The official Renault F1 Team preview of the 2006 French
GP.
Renault celebrates 100 years of Grand Prix racing
at Magny-Cours
Renault and the Renault F1 Team will celebrate Grand Prix
racing's centenary this weekend at the French Grand Prix.
100 years on from the first Renault-Michelin victory at the
Grand Prix de l'Automobile Club de France in Le Mans, the
entire team will be hoping to mark a centenary of success
in 2006.
Much has changed since Ferenc Szisz crossed the finish line
at Le Mans after more than 12 hours of racing to take the
chequered flag – and the title of first Grand Prix winner.
More significant than the changes, thought, are the similarities
– as man and machine push themselves to the limits to
demonstrate sporting and technical excellence on circuits
across the globe.
Every Renault victory is drawn from, and enriches, a motorsport
DNA that runs right back to its source: the ingenuity and
competitive drive of brothers Louis and Marcel Renault, from
a small workshop in Billancourt just south-west of Paris.
The desire to prove their abilities drove them to demonstrate
a voiturette up the steep incline of Rue Lépic in Paris'
Montmartre in 1898; to take victory in the Paris-Vienna race
of 1902 with a ‘light car' design against bigger, faster
machines; and also to enter the Grand Prix in 1906, an official
return to racing for Louis Renault after the death of brother
Marcel in 1903, to once again demonstrate the excellence and
ingenuity of his company's designs.
Since those pioneer days, Renault has won the Formula 1 World
Constructors' Championship seven times (six times as an engine
manufacturer, once as a works team), twice taken victory in
the Monaco Grand Prix with its own team (2004/06), and conquered
the Le Mans 24 Hour race with the Alpine-Renault that triumphed
in 1978 at the hands of Jean-Pierre Jaussaud and Didier Pironi.
At its home race, it has taken pole position seven times (1979/81/82/83/84/2004/05),
won the race five times (1979/81/82/83/2005) and as an engine
manufacturer in 1996, took a famous 1/2/3/4 finish with the
Williams and Benetton teams.
Furthermore, it is a tradition that has been built alongside
loyal partners. Fernando Alonso's Canadian Grand Prix victory
was the 100th for Michelin in Formula 1 – 100 years
after Szisz's Michelin-shod Renault triumphed at Le Mans.
Alonso's Barcelona success marked 100 wins for the partnership
between Renault and Elf, begun back in 1977 – and Elf
also passed the 150 F1 wins milestone at the 2006 British
Grand Prix.
Yet as milestones are passed, and records fall, one truth
remains. That each success,small and great, is only possible
with the dedication and passion of the women and men who pursue
ever greater challenges. In 2006, motorsport may not directly
develop the cars of tomorrow, but it does express a company's
passion, its soul and its expertise. This weekend's centenary
is also a commemoration of those values that continue to drive
the Renault F1 Team forward today.
Fernando Alonso: "Keep on winning –
and increase our lead"
Fernando, you arrive in Magny-Cours with a championship
lead of 19 points. You have won six out of ten races, finished
every one and only once not been on the podium. Can you believe
how well the start of the year has gone?
It has been better than we expected at the beginning of the
year! With all the new rules for 2006, we were a little bit
worried about starting the season with a brand new car, and
a brand new V8 engine. The team did a fantastic job over the
winter though, and when we got to the race we were 100% ready.
That's what allowed us to have such a good start to the year.
Looking to the French Grand Prix, you are the defending
race winner. What are your memories from last year?
It was a fantastic race last year, one of the best for me.
McLaren were really strong during that part of the season
and we won the French Grand Prix because we deserved it. It
was a perfect race, with a fantastic atmosphere. The crowd
was excited, and I was too. I was very proud to win that race.
Yourself and the Renault F1 Team have three home
races in effect – in Spain, Great Britain and France.
You have won the other two this season… are you looking
for a hat trick?
For sure. I think that from my point of view, in the paddock,
with the fans, this is actually quite a normal race. But for
the French guys in the team, they are extra motivated and
excited for their home Grand Prix. So that's my focus –
to do better than ever for them, and concentrate on winning
in France for our team, for Renault, and for Michelin and
Elf as well.
What about the circuit? Will it be a good one for
yourself and the Renault package?
I think so. There are a few high speed corners there, and
you need good traction. Both of those things are characteristics
of the R26, so it will be a good circuit for us and for Michelin
too I think. There are two quick chicanes at Magny-Cours that
I really enjoy, taken in 5th or 6th gear, and they are the
only ones of their type on any circuit. So it has some unique
challenges as well.
Finally, Ferrari dominated the Indianapolis race
weekend. Do you expect to bounce back strongly in France?
Yes. I won four races in a row before Indy, but I always said
that the championship was not over, and it sounded really
pessimistic. But a gap of 25 points before Indy didn't mean
that we would be champions automatically, and now that the
gap is 19 points, we cannot be pessimistic and think the advantage
will disappear quickly. You have to look at the big picture
for the championship. I was first or second at nine of the
ten races – and in the next eight races, I think we
will be able to keep on winning and increase the lead even
more.
