2006 Hungarian GP Preview
The Renault F1 Team Preview for the 2006 Hungarian
GP.
Fernando Alonso
Fernando, it was a tough weekend for you in Germany…
Yes, probably the hardest of the season because we didn't
expect to have the problems we did. We were not competitive
throughout the weekend but even so, I think we had the performance
to get on the podium without the tyre blistering in the first
stint. The important thing is that the team is still working
well, and taking the maximum from every race. We did it again
on Sunday. Now, we need to have confidence in ourselves and
improve the situation for Budapest.
Is it realistic to expect things to turn around in
just one week?
I don't think we will see a repeat of what happened in Germany.
Personally, I am calm and I know the team has been working
hard to understand what happened. The tyres in Hungary are
very different to what we need in Germany, and Michelin have
reacted to the problems as well. People are talking about
Michael closing in, but I was never over-confident when I
was leading – and I am not panicking now. I am confident
we can have a strong race.
Of course, Hungary will always be a special track
for you, after taking your first win there three years ago…
I have fantastic memories of Hungary and that first win. It
is a circuit I really like, very challenging physically and
mentally because of the heat and the circuit configuration.
There are so many corners that you are very busy in the cockpit,
always fighting with the steering wheel, and at times it seems
almost like a go-kart circuit! I enjoy every lap I drive there.
Last year, it was one of only two races in which
you failed to score points…
Yes, it was a funny race last year. I had an accident at the
first corner, and then I was running at the back with cooling
problems. But it shows how quickly things can turn around
in Formula 1, because one week earlier I had won in Germany.
It will be a different picture this year I think, and the
V8 engines and softer tyres will mean we are much quicker
in the corners. I am expecting a good race, and there is no
reason why Renault cannot come out on top.
Giancarlo Fisichella
Giancarlo, the Hungaroring is a circuit that is constantly
evolving through the weekend. How important is it to get a
good feeling from the opening laps?
You need to be comfortable straight away, and confident with
the car and the circuit. The circuit is slippery and dusty
at the beginning, so you need a good feeling to understand
what changes you need to make to improve the performance of
the car. Then, as we run more and the circuit rubbers in,
the grip gets better and better.
Is it a challenging circuit for the drivers?
Yes, it is. There are a lot of chicanes where you need to
use the kerbs – but not too much. We have long corners
which make it tough physically towards the end of the race,
and lots of braking into very slow corners. You also need
to avoid mistakes because the circuit is very dusty off line,
and getting the tyres dirty can make it hard to defend your
position.
We saw in Monaco that you achieved the impossible
– overtaking on a circuit where it is supposed to be
impossible. Will a repeat be possible in Hungary?
To be honest, I would prefer to get pole and keep the lead!
But if that doesn't happen, then it is certainly easier to
overtake now in Hungary than it used to be, and we have a
good opportunity under braking into turn 1. I had some good
overtaking manoeuvres in Monaco, so hopefully I can repeat
that if necessary in Budapest.
Finally, it was a disappointing race for the whole
team in Germany. What do you expect for the coming weekend?
We were missing something in Germany, not just compared to
Ferrari but the other Michelin teams as well. The team has
been working hard to understand the problems, and come up
with good answers for this weekend. I am confident Michelin
will bring competitive tyres, and we need to get the maximum
from them this weekend. I will be pushing to the limit, just
like in Germany, and aiming for the podium.
Pat Symonds: "Being honest and staying
aggressive"
Renault's Executive Director of Engineering has explained
that the championship leaders will maintain their aggressive
approach after a difficult outing in Germany.
Pat, Renault experienced their toughest race of the
season so far in Germany last weekend. What is the mood like
in the team at the moment?
PS: Honest and self-critical. After a performance like we
experienced in Hockenheim, we make a critical analysis of
each decision made before the event, and how it has affected
car performance. A result like this only goes to show the
quality of the people we have in this organisation. They have
worked calmly, redoubled their efforts and implemented solutions
for Budapest.
Last weekend was the first race where you did not
run the mass damper, and this coincided with the team's worst
performance of the year. Is it fair to draw a causal link
between the two?
PS: This was not the only factor that contributed to our unsatisfactory
result but it goes without saying that removing the mass damper
degraded our performance, otherwise the component would not
have been on the car throughout the season. After using the
device for the first time in the final races of 2005, the
design and development of this year's car was optimised with
it in place. The ride and the behaviour over kerbs of the
R26 at the last race was certainly not as good as we have
been accustomed to this year. But there were other factors
at work as well.
What were they?
PS: We were aware before the event that tyre management at
Hockenheim could be particularly difficult. It is a circuit
that puts a lot of energy into the rear tyres, which can lead
to blistering problems. As a result, we took compounds with
the lowest chance of blistering, but in spite of this we had
severe problems with rear blistering during the race –
worse than any other Michelin runner. Equally, when using
tyres designed to limit blistering, other compromises must
be accepted: one is a reduction in grip, the other that the
car balance can vary between new and used tyres. This proved
to be the case, with the drivers suffering too much understeer
in qualifying and oversteer in the race.
You have said that the team has worked calmly to
implement solutions. What are they?
PS: Firstly, we received notification on Monday that the FIA
will recommend to the Court of Appeal that teams who have
used the mass damper in Hungary should not have retrospective
penalties applied when the hearing takes place between before
Turkey. In light of this, we will use the device again in
Hungary. We have also re-analyzed the other updates added
to the car in Germany. A new rear suspension geometry was
introduced for this race and in light of the fact that our
problems were focused on rear tyre degradation, we will probably
revert to the previous specification until we can track test
the evolution further. However, our substantial new aero package
performed in line with our predictions and will be maintained
for Hungary, where we hope to demonstrate its true effectiveness.
Have you also worked with Michelin to respond to
the blistering problems?
PS: Michelin have responded quickly to the performance in
Hockenheim. All of the partner teams suffered from blistering
to a greater or lesser extent in Germany, and Michelin are
therefore offering their partner teams the chance to change
one of the tyres that had been selected for Budapest. It has
been a fantastic response.
In terms of the championship, you have seen Ferrari
eating into your lead in recent races…
PS: That's true, and it hasn't been a comfortable sight, but
don't forget we are still leading both championships. It seems
that the Ferrari-Bridgestone combination has had an upper
hand at the hot circuits we have visited recently, but having
recognised this is the first step to reversing it. We certainly
do not consider the recent swing towards our competitors to
be a permanent one.
So are you confident you can rebound in Hungary?
PS: This season has been a dangerous one for making predictions,
but I am optimistic of a much-improved showing in Hungary.
We have not made any knee-jerk reactions to the race in Germany,
and this would be the wrong time to be timid and conservative.
Our approach to the problems has been honest and pragmatic,
and it is now up to us to turn things around. Last year, we
showed that we can come back and fight a competitor who appeared
to be faster than us. Hearing people write us off this year
has only strengthened our resolve. We will be doing everything
in our power to turn the tables on Sunday in Budapest.
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