2006 Australian GP Preview, Renault F1 Team
The Renault F1 Team's official 2006 Australian Grand
Prix preview.
Fernando Alonso
Fernando, what have the opening races of 2006 taught
you for the rest of the season?
They have given me more confidence. After these races, we
know the car is competitive, it has won the first two races,
and that gives me the conviction that we can be quick at the
next sixteen rounds too. It is a difficult feeling to explain,
but having seen what the car can do, I don't have any doubts
that we can win the championship again. I am very optimistic
after these opening rounds.
Are you looking forward to arriving in Melbourne?
Absolutely. Melbourne always has one of the best atmospheres
of the whole season. I think it comes from the people, and
their culture, they always make it a good Grand Prix. It is
a long way from home, but we are always happy to be in Melbourne,
to feel the country's passion for Formula 1. It will be a
fantastic weekend this year, I am sure.
The Albert Park circuit is used as normal roads for
much of the year. What does that change for you?
Normally, it doesn't change too much. The fact it is a street
circuit means there are some traffic lines on the asphalt,
so it we get any rain, then you have to choose the line very
carefully because these areas are slippery, and that can make
the circuit a bit complex. It is quite bumpy too, and takes
a long time to clean up during the race weekend. It makes
for a difficult Grand Prix.
Do you think the R26 will suit the circuit?
I think so, yes. Over the last few years, good braking and
traction have been strong characteristics of the Renault cars,
and this is what you need in Melbourne. The key is the slow-speed
chicanes, where you arrive in sixth or seventh gear, brake
hard, then get back on the throttle in second gear. We know
the car is good in those areas, and we were very quick at
this circuit last year. It should be the same for 2006.
Giancarlo Fisichella
Giancarlo, you must be feeling very optimistic heading
to Australia?
For sure! We had a fantastic weekend in Malaysia, to get the
pole and the race win, and to do it without any unusual circumstances
like in Melbourne 2005. Even in Bahrain, the car felt very
strong and taking into account the power loss, I was very
competitive. And now we are in Melbourne. I have a great feeling
here, I won last year, and I am hoping to do the same again!
What are your thoughts on the competitiveness of
the R26?
I think the first two races have shown we have a good potential.
In the winter, I said I wanted to go for the championship,
and these races have shown that I have the chance to do well
at every circuit, and to fight for the title. That is my dream,
and my goal this year. The atmosphere within the team is fantastic,
and I have a great relationship with Fernando. The feeling
is very positive.
Can you explain the challenges of the Melbourne circuit?
The fact that it is a street circuit means it changes a lot,
so it is difficult to find a good set-up on Friday, and to
find good grip. Obviously, we want a nice balance on the car,
to make it easy to drive. But the really important thing is
to get good traction out of the slow corners and chicanes,
and we concentrate on this.
So what are your expectations for the race?
Well, this is the last flyaway race, and it is very important
to score lots of points early in the season. I think Renault
will be very competitive in Australia, and I am going for
the win. I want to arrive in Imola, one of my home races,
with a very strong position in the championship.
Flavio Briatore, Managing Director
Flavio, what is your mood as you arrive in Melbourne for
the 2006 Australian GP?
I'm happy. Melbourne is a favourite race for everybody and
we are happy to be there. In terms of our performance, we
knew we needed to be fighting for the championship again,
to be defending it with a strong competition. We have shown
that Renault is at the top again in 2006, and that we will
be fighting all the way to the end to try and win it.
And what is your opinion of the show so far this
season?
I think we have seen a fantastic show. After the first race,
we saw Ferrari were back, and that is good for everybody in
Formula 1. To have Fernando fighting with Michael increased
the TV share everywhere, because Michael and Ferrari are fantastic
assets for Formula 1.
What about the new qualifying format?
I think the knockout system is very good, and spectacular
for the spectators. But I am still not happy with the first
part of Q3. At the moment, we are going round for no reason,
and it doesn't make sense for the people or for our image
with the environment. I think the final session should be
15 minutes long, and you fuel beforehand. You then qualify,
and whatever load you finish the session with, then you go
to parc fermé and start the race like that. What we
are doing now doesn't make sense for the show.
What has surprised you so far?
For me, Renault is the surprise this year. All through the
winter, we only heard reasons why we would not be on top.
And we have shown that we know how to work properly, to adapt
to the rules and manage our season the right way. People didn't
expect us to still be at the front, and we are.
Do you already have a feel for how the title fight
might turn out?
I think we can expect to see four drivers fighting for the
championship. Fernando, of course. Michael if the car is right.
Kimi. And Fisichella. He is strong in the team this year,
and we have already seen what he can do in Malaysia.
But Giancarlo had a difficult season last year…
Yes, but last year, 80% of the problems he had were our fault.
He arrived last year without any experience of a top team,
and he realised it was a different game, with a lot of pressure.
This year, he has settled down, we can see he is more relaxed,
and he has been very quick. He needs the luck, yes, but that
comes when you are strong and take risks, because you believe
in yourself. I think he has started doing it.
There were also suggestions that the early announcement
of Fernando's departure would destabilise the team…
I haven't seen any change at all in Fernando. He is still
hungry to win,. we saw that in Bahrain and Malaysia. Last
year, he only made one mistake all year, and if anything,
he is even more mature this season. But he is the same guy,
with 100% commitment to the team.
Of course, speculation will soon begin concerning
which drivers you will sign for 2007…
The important thing is to have a competitive team, to keep
Renault strong in Formula 1. When the team is strong enough,
then you attract strong drivers. We still have sixteen races
to go, and people will try and talk about this every weekend.
But we won't do it in public. We will only talk about our
drivers when the decision has been taken.
Renault was also at the centre of speculation over
its long-term commitment to the sport during the winter…
Renault is in the same situation as all the manufacturers
and in that group, we are in a strong position. At the moment,
all the parties are looking for the right compromise in the
negotiations and Renault, like the other manufacturers, is
waiting for an agreement. I think it is normal that any manager
wants to know the basic business plan of the industry –
the investment we need, and the term of the investment. But
this position has nothing unique for Renault. In the meantime,
we have won two world championships, and the first two races.
The team is often cited as the most efficient in
the sport. Where does that come from?
We invest every penny in the business, but it is also about
how we operate. If you have an unlimited budget, it can be
like going into a restaurant where the menu is fantastic.
So you have a bit of that, of bit of this, and you end up
with nothing. The way we work, is like going shopping. You
know what you want for dinner. So you go any buy the ingredients,
and you get the result you want. That is what we did again
this winter, working the right way with the new rules, and
delivering the right results.
Tech File: Australia
Melbourne is a circuit composed of public roads, which means
it has an unusual track surface that changes significantly
over the course of the weekend, as rubber is laid down on
the racing line. Albert Park is characterised by a series
of hard phases of acceleration and bumpy braking areas ahead
of the chicanes. These factors influence the set-up of both
the chassis and the engine.
Chassis
Suspension: We must find a compromise between a set-up that
is stiff enough to give the car a responsive change of direction
in the slow chicanes, but soft enough to ensure we have good
braking stability to avoid locking the wheels under heavy
braking.
Aerodynamics: The downforce level used at this race is medium-high,
as we aim to give the drivers the best possible traction out
of the slow corners.
Tyres: A street circuit is always very "green"
when we begin running, and track conditions only begin to
improve after several sessions. This is true at Melbourne,
and tyre wear varies according to the track conditions. Wear
levels are normally higher on the first day as the tyres slide
more because of the lack of available grip, and gradually
diminish during the weekend.
Braking: The circuit includes six major braking zones from
around 300 kph. The brakes are use heavily in Australia, and
we pay particular attention to brake cooling to avoid oxidisation.
Engine
Performance: With 69% of the lap spent at full throttle,
Melbourne is a demanding engine circuit. Pure performance
is not the critical parameter, rather we focus on good torque
to launch the cars out of the slow corners.
Cooling: The relatively cool temperatures and high atmospheric
pressure (1010 millibars) mean the engine develops more power,
which provides some moving parts with a severe test. We look
for the best possible cooling compromise to minimise the stress
on these components.
Electronics: Every circuit demands a specific electronic
configuration, with tweaks to the engine mapping, traction
control settings, gear ratios, and fuel consumption. We work
during practice to best adapt these parameters.
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