title favourite and the experience to support his talent, could 2021 be the Dutchman’s year to topple the dominant force of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes?
Are we at peak F1 right now?
For many, many years Formula 1 has strived to do and to be better on all fronts. With close competition, a growing fanbase, a stable political landscape and rules in place to encourage sustainability, 2021 is on course to provide an unexpected peak
How crucial marginal calls will decide the Red Bull vs Mercedes battle in F1 2021
The longer Red Bull can maintain a performance edge over Mercedes, the better the odds will be in the team’s favour against the defending world champions. But as the Bahrain Grand Prix showed, many more factors will be critical in the outcome of the 2021 Formula 1 World Championship
How Williams’ new structure adheres to a growing F1 trend
Williams held out against the tide for many years but, as MARK GALLAGHER explains, the age of the owner-manager is long gone
When a journeyman driver's F1 career lasted just 800m
Nikita Mazepin’s Formula 1 debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix lasted mere corners before he wiped himself out in a shunt, but his financial backing affords him a full season. Back in 1993 though, Marco Apicella was an F1 driver for just 800m before a first corner fracas ended his career. Here’s the story of his very short time at motorsport’s pinnacle
The nightmare timing that now hinders Mercedes
Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton took victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix despite, for a change, not having the quickest car. But any hopes of developing its W12 to surpass Red Bull's RB16B in terms of outright speed could not have come at a worse time.
How Raikkonen's rapid rise stalled his team-mate's F1 career climb
Kimi Raikkonen’s emergence as a Formula 1 star in his rookie campaign remains one of the legendary storylines from 2001, but his exploits had an unwanted impact on his Sauber team-mate’s own prospects. Twenty years on from his first F1 podium at the Brazilian GP, here’s how Nick Heidfeld’s career was chilled by the Iceman