Turkish GP, Friday
The Renault F1 Team began the Turkish Grand Prix weekend
in low-key fashion today at the Istanbul Park circuit, with
Fernando Alonso finishing the second practice session in P12
while team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella was P18.
While the R26 superficially seemed to be off the pace, the
team's lessons from practice will yield fruit through the
weekend in guiding tyre choice and set-up directions. After
initially setting competitive times, both drivers struggled
with severe tyre graining during the rest of practice, but
were nonetheless encouraged by the underlying speed of the
car.
With hot conditions forecast to continue until Sunday, the
team's tyre choice is now relatively straightforward, and
tomorrow's sessions will be spent honing the set-up of the
R26 to provide the drivers with a driveable car for one of
the most demanding Grands Prix of the season.
Fernando Alonso, P12, 17 laps total, 1:29.741
It was a pretty normal Friday for me: we tried the tyres,
did some laps to get comfortable with the circuit again and
started to think about the set-up changes for the rest of
the weekend. Obviously, we struggled with bad tyre graining
after the first few laps, but the car initially felt competitive
so I think we can be fighting for pole tomorrow, when the
track rubbers in. Overall, we have learned some useful information
today, and I am confident the car will be quick for the rest
of the weekend.
Giancarlo Fisichella, P18, 17 laps total, 1:30.504
I had the same bad tyre graining as Fernando after the first
timed laps – except I also hit traffic when I was on
the quickest laps at the start of the run. So I think the
times make it look like we are a bit off the pace today, but
Friday is never a reliable indicator of how things will shape
up for the rest of the weekend. We need to work hard overnight
to improve, but I am confident we can be back in our normal
positions tomorrow afternoon.
Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering
We found last year that the primary limiting factor on performance
was tyre graining, and that is the case once again today.
On a circuit such as this where there are relatively few traction
events, the front tyres are heavily loaded – and the
cars also tend to slide a lot in the corners. That is a perfect
combination for provoking graining, and we knew we had to
get a handle on it today to avoid compromising our race on
Sunday. We therefore took the decision to run the cars with
very heavy fuel loads to provoke a worst-case scenario –
and, as the times showed, the graining was severe. Those factors
explain our poor performance, but today's lessons will help
us during the rest of the weekend. I am sure we can get the
car back to the front tomorrow.
Denis Chevrier, Head of Engine Operations
Friday is always a working day, with each team going about
its programme diligently and focusing on finding the best
chassis and engine set-ups. That was what we did today and,
as always, the final timesheets should be taken with a pinch
of salt. On the engine front, our drivers remain out of step
in their usage, with Giancarlo using a new unit here and Fernando
re-using his V8 from Hungary. Giancarlo's engine includes
a number of developments that will feature in the next specification
upgrade that will debut in Monza, and they performed without
incident today. Overall, we have completed our usual solid
Friday preparations, and look forward to a competitive weekend.
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