Preview, 2007 Australian Grand Prix
The ING Renault F1 Team previews the opening round of the
2007 Formula 1 World Championship.
Giancarlo Fisichella
Giancarlo, you won the Australian Grand Prix in 2005.
Do you particularly enjoy the Albert Park circuit?
Yes, it's one of my favourite circuits, and I have very good
memories after my win there in 2005. It is an interesting
track because it's on public roads, so it is changing and
evolving throughout the weekend, which is something we must
adapt to with the set-up of the car.
You have completed over 5000 km of testing this winter.
Is the R27 ready for its first race?
The R27 is an evolution of the R26 and the R25, both of which
were always quick in Melbourne. We have a good baseline, and
lots of potential in the car; and we have worked hard this
winter to be able to fight with the front-runners at the start
of the year. We know that it is quite a low grip circuit in
Australia, so we will focus on that area. It will not be an
easy race, and we don't expect it to be, but the motivation
in the team is very high; we will make the most of every opportunity
we have.
What is your objective for the first race?
I want to score as many points as possible in the early races
of the year. If we cannot fight for the win, I will be trying
to out-score my rivals, and finish on the podium if it is
possible.
The first Grand Prix of the season will also give
us a clearer idea of the pecking order for 2007. How do you
view the situation?
It's hard to say at the moment. BMW and Williams seem like
they are ready to challenge, but I think Ferrari, McLaren
and Renault will once again be the main favourites at the
start of the year. But now, we need to see if the race confirms
our predictions…
Heikki Kovalainen
Heikki, Australiawill be your first Formula 1 Grand
Prix. How are you preparing for this milestone in your career?
I think I started preparing over a year ago, when I joined
the ING Renault F1 Team as third driver! I was able to learn
my job in the best conditions, get to know the team, and visit
the factories. It was a long apprenticeship, but now I feel
completely ready to go to the next level. I can't wait to
get to Melbourne!
What are you expecting from your first race?
I am expecting a tough race. I am preparing for every possibility,
and I know that I will have to push right to the limit. With
the team, we will have to find the perfect set-up for the
R27 to get maximum potential out of the car. From a personal
point of view, I want to get to the finish without any problems
and finish in the points. I think that would be a good start.
You will have three hours of free practice on Friday.
Will that be an advantage for you as a rookie?
The new timetable on Friday is a definite positive, particularly
for a rookie driver like me who doesn't know the circuit.
I think we will have plenty of time to find the right set-up,
and from a driving point of view, I will have enough time
to learn the circuit and feel comfortable. It will mean I
can approach qualifying with no worries. That's a big advantage
for me.
What are the main characteristics of the circuit?
From what I know, it is a track that's often very dirty and
slippery in the opening sessions on Friday, because it is
a street circuit. People are driving on the roads every day,
so you have to be careful because the track can be very green.
The track changes all the way through the weekend, so you
have to know how to adapt, and adjust the car set-up for this
characteristics. The team has a lot of experience here, with
good set-ups from the last two seasons, and I am confident
that will mean we can approach the race in the best possible
way.
Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering
Pat, the ING Renault F1 Team has won in Melbourne
for the past two seasons. What position is the team in as
you approach the opening round of the 2007 championship?
PS:I think we are being realistic about our performance at
the moment. We know we are not in the same position as we
were twelve months ago. But we were encouraged by the results
of our final pre-season test in Bahrain. There are still areas
to work on in order to improve the car, and we know what we
have to do. We expect 2007 to be a tough battle – but
we are ready for the fight.
How is the mood in the team as you approach the first
race?
PS:Pretty upbeat. Of course, there is some frustration that
we are not out front and leading the field, but it is no more
than that. We are pleased with the progress since R27 ran
for the first time in January, and feel that things have moved
on quite a lot for us – even though we still have some
way to go. So I suppose it's a slightly mixed mood. But most
of all, we are looking forward to getting to the track, and
going racing again.
The team's race drivers, Giancarlo Fisichella and
Heikki Kovalainen, have completed over 10,000 km between them
during pre-season testing. How would you assess their performance?
PS:Naturally, I think there is probably some disappointment
that we are not right on the pace at the moment, but they
have been encouraged by the gains we made recently. Giancarlo
has been doing just what we asked of him this winter: he has
stepped up to the mark, and is giving that little bit extra
following Fernando's departure, exactly as we had hoped. As
for Heikki, I think he is very focused on making a good start
to his F1 career. He is confident ahead of his F1 debut, and
has done a very good job this winter. The new race weekend
format, with extra running time on Friday, will be an advantage
for him as he learns the circuits. We are all looking forward
to seeing him perform in a Grand Prix for the first time.
Renault is just one of the top teams going into the
new season with a rookie driver in its line-up. Are you pleased
to see new faces in the sport?
PS:Absolutely! I think it is really good to see young guys
getting their chance in the top teams. None of them –
Heikki, Hamilton or Kubica – are there by chance, they
have really earned their drives with their performances in
testing, or in other championships. Their freshness and hunger
to get on with the job are great to see, and I really do think
it is hugely positive for Formula 1.
The drivers have spent much of winter testing adapting
to the new Bridgestone Potenza tyres. How big a change has
that been?
PS:It is a big difference compared to last season. The tyres
have been designed to offer less grip than in 2006, for safety
reasons. And that has been something the drivers have had
to adapt their style to suit. What's more, for those drivers
making the transition to Bridgestone tyres, there are some
quite different handling characteristics to master as well.
It is maybe a little easy to dismiss a change like this, but
the drivers have had to learn some significantly new skills
this winter.
Looking at the Albert Park circuit, how do you expect
the R27 to suit it?
PS:I think the car should go reasonably well there. Melbourne
needs a car that has a good change of direction, and that
is good on the brakes. The track can be a bit bumpy, and the
temperatures are very variable at this time of year. But we
have seen our cars perform well here in recent years, and
I don't think it will be too bad for us.
Formula 1 enters an era of minimal tyre and engine
development in 2007. What impact do you expect these factors
to have, if any?
PS:I think everybody expects to see much closer competition
between the teams, and that will mean that any mistake is
more costly. Our preparations have been extremely thorough,
and we have completed more testing miles than any other team.
In the last two years, we learned the lesson that while each
of opening races offers the same number of points as any other,
performing successfully is a big psychological boost for the
team. That will still be true in 2007. And of course, while
engine and tyre development will be limited, there are still
plenty of gains to be made on the chassis and aero side. Once
again, 2007 will be all about making the most of what you
have got at every race – and developing faster than
your rivals.
Finally, who would you pick out as favourites for
the opening part of the new season?
PS:During the final tests in Bahrain, we began to see clearly
that Ferrari are ahead of the pack. After them, McLaren are
possibly the second team in the pecking order. And along with
BMW, Renault is probably in an equal third position. In reliability
terms, both Renault and McLaren seem to have enjoyed very
good reliability through the winter. But as we always say,
testing is only testing. The acid test comes in Melbourne,
when we see how it all translates to the race weekend…
What's new for 2007?
Tyres
Bridgestone is the sole tyre supplier in the 2007 championship.
Under the terms of the Sporting Regulations, they must make
available "identical quantities and specifications of
tyres to all teams" (Art. 25.1b).
For testing, this means an allocation of 300 sets of tyres
per team, for the entire season (with total testing mileage
restricted to a maximum of 30,000 km, this means approx. 100
km per set of tyres).
At a race weekend, tyre usage is as follows:
TOTAL
No more than:
14 sets dry tyres per driver (7 of each spec)
5 sets wet tyres per driver
4 sets extreme tyres per driver
P1 + P2
8 sets dry tyres per team (4 of each spec), all to be returned
after P2.
Only 1 set of wet and 1 set of extreme permitted per driver,
which must be returned if used.
P3
10 sets of dry tyres per driver (5 of each spec), 2 sets to
be returned after P3 (1 of each spec).
4 sets of wet and 3 sets of extreme allocated per driver.
Unused tyres from P1/P2 can form part of this allocation.
Qualifying
+ Race
8 sets of dry tyres per driver available (4 of each spec).
At least 1 set of each dry spec must be used by the driver
in the race, unless wet or extreme tyres are used.
The different tyre specifications must be visually distinguishable
from one another when on track.
The engineer's view: Pat Symonds, Executive Director
of Engineering
" Tyre usage is something we had to pay close attention
to during 2006, and while the rules offer a little more freedom
this year, it will still play an important part in how we
plan our race weekend.
"Using two types of tyre during the race is not a huge
change. The impact will vary from weekend to weekend, and
its severity will depend on whether or not the softer tyre
is marginal on the circuit in question, or in the prevailing
conditions. Just as with any other strategic factor, though,
there will be an optimum way to run the race – and most
of the teams will arrive at that optimum point pretty quickly.
There may be some variation at the start of the season, but
I am sure we will soon all be following similar strategies.
"It is a very good thing indeed that spectators will
be able to distinguish between the tyres types. It makes the
sport easier to understand, it's more transparent, and that's
a good thing. For the teams, it makes very little difference,
as we all used our resources to obtain this information anyway.
Now, we will be able to invest that energy elsewhere. Quite
simply, it's better for everybody."
Engines
2007 sees Formula 1 enter a period of engine homologation
during which the sealed perimeter of the engine will remain
unchanged for the 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 seasons.
All engines are based on the units used at the 2006 Chinese
and Japanese Grands Prix. Approved modifications, at the discretion
of the FