Monday Morning Debrief: 2006 Japanese GP - 9 OCT 2006
Renault F1 Team took its second double podium in two years
at Suzuka yesterday afternoon – and struck an important
blow in the world championship. Here's the story behind the
scenes…
All for one, one for all
A Renault F1 Team tradition was continued on Sunday afternoon
when a team member took to the podium to collect the trophy
for winning constructor. In Suzuka, it was the turn of Fabrice
Lom, engine race engineer to third-place man Giancarlo Fisichella.
Himself an amateur racing driver in the Legends series, Fabrice
enjoyed a special moment in his racing career:
Fabrice, what a moment for you. What was the feeling
like?
FL: It was a fantastic feeling, but it is quite a selfish
pleasure up there as well – you are representing the
team, but enjoying the moment all alone. It was a shame we
couldn't have everybody up there on the podium today.
You were belting out every word of La Marseillaise…
FL: For sure! I know the words by heart, and it was a great
moment to hear La Marseillaise ringing out. I think the next
challenge is to teach the words to some of our colleagues
from Enstone…!
What were your thoughts on this weekend's performance?
FL: Most of all, this is a race we won fair and square. There
was no luck involved, it was all about hard work. We have
had our problems with the engine this year, and the team has
worked so, so hard to fix them. Today, we had no problems
and others did. It was a victory born of a lot of hard work
over the past month.
Pat Symonds: "Brazil will be a fascinating battle"
Executive Director of Engineering Pat Symonds was a happy
man after the double podium finish in Suzuka. He is the man
famed for saying that every win is worth the same ten points,
so how did this one feel?
Pat, all victories are equal in mathematical terms, but that
must have been a particularly satisfying one…
PS: It was. Ever since Hungary two months ago, we have been
threatening to win again, and it has been frustrating for
the whole team that it hasn't happened. That makes today's
win particularly sweet. Of course, it comes at a critical
time of the championship, but it certainly feels like a reward
for the disappointment of the past two months.
Michael Schumacher has almost conceded the drivers'
championship after this race. Does that make your life any
easier?
PS: It doesn't change a thing! Today's result makes our approach
for Brazil easier, but while Michael might be playing down
his chances, it is still statistically possible for him to
win and we must acknowledge that fact. I am sure he will be
racing just as hard, as well. As always, our strategy for
Brazil will be grounded in solid reliability, and giving ourselves
the tools to finish races. We are in a position were we do
not need to take undue risks.
The key moment in today' race clearly came when Michael's
engine failed. Looking in your crystal ball, what might have
happened without that failure?
PS: Fernando seemed to be catching Michael quite convincingly
in that middle stint, and the projection was that he would
have caught him – but the performance differential between
the two cars would probably not have been enough to overtake
on a circuit like Suzuka. I think Michael's failure probably
robbed us of a classic Alonso-Schumacher battle in the closing
laps…
Fernando's race was flawless from start to finish. What about
Giancarlo, who finished third?
PS: Fisi drove a brilliantly controlled race, he was really
very good this afternoon. He pushed at the right times to
make the strategy work, and a podium finish was a just reward
for his efforts.
This is the final visit to Suzuka for the foreseeable
future. Are you sad to be losing this circuit from the calendar?
PS: I really am, yes, because it is such a fantastic circuit.
And that sadness is compounded by the fact that the new venue
does not seem to have anything like the same character or
challenge. The facilities at Suzuka are not the best, but
ultimately we go to any track to race. It is a special place
and I think today's race gave it the send-off it deserved.
Looking ahead to the championship decider, who will have
the advantage in the final race at Interlagos?
PS: I think it is going to be very even, and the team with
the advantage will be the one whose tyres are working better,
on that track surface, on the day in question, with the ambient
temperatures at the time. Both teams have had a lot of success
there, including Fernando's championship win last year, and
we know the circuit well. It will be a fascinating battle.
Celebration Time
It had been a while since we saw an Alonso victory dance
in parc fermé, 105 days in fact. The celebrations were
back on Sunday, but the most significant gesture came as he
celebrated the win with his mechanics before climbing to the
podium. Fernando's number 1 mechanic Chris Hessey (who celebrated
his creatively-counted 48th birthday on Saturday) was there
waiting, with a newspaper in his hand.
With helmet and HANS device still firmly in place, Fernando
took the paper (Sunday morning's edition of the paddock's
much-read, much enjoyed Red Bulletin), pointed at the cover
– and then tossed it into the crowd of well-wishers.
The headline? "Under Pressure: Alonso Has It All Do".
The result? Job done!
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