Friday March 1st, 2002

The Renault team enjoyed a fruitful first day in today's first practice for the Australian Grand Prix, where the French manufacturer makes its official return as a Formula One squad.

Renault, who took over from the Benetton team to compete in Grand Prix racing with their own engine and chassis this year, saw their drivers Jarno Trulli and Jenson Button finish in 10th and 15th positions respectively in today's session.

Both drivers were able to complete their programme despite the poor weather at the start of the first session, and both were happy with their performance.

"For me, it was a good first day with my new team," said Trulli. "In spite of difficult conditions this morning, and some light rain during the afternoon, we worked very well and improved the balance of the car during both sessions. Overall, a very positive day."

"Everything went very well today, and we managed some good running in preparation for the race," added Briton Button, who was three tenths of a second slower than Trulli. "Although the weather posed some problems, we know which direction we want to go with setup, and I'm pleased with what we achieved."

Published at 06:31:18 GMT