Giancarlo Fisichella: "An important
race for all of Renault"
Giancarlo, you are third in the world championship
as you come to Magny-Cours, as a Renault driver for the second.
What's your feeling for this race?
It's a special special. I am very happy to be working with
Renault – and to know that I am staying with the team
for the future. Fernando and I both go to Magny-Cours with
the possibility of winning, and it will be an important race
for Renault on a lot of levels. We have a lot of fans there,
all the race team members from Viry-Châtillon are very
motivated, and the stands are full of people from Viry and
other Renault factories. They will all be pushing with us
on Sunday, and we will be doing our maximum to win the race.
You were in Goodwood last weekend for the Festival
of Speed to help celebrate Renault's Grand Prix centenary.
What did you think?
It was a really impressive place, just totally different to
what we are used to at the Grand Prix weekend! You could really
feel the passion of the fans, a lot of warmth coming from
them, and see their enthusiasm for the cars too. It was great
to be part of Renault's celebrations of 100 years in Grand
Prix racing – I knew that there was a lot of history
at Renault from the 1970s and 1980s, but I didn't know that
it went back a hundred years… It would be really nice
to win the centenary race this weekend.
Is this a difficult circuit for the car and engine?
Most of all, I think it is quite a hard circuit for the tyres.
We have one very high speed corner at turn 3, but I don't
think that is the most important one on the circuit. There
are a lot of slow-speed corners everywhere and they are where
you gain or lost a lot of time. We have to find a good mechanical
set-up to have good levels of grip in the corners, and traction
on the exits of the slow speed turns. The traction makes it
quite hard for the tyres too, and we have to be careful of
rear tyre wear in the race – especially if it's very
hot.
You had a strong podium result in Indianapolis last
time out. More of the same in Magny-Cours?
I had a really strong weekend in Indianapolis. I had a good
feeling with the car straight away but even so, I left with
mixed feelings. I felt that I did the maximum possible in
finishing third, but we were still a long way off Ferrari.
So for Magny-Cours, my goal is to maintain my personal level
of performance – but from a position where we can beat
both Ferraris. The team has been working hard to develop the
car all season, and we have another engine step this weekend
in France which will give us a boost. I am optimistic that
Michelin will have a perfect tyre, so we want a weekend without
problems to be able to give our fans they victory they want
to see.
Halfway and beyond…
The Renault F1 Team reached the halfway stage of the season
during the North American campaign with strong leads in both
the drivers' and constructors' championships. A tough weekend
in Indianapolis saw main rival Ferrari re-gain ground on the
French team, but also enabled Giancarlo Fisichella to surge
into third place in the drivers' championship. So what's the
prognosis for the final eight races of 2006? We asked some
key players in the world champion team for their thoughts:
Alain Dassas, President, Renault F1 Team
Renault announced renewed long-term commitment to Formula
1 last April. What has been the impact of the announcement?
The impact of the announcement is wide-ranging. Firstly, it
reassures the team. Within Renault, there is strong support
for the F1 programme but, for the shareholders, there were
some questions. We now know what the future looks like, and
I can see new energy. In the coming months, the programmes
aimed at exploiting our F1 success will grow. We have just
established a Motorsport Management Committee aimed at making
better capital from our F1 success on a commercial and product
level. In terms of our sponsors, we will also try and leverage
further involvement from suppliers to the Renault Group.
Flavio Briatore, Managing Director, Renault F1 Team
Can Renault take double championship victory again in 2006?
Yes, I believe so. We have the performance, the reliability
and the people. They are doing the job, and doing it well.
If we carry on, if we take nothing for granted and continue
to push ourselves, then we can do it. It will be a tough fight,
but that is the challenge and the thrill of F1 – to
work with the team, with its people, to achieve your goals
together. That is what really motivates me – and I know
we have the ability to take the championships this year.
Bob Bell, Chassis Technical Director
Has the mood of the Renault F1 Team changed compared to 2005?
I think it is even more determined. The pressure to deliver
doesn't just come from the outside: it comes from every member
of the team. There is a self-imposed desire to take things
to the next level, to move on and to do an even better job
than last year. It is a paradoxical situation we find ourselves
in. Last year, we had nothing to lose but could afford to
take a slightly conservative approach to our racing. This
year, we have everything to lose but we need to really push
like hell to stay ahead.
Rob White, Engine Technical Director
What are the team's plans for development of the RS26 engine
to the end of the season?
We are absolutely committed to the performance development
of the RS26 engine to the end of the season. The engine is
a critical performance parameter in the car's performance,
and we will aim to develop it as well as we did last year,
and hopefully better. It is clear that we need to pursue our
development aggressively in order to maintain our advantage
over the competition and although we may not have the biggest
‘war chest' in terms of resources, we are well-equipped
for what we need to do, we believe we have established competitive
targets to do it, and will be disappointed if our season is
not rewarded with more world championship titles.
Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering
What are your expectations for the second half of the championship?
In the last few races, we have seen that McLaren are coming
back in to the mix and they will play a major role. At the
start of the year, I was expecting a four-way fight between
Renault, Ferrari, McLaren and Honda. Ferrari have lived up
to expectations, and Honda seem to be further behind than
we thought. But after struggling in the opening races, McLaren
are right back at the front. We are no longer fighting just
one team but two. It will be a thrilling finish to the year
– and one where we intend to come out on top!
Denis Chevrier, Head of Trackside Engine Operations
What is the main strength of the Renault F1 Team at the moment?
I think the greatest strength is the absence of weaknesses.
Not in terms of our drivers, nor the engine, chassis, tyres
or strategy. I think we have the best of what's available
up and down the pit-lane in every area. From this point on,
we have to ensure this system stays strong and continues to
perform exceptionally: any lowering of standards could cost
us very dearly.
All of these quotations have been extracted from the 2006
Mid-Season Press Pack that is now available from the team.
Interviews with key team personnel form part of a comprehensive
dossier published in English, French, Spanish and Italian
to mark the halfway point of the team's title defence. Copies
can be collected from the Renault F1 Team motorhome in the
F1 paddock. For non-accredited media, copies can be obtained
by writing to pressoffice@uk.renaultf1.com.
Magny-Cours Tech File
Downforce
We run medium to high levels of downforce at Magny-Cours in
order to get improve braking and traction, as well as grip
in the medium speed corners. While it might seem tempting
to reduce wing levels to improve top speed to try and overtake
competitors on the run to turn 5, this is actually counter-productive:
reducing wing costs the drivers speed in turn 3, reducing
their exit speeds and having little impact on the speed at
the end of the straight.
Suspension
The circuit features an exceptionally smooth surface, meaning
we can run the cars with very low ride heights, and stiff
suspension. Stiff suspension offers benefits in terms of aerodynamic
performance, and the change of direction in the quick chicanes
at turns 6/7 and 11/12. The car may end up a little nervous
in these sections, but this does not cost time as both are
followed by braking zones and slow corners. In terms of suspension
settings, we must nevertheless find the right balance between
stiffness for the higher speed sections, and mechanical grip
for the slow corners.
Reliability
Magny-Cours presents few unusual reliability challenges for
the cars, but the major one comes at the final chicane with
its very high kerbs. The quickest line involves bouncing over
both kerbs, but brings with it the associated risks of over-revving
the engine and overloading the transmission. While the drivers
will always use the optimum line in qualifying to achieve
the fastest lap-time, they may alter this slightly for the
race to look after the mechanicals of the car.
Track temperature
The track surface at Magny-Cours is notorious for its temperature
sensitivity. A variation in its exposure to sunlight can have
a large effect on the track temperatures, and something as
seemingly innocuous as a passing cloud could take a tyre compound
out of its optimum operating window. This is something we
try and counter in our tyre choice, and we pick the most suitable
compound for the predicted conditions. In general, rising
temperatures will make the car oversteer more, and the evolution
of track temperature is something we track throughout the
weekend.
Engine torque
Magny-Cours is a circuit where engine torque plays a prominent
role. We need strong levels of torque to launch the cars out
of the numerous slow corners, but also good torque control
at higher revs. In turn 3, and also at the two quick chicanes,
the drivers go back to full throttle while the car is turning
and under high aerodynamic loads. Power delivery must therefore
be as smooth as possible to avoid unsettling the car balance.
This will be a less of a factor with the V8 engines than with
the V10 generation, owing to reduced levels of torque.
Gearing
Gear ratios at Magny-Cours tend to be shortly-spaced in order
to optimise the car's acceleration from slow speeds. This
means our attention is focused primarily on the 0-250 kph
range without too many worries about top speeds. This is because
the primary passing opportunity on the circuit is at the end
of the back straight, which is preceded by an ‘aero-dominant'
corner where following another closely car is difficult –
which makes it hard to use any straightline speed advantage
on the exit. However, the exception to this rule can come
on the first lap where gaps between cars have not stabilised
– and it is still possible to pass for position.
Control systems
The control systems are important in two main areas at Magny-Cours:
firstly, for controlling rear tyre wear; and secondly, to
avoid over-revving at the final chicane when the cars leap
into the air and leave the rear wheels spinning freely. However,
these tasks are part of our ‘normal' weekend work and
do not present a significant additional challenge.
Extra Motif-ation at Magny-Cours
This weekend's Grand Prix will be the second time in a week
that France and Italy have faced off with a world championship
at stake. At Magny-Cours, ‘les bleus' will be facing
up to the challenge of the Scuderia Ferrari – and they
will be getting a little helping hand from a new livery, from
the pen of Korean designer B-S Choi.
A contemporary fashion designer and celebrity in his native
Korea, Choi has drawn inspiration from the parallels between
the sweeping, blue curves of the R26 race-car and the dynamism
of the ocean. The white livery symbolises a shark, with its
sharp teeth, glaring eyes and muscular form scything through
the ‘grand bleu' as the Renault race-cars hopes to do
through the F1 field on Sunday afternoon. After the unique
tiger and keris designs brought success in Silverstone and
Montreal, we hope to make it a hat-trick in Many-Cours!
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