Preview, 2006 Canadian GP
The Renault F1 Team preview of the 2006 Canadian
GP.
Fernando Alonso
Fernando, you arrive in Canada on the back of a hat-trick
of wins in Spain, Monaco and Great Britain. What's your goal
for this weekend?
Canada was one of the races on my ‘to-do' list at the
start of the season. I have never finished on the podium there,
and that was one of my goals for 2006. So I will be really
pushing to get a strong result there.
How competitive will the Renault be on the long straights
and in the tight corners?
In the past few years, this has always been a very good circuit
for the Renault car. I didn't finish in 2005 or 2004, but
we were very quick in both races, and I set the fastest lap
in 2003. It will be a good track for us, I think.
What are the main demands on the car?
This is always a tough race for the teams. We see a lot of
retirements during the race, because the engines are stressed
hard, there is heavy braking, and the transmission has a tough
time from launching out of the slow corners. I think the brakes
are probably the most important area though. We have low levels
of downforce, so you need confidence on the brakes because
the car feels very light, and we work hard to get the right
feel.
How do you cope with changing circuit conditions,
as the grip levels improve through the weekend?
We go there knowing that the circuit will change a lot during
the weekend. For sure, there will be more grip in every corner,
every braking zone, every corner exit on Sunday, than on Friday.
That means we have a moving target for the set-up, because
the track is changing constantly, and we need to make the
best estimates of what we will require – for the tyres
as well. But we have good data from previous years, and by
Sunday, we always have a good car. So I don't think it will
be a problem.
Finally, you go into this round of the championship
with a 23-point lead over your main rival. Can you now start
to manage the advantage?
Definitely not – the season is not even at the halfway
stage yet, and in Ferrari, we have very strong competition.
Last year, we were fighting against teams who had reliability
problems – but that won't happen with Ferrari. They
will be there at every race, and very strong in Canada as
well. So we are still attacking, still being aggressive, putting
new parts on the car and trying to push the limits at every
race. That's the only approach we can afford to take this
season.
Giancarlo Fisichella
Giancarlo, you now know you will be a Renault driver
in 2007. A big boost for you?
Of course, it's a massive boost. It is fantastic to be staying
with a team that will be fighting for the world championship
next year – and to be able to build upon the experience
I have had here in 2005 and 2006. At the moment, though, my
focus is on the next race. I have had some strong races recently,
but the results have not quite been there for me, so I want
to put things right in Canada.
It was one of the team's strongest performances in
2005…
Yes it was – but also our worst result of the season.
We had a strong package there in 2005, and I was leading the
race when I retired. I have a great memory of the first part
of that race, and I want to carry on where I left off last
year – at the front of the field. The Renault package
should be very strong in Canada, and we want to be fighting
for the win.
Tell us about the demands of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve…
It is a difficult circuit. The downforce levels are low, which
makes the car delicate to drive, and you have to be very precise
on the chicanes: you don't have the grip to recover from a
mistake if you get the wrong line. So you need to find the
right balance between being aggressive and driving smoothly.
I have always really enjoyed the challenge of this circuit.
So it's a question of touch, of feeling as well as
scientific engineering?
Exactly. On Friday, we know it is low grip – but you
need to get out on the track, to try the limits and get a
good feeling with the car. A little bit like the way we run
in Monaco. Obviously, the circuit is very slippery then and
it's easy to make a mistake, but the grip improves all the
way through the weekend. The important thing is to have the
feeling with the track.
History shows you have had that "feeling"
in past years. What's the objective for this race?
Well, I have been on the podium four times in Canada –
twice in third, and twice in second. So there's only one place
missing from my record… I think we can go to Canada
and be confident of fighting for the win. We need a clean
weekend of course, to get maximum track time and make sure
there are no problems in practice or qually. But if we get
that, then I will be aiming to make it five podiums in Canada
– and to do it from the top step of the podium.
Bob Bell, Technical Director
Bob, Canada's been a bogey circuit for Renault in
the past two years, with double retirements in 2004 and 2005.
You will be hoping to change that for 2006…
Yes, we want to put this race to bed – and score the
result we should have had the past two years. In performance
terms, we have been very quick in Montreal for a number of
years now. We could have won both of the past races there,
and even scored a one-two in 2005. So there's a very real
sense of unfinished business for the whole team.
Three of the four retirements were reliability-related
in the past two years. Are you confident you are on top of
those issues now?
Certainly, our package is more reliable this year than it
was last. In 16 starts so far this season, we have had only
one DNF, which is a very strong run. Canada is a very tough
race mechanically-speaking, because of the stop-start nature
of the circuit. But I am confident that we will be OK from
a reliability perspective.
Will the demands of the circuit suit the R26?
I think so. In Canada, you need to stop well – and accelerate
well. Our car has excellent aerodynamic efficiency, a strong
engine, good traction and is stable under braking. What's
more, it's easy to drive which will allow both drivers to
attack throughout the race. I think the characteristics of
the Montreal circuit play to the strengths of our package.
We are in the middle of a very close battle between
Michelin and their rival tyre manufacturer. Where do you expect
the advantage to lie in Canada?
I don't think we have any worries about the tyres at all –
we are confident that Michelin's products will be extremely
competitive at the next races. Michelin have been fantastic
this year, taking lessons on-board, pushing their development
hard and coming up with the goods on Sunday afternoon. They
are determined to win two more titles this season.
In terms of chassis development, Canada obviously
requires a special low-drag package…
Exactly. We develop a special wing package for this circuit,
with lower drag levels to ensure we achieve competitive speeds
on the long straights. We also have a significant number of
developments going on the car for these races. I think these
will in fact bear fruit at both North American races, because
none of our rivals will have the time to test in between the
races and respond. Our development is very aggressive in every
area.
So the goals for the weekend are…
… to come away from the race with a good points-scoring
finish. There is no reason why we can't challenge for the
win, and we will hope to maintain the championship gap to
Ferrari. In fact, over the next two races we want to extend
that lead slightly. If we can go past the halfway point in
the championship with this kind of advantage, then it means
our rivals have to not only replicate our performance in the
first-half of the championship, but go even further. That
won't be an easy thing to do.
Does that mean you see the next pair of races as
strategically important for the championship?
Yes, I think they are. This is the time of year when people
make big choices about how hard to push their development
processes to the end of the year, and if we can maintain that
lead, then that may influence how they make their decisions.
A strong North American campaign will bring a real psychological
boost, and allow us to go to Magny-Cours on the offensive.
We want to push home our advantage in the coming races
Montreal Tech File
Including several quick corners, long straights and plenty
of heavy braking with four stops from over 300 kph, the Circuit
Gilles Villeneuve demands a car that gives the drivers confidence
to brake late – and get the power on early. Here's a
run-down of what the Renault F1 Team does to the set-up to
tweak the handling of the R26 for this circuit!
Aerodynamics: With the circuit layout composed of long straights
only a few quick corners, we will generally use low levels
of downforce in order to achieve competitive straightline
speeds. Reducing drag is a primary focus for the aerodynamicists
as they prepare special wings for Canada and the USA.
Suspension: With low levels of downforce, the car will feel
‘light' to drive and nervous. The drivers will therefore
have to be smoother and more delicate with their steering
inputs, but also with their application of brakes and throttle.
To improve stability and avoid costly rear brake locking under
heavy braking, we will tune the suspension: a stiff front
end gives a good change of direction through the slow corners,
with softer settings at the rear in order to improve the car's
braking stability on corner entry, and traction on the exit.
Brakes: Overheating is not the primary concern with the brakes
at this circuit, as the long straights give them ample time
to cool properly. However, we must monitor disc and pad wear
extremely carefully as they must absorb significant braking
energies around the lap. We measure the wear levels in real
time, and according to the read-outs, we may ask the driver
to adjust the brake balance forwards or rearwards.
Tyres: Tyre wear will not be particularly significant here,
because the track surface is not particularly abrasive. However,
the traction demands of the circuit mean the rear tyres will
endure a harder time than the fronts, and blistering could
be an issue in hot conditions.
Engine performance: The repeated pattern of heavy braking/heavy
acceleration that characterises the Montreal circuit, means
we use the engine in a very ‘stop-start' fashion. With
nearly 66% of the lap spent at full throttle, and long continuous
sections at maximum load, the circuit is at the demanding
end of the scale for the engine. Good torque is also a bonus,
to help launch the car out of the slow corners.
Gearbox: We will pay particular attention to gear ratios
and the selection of seventh gear at this circuit. Not only
do we have to take into account the effects of slipstreaming
down the long straights, but also the wind direction, which
can have a significant positive or negative impact on speeds
down the back straight in particular.
Cooling: Cut grass around the circuit has in the past proved
a hazard when it comes to cooling the engine properly in Canada.
It is an area we monitor closely.
Renault F1 Team Artwork: Episode 2
In Silverstone, we had a crouching tiger (yes, the dragon
was hidden!) to speed us towards victory; the unique artwork
livery did the trick, as Fernando sped to his third consecutive
race win and Fisico to a battling fourth place finish.
For the Canadian Grand Prix, young Malaysian designer Yazid
Bin Md. Yusof from Kuala Lumpur was given the blank canvas
of Fernando and Fisico's R26 race-car. The result is inspired
by a magical weapon from ancient Malay culture: the keris.
An object of veneration in Malay culture, the keris is believed
to be endowed with mystical powers – a magical weapon
capable of eliminating rivals and protecting its bearer.
Certainly the omens could not be better: Malaysia has always
been one of the team's best circuits, with an all-Renault
front row and Fernando's first podium in 2003, victory in
2005 and a one-two finish in 2006. Hopefully some of the keris'
protective magic can rub off in Montreal, where the team has
finished just once in its last six starts!
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