Renault Sport Formula One Team took to the slippery streets of Monte Carlo for the first day of the Monaco Grand Prix with both Kevin Magnussen and Jolyon Palmer struggling for grip and balance over the course of the two 90-minute practice sessions. Jolyon missed out on running after repairs to his car following FP1 barrier contact stretched into FP2. Kevin's R.S.16 kissed the barriers in FP2, ending his running early.

Jolyon made contact with the barriers in FP1 and wasn't able to complete that session; the time lost to ongoing repairs meant his FP2 running started later than planned. Kevin understeered into the barriers in FP2, stopping his run programme early.

Kevin Magnussen: "It wasn't the best day for us. We thought we'd made a step forward at the Barcelona test but on this track we didn't have the car we expected. The latest spec engine certainly delivered and it's a decent improvement, but we still have work to do on the set-up and, of course, finding more downforce. It was unfortunate to end the second session early. I just understeered into the wall; I turned in and I just had no grip. The data showed I wasn't going any faster than the lap before so it's frustrating. Thankfully the only damage was to the front wing which makes it easy for my crew as that's just one bolt-on part."

Jolyon Palmer: "We discovered a lot about the direction we want to go with the car and I think we can move forward quite well. The day didn't start out all that pleasantly; the track was slippery and I made a mistake in Tabac; I just had a small bit of oversteer while pushing the limit and I found the wall. But we were trying something that we were doing in testing last week and, even if we weren't quick, we took a great deal from it which is good. Let's see what happens on Saturday!"

Nick Chester, Technical Director: "We learnt a fair amount from our set-up programme today despite losing some running with both cars. We made some improvements between the two sessions but have more to get out of the car, especially when running the ultrasoft tyre. Tomorrow will be spent going through the data and ensuring we get the maximum out of everything at our disposal for Saturday."

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