The official Renault F1 Team preview of the 2006 Turkish
GP.
Fernando Alonso
Fernando, you have enjoyed a three-week break since
Hungary. How was it?
It was great! Everybody wanted a break to recharge their batteries,
not just the drivers but the mechanics and engineers as well.
We all need to have some time off, and it means we arrive
in Turkey feeling better than ever. Myself and Renault are
leading both championships, we have prepared well for this
race and we are feeling fresh. It's the ideal way to go into
the final races of the season.
Do you enjoy the Istanbul Park circuit?
Yes, and parts of it are like a classic circuit such as Spa.
It is a very wide, modern circuit and there are plenty of
overtaking opportunities. It features some special corners
as well, which are blind when you go into them, so it's quite
different to what we normally find on a new track. And of
course, there is turn 8, which is a very long left-hander
where we will probably be flat out with the V8 this year,
with lateral loadings of 4G. It's a fun circuit, and this
will be one of the season's important races.
This is the second Turkish Grand Prix. Will that
change anything compared to last year?
I think it will just make everything that bit easier for everybody,
from the drivers to the teams and the organisers. Everything
was new last year, and we needed to learn about the circuit
and the facilities… This year, I am sure it will be
a bit easier for everybody and that we can put the experience
from last year to good use.
Finally, you go into this race with a ten-point lead
over Michael Schumacher – and five races remaining.
Are you confident?
Yes, I'm feeling very positive. I am in the position where
everybody wants to be – leading the championship, with
the races counting down. There was some pressure on us after
Germany, but the race in Hungary showed that the R26 is still
very competitive, and that you have to take every weekend
one at a time. Turkey will be a new race with its own challenges,
but I am feeling confident. This type of circuit suits our
car, and Michelin will bring good tyres. So we need to concentrate
on our job, put the package together and make no mistakes.
Then let's see what the race brings…
Giancarlo Fisichella
Istanbul Park was a new circuit for all the drivers
last year. Do you like it?
I like it a lot to be honest. It is one of the new generation
circuits, and I felt comfortable straight away last year when
I started running there. I started from the front row as well,
and the car felt pretty good. I am confident we can be competitive
in Turkey this year.
Turn 8 is the one that everybody talks about as the
most impressive part of the circuit – and a tough corner
for the drivers. Is this a physically-demanding track?
Yes, there are some good corners and turn 8 is certainly the
hardest on the whole circuit. It's a very long left-hander
that we take at nearly 250 kph. We have between 4 and 4.5G
on our bodies for about 7 seconds – which means that
your neck is hurting by the end of the race! So you need good
physical preparation for this race, maybe even more than the
last few races.
How do you work to find a good set-up for this track,
when you have very little data from past years?
You have to find the right set-up as quickly as possible.
We have the data from last season, and we know what the basic
set-up of the car should be. Then, you just need to work efficiently
during the sessions and understand how the track and tyres
are evolving during the weekend, to make the car as competitive
as possible. But the main thing is to start off with a good
basic set-up, so you can do the best possible preparation
for the race.
Hungary was a difficult outing for you – have
you managed to recharge the batteries since then?
Yes, Hungary was really disappointing for me. Normally, wet
conditions like those are ones that really suit my driving
style but the grip of the car was just not good in the race.
After that, it was good to have a break and I have spent lots
of time on my boat with my family. Now, I am really motivated
for the last races of the championship. Renault wants to have
a strong weekend and steal back the initiative in the championship
battle. We have the package to do it, I think, so we are looking
forward to racing aggressively, and hopefully finishing on
the podium.
Turkey Tech File
After a three-weak break, the Renault F1 Team will begin
the final phase of the 2006 world championship with the second
ever Turkish Grand Prix. High temperatures, the newest circuit
on the calendar and a demanding layout that includes one of
the season's most demanding corners, turn 8, should make for
a demanding weekend.
Chassis
Aerodynamics: Istanbul Park is a very modern circuit, and
therefore still in good condition. The track surface is very
smooth and the kerbs are not particularly aggressive, which
should mean it is relatively easy to find a stable car balance.
We will use a lower downforce level than at recent races:
the package for Turkey will be nearer to the medium downforce
set-up employed at the North American rounds of the championship.
Tyres: The tyres are not given a particularly hard time in
Turkey, but we must pay special attention to the front tyres,
and particularly the right front, which suffer in turn 8.
Indeed, this corner is among the most demanding of the whole
season for the front end of the car. To avoid any potential
problems, we can adjust suspension settings and front wing
angle; however, we must always be mindful of finding the correct
balance between protecting the tyres and maintaining mechanical
grip, to ensure the car is quick in the more technical parts
of the circuit.
Suspension: To limit tyre wear, particularly at the front
of the car, the main parameters we can adjust are the suspension
settings. Given the demands of the circuit and its good condition,
we use relatively stiff settings that mean the car changes
direction well in the technical portions, and remains stable
in the high-speed turns.
Brakes: The braking zone for turn 12 is the most significant
on the circuit, and getting it wrong can cost the drivers
a lot of time as they overshoot the apex in this slow corner.
In overall terms, though, the Istanbul Park circuit is not
particularly demanding on the brakes, which can cool on the
long straights before the main braking zones.
Engine
Performance: Istanbul Park is a varied circuit for the engine.
Almost 65% of the lap is spent at full throttle, which is
an average value for the season. We need a tractable engine,
with good top speed for overtaking on the main straight –
but without compromising low end performance. We also look
carefully at power delivery at high revs, which will make
turn 8 easier to negotiate.
Cooling: Temperatures in Turkey are expected to be extremely
high, but this should not pose any problems for engine cooling.
At this stage of the season, we fully understand the cooling
needs of the car, and there are no slow sections in which
the engine might risk overheating. Furthermore, the long straights
will ensure the engine is well cooled.
Comets in Turkey
The Renault F1 Team will run with its fourth artwork livery
of the 2006 season during the Turkish Grand Prix weekend –
with a comet-inspired design adorning the flanks of the world
championship leading R26.
The livery is a creation of Russian fashion and set designer
Andrey Sharov, who has transformed the dynamic vitality of
the fastest body in space, into a unique design for the fastest
car in the F1 championship. Both R26 race-cars will run in
their comet livery throughout the race weekend.
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