The Renault F1 team's Head of Engine Operations was left breathless by yesterday's Grand Prix – as he explains...

Denis, how was the European Grand Prix from your point of view?
Denis Chevrier: What a fantastic race! We went into the Grand Prix knowing that we would be pushing up to the very last lap, and that this was the period of the race when the cars should be strong relative to our competition. In recent years, we had become used to seeing races decided by two-thirds distance, and today, thanks to the new tyre rules, it was the complete reverse – Fernando put pressure on Raikkonen all the way through the final stint, and it paid off. From the outside, it was a fantastic spectacle – F1 as it should be!

What about Fisico's race – he was hampered by poor luck again…
DC: Fisico drove a great race yesterday – he made up fourteen positions after starting from the pit-lane, and just like Fernando, knew that he had to attack late in the race to make the strategy work, which he did to perfection. But the fact remains that with the car we have, we should be further ahead on the Constructors' Championship. So far, fortune has not favoured Fisico this year – and we are all working hard to change the situation around.

Finally, the RS25 engines have to complete their second race in Canada – is that a big challenge?
DC: Absolutely. The Nürburgring is quite a demanding circuit for the engines, and Montreal is certainly a very stern test. The circuit has a lot of slow corners followed by long periods at full throttle, and the average engine speed and the time spent at full throttle are all high, making it a very demanding challenge for the V10. But the fact that it is demanding does not mean we are worried. The engines ran well all weekend in Germany, and they are designed for this two weekend life cycle. We are confident that we will once again perform strongly in Canada in two weeks' time.