Renault F1 Team preview of the 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix.
Fernando Alonso: "Taking nothing for granted"
Fernando, Brazil was the place where you won your world championship
last year. It must hold fantastic memories for you?
FA: Yes of course. Brazil will always hold unique memories
from winning the championship there in 2005 – and the
fact we are fighting for it again in 2006 makes it even more
important. It is a fantastic place, where you can really feel
the emotion and the passion of Formula 1. Brazil has a long
tradition in the sport with many famous drivers, so you have
the history too. It is great to be racing in this country,
and especially with so much at stake at the end of the season.
In terms of the circuit, what challenges does it hold for
you and the engineers?
FA: The track surface is normally very bumpy, so we work a
lot on the suspension to make the car comfortable to drive
over the whole race distance. The other main area is the engine,
because the main straight is very long and uphill, so you
need good power and good acceleration out of the last corner.
Those are the most important factors from my point of view.
Michael Schumacher has said that the drivers' championship
is over for him. What approach will you be taking?
FA: Firstly, I don't think it is over at all. Until the final
lap, when you know you are champion, anything can still happen
and we are taking nothing for granted. So we know that there
is still a job to do, and we are focused on it. I think our
aim has to be to do a normal weekend, to get the maximum from
the car without any big risks, and to finish the job. If we
have our usual performance, fighting at the front, then we
will achieve our targets.
Finally, the 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix will mark the end
of an era for you, as your last race with Renault. What will
be your thoughts?
FA: I think it makes this a very special weekend for me, and
gives me extra motivation to do the maximum for all my friends
and team-mates. It is also the last race for Michelin in this
period, and both Renault and Michelin have done so much for
me in the six seasons since I started in F1. I think it is
impossible to give back to them everything they have given
to me since 2001. The only way I can try is to have a fantastic
final race and to win the title so we can finish our relationship
in the right way, with a celebration.
Giancarlo Fisichella: "Do the maximum for myself
and the team"
Giancarlo, you have had two podiums in the last two races
– you seem to be ending the season in strong form…
GF: I definitely think so, yes. The car is working really
well at the moment and Michelin have done a fantastic job
in the last races. That means we are fighting at the front
in all conditions, and I have had clean races without any
problems. Suzuka was really good fun, overtaking Button in
the first stint and then using a good strategy to get ahead
of Toyota. Things are going really well at the moment, for
me and the team.
Now we arrive in Interlagos – what are your thoughts
on the circuit?
GF: My thoughts are simple – it is one of my favourite
circuits! I scored my first Grand Prix win here in 2003, and
I finished second in 2000 as well. So there are good memories
for me at this track, and I really enjoy its challenges as
well. It is a difficult track, particularly for the neck because
we are running anti-clockwise, so the left-hand side of your
neck has a really hard time. Plus there are lots of bumps,
which makes it physically harder as well; and it is a short
track, so we do a lot of laps in the race. It all means that
physical and mental endurance are very important factors.
In terms of technical development, you will be using a boosted
RS26 engine in Interlagos…
GF: Yes, I think it should be a good step forward for me.
The team at Viry has done an amazing job this year with the
V8 engine, from the first test in January all the way through
to the final race, and to have a new development ready for
the final race shows how committed they are to winning this
year. They have worked extremely hard to prepare the new specification
so it is powerful and reliable. Hopefully, it can give us
the edge in terms of performance.
Finally, your objectives for this race are two-fold: to take
third place in the drivers' championship, and to win the constructors'…
GF: Absolutely. I go into this race with the aim of doing
the absolute maximum to win. You cannot drive with the idea
that only points are good enough, you have to be aggressive,
to attack and aim for the top of the podium. It is too early
to make any predictions about performance until we see the
cars running on Friday, but we know that the R26 is competitive
after our performance in Suzuka. But my objective will be
to fight at the front of the field, and score maximum points
for myself and the team.
Bob Bell: "Winning championships by winning
races"
Bob, the Renault F1 Team took its first victory since June
in Suzuka. Was it a lucky win?
BB: Only in the sense that we have no direct influence on
Ferrari's reliability! This team has worked flat out all year
and even in the tougher moments of the season, we have never
given up. Fernando was in the best possible position to capitalise
on Michael's misfortune in Japan thanks to the pace of the
car, and one might argue that we pushed them to use their
engine harder than they would have liked. Just like in life,
I think you make your own luck in Formula 1.
As the team goes to Brazil, there is a dizzying array of
mathematical possibilities for winning the championship. How
do you establish the team's targets for this crucial race?
BB: The most important thing will be to change nothing, and
to not feel pressured to do so. We go to every race weekend
aiming to win, and we will approach Brazil in the same way.
We want to do our normal job, and take nothing for granted.
We will race hard and react accordingly should the circumstances
of the race demand it. There are many mathematical scenarios
that could see us win or lose, but for the team, it will be
business as usual. I think we have always believed that the
best to win championships is by winning races.
Michael Schumacher practically conceded the drivers' championship
in Brazil. That must make Fernando's life easier?
BB: Make no mistake: Michael will be racing flat out in Brazil,
as always. His hallmark trait is that he never gives up, and
that is why he has been testing in Jerez since Japan. And
he has an extra reason to be going flat out in Interlagos.
This will be the last race of his career, and I am sure he
is determined to go out on a high.
Looking at the demands of the Interlagos circuit, it is often
said to be very bumpy. Could the absence of the mass damper
particularly affect the car?
BB: To be honest, it is no longer the very bumpy circuit it
once was. Last year's race in Brazil was the first time we
ran the Tuned Mass Damper, and the drivers certainly noticed
the help it gave them. But we have worked very hard to re-optimise
the car since it was removed, and we have been very competitive
at a wide range of circuits since then. The R26 has been quick
at all types of circuit this year, and we are confident it
will once again be so in Brazil.
Suzuka was a strange weekend for the tyres, with a performance
deficit in qualifying reversed in the race. What do you expect
in Brazil?
BB: We have worked hard on our tyre choice for the race, and
Michelin's effort over the past months has shown how determined
they are to leave Formula 1 on a high. But we need to wait
for the first practice sessions before making any predictions.
We are confident that we will have a competitive, consistent
race tyre.
You mentioned that this will be Michael Schumacher's final
race in F1. It will also be Fernando Alonso's last Grand Prix
with Renault. What are your thoughts?
BB: We have known for a long time that Fernando is leaving
after this race, and we have maintained an excellent working
relationship throughout the year. It will certainly be the
end of an era for the team, but we are determined to finish
on a high by winning both titles, as we did last year. After
that, we will begin to look ahead with great optimism, and
relishing the new challenges of 2007.
Finally, what is your perspective on this year's championship
battle with Ferrari, compared to fighting with McLaren in
2005?
BB: First and foremost, they have both been equally hard!
The team has raised its game for 2006: we have scored more
points and finished more races than in 2005. We are up against
Ferrari at the peak of their abilities, and Michael Schumacher
at the peak of his. Should we win, that will mean the prestige
of our victory is only greater – especially when we
reflect on the adversity we have overcome this season. We
won the first and last races of 2005, which was a true reflection
of our effort all through the year. We are determined to do
it again in 2006.
Tech File: Interlagos
Interlagos is a circuit of contrasting extremes, combining
slow hairpins with one of the longest straights of the season.
Sitting in a natural bowl, it undulates throughout its 4.309
km length, and is notorious for its bumpy surface –
although this was improved by resurfacing in 2004. The physical
demands of the bumpy circuit are intensified by the fact that
it runs anti-clockwise, subjecting the drivers' necks to the
opposite loadings as at a normal track. It is a circuit where
overtaking is possible, particularly on the entry to turn
1, and the set-up compromise therefore tends to favour straightline
speed over optimum lap-time, to ensure the drivers can make
up positions, and defend them, during the 71-lap race.
Chassis
Aerodynamics: The contrasting nature of
the Interlagos circuit makes very different demands on the
R26. The first and last sectors are made up primarily of long
straights, where good top speeds are necessary to maintain
competitiveness and protect position; this means low level
of downforce are required. However, the middle sector requires
the opposite: high downforce to ensure good grip under acceleration,
braking and cornering through the twisting series of hairpins.
Balancing these requirements gives us an optimum downforce
setting for achieving the fastest possible lap-time. At this
point, though, we must also consider the demands of racing
around other cars, rather than just in isolation. In order
to do so successfully, we need competitive speeds at the end
of the long main straight – and achieving these may
drag us away from our optimum downforce, to a slightly lower
setting which allows the drivers to overtake and defend their
position into turn 1.
Mechanical Set-up: The combination of high
and low speed corners means it is hard to find a suitable
mechanical compromise at Interlagos. Just as with our choice
of aero level, we priorities certain sectors of the circuit
over others. The most important corner at Interlagos is turn
12, as it determines your speed along the uphill main straight
– a full throttle period lasting over 15 seconds. We
therefore pay special attention ensuring the car gets a good
exit from this corner, even though this can generate some
slow-speed understeer in the middle sector. However, any losses
incurred with this understeer are outweighed by the benefits
in lap-time and competitiveness achieved in sector 3. The
second important factor for the mechanical set-up is the track
surface. Traditionally considered very bumpy, it used to force
the teams to compromise their ideal ride heights. However,
the resurfacing in 2004 improved this situation and now means
that we can run our optimum ride heights.
Tyres: Interlagos includes relatively few
high-speed corners with high lateral loadings on the tyres.
Coupled with a track surface that is not particularly abrasive,
this means we can use relatively soft tyres. These can be
vulnerable to graining in colder-than-expected conditions,
while rear tyres temperatures are also carefully monitored.
The numerous traction events, and particularly the propensity
of the inside rear tyre to spin in the slow corners, can lead
to problems if they are not kept under check.
Weather conditions: The Brazilian GP weekend
is often affected by rain at some point, and when it rains,
it pours at Interlagos… Michelin's wet weather tyres
have demonstrated excellent competitiveness in recent races,
but wet conditions at Interlagos carry their own dangers.
Most notably, the cambers and undulations of the circuit can
lead to rivers down the hill between turns 1 and 2, across
the track at turn 3 and on the main straight after turn 12.
These unpredictable conditions can turn the race into a lottery.
Engine
Performance: The long main straight at Interlagos
means engine power is a critical factor at this circuit. All
the engines, though, must contend with the effects of running
at altitude, as the circuit is situation around 800m above
sea level. The reduced atmospheric pressure costs the engines
around 7% of their power output; as a result, the 67% of the
lap spent at full throttle is equivalent to 62% at sea level.
While this reduces the demands on some components such as
the pistons, other parts of the engine such as the crankshaft
are still subjected to significant loadings. Furthermore,
both Renault drivers will benefit from new engines at this
race. These units will only have to complete a single race
cycle, rather than two weekends, and the performance potential
of the engines will be allocated accordingly.
Driveability: Just as the contrasting mix
of straights and slow corners has consequences for the chassis
set-up, it also puts the emphasis on particular engine characteristics.
A driveable engine is particularly important in the middle
sector of the lap, through turns 8/9/10, as the drivers are
running in the lowest gears, with sudden changes of direction
and throttle and brake inputs. Smooth power delivery allows
them to take the optimum line, without disrupting the balance
of the car. The same characteristics bring their rewards in
wet conditions as well.
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