Renault F1 technical director Pat Symonds has said that the stellar starts made by both of the team's drivers in the Australian Grand Prix is simply down to better interpretation of the rules.
Fernando Alonso and Jarno Trulli made two of the best getaways in the field at the start of the race in Melbourne's Albert Park, with Spaniard Alonso jumping from fifth to third by the first corner.
Some onlookers, including BAR driver Jenson Button, who finished sixth, questioned how good Renault's starts were now that launch control has been banned. The rules allow traction control to kick in after 100kmh has been reached but both Renaults were obviously highly efficient both below and above that speed off the grid.
There are fundamentally three ways of controlling wheelspin, via throttle inputs, fuel supply and ignition and it seems that although the launch control ban requires a driver to regulate the throttle inputs rather than doing it via a button, there is nothing to stop the teams controlling the other two factors electronically. It seems that whatever system Renault was adopting last year is still relevant.“It's not something we want to talk about, but read the rules…” smiled Symonds after the race. “We were quite impressed by the traction Fernando seemed to get on the grass, and the start Jarno made was pretty good as well. It's true that it's very difficult to overtake in F1 and the start is one of the best times to do it. Obviously we work very hard at that.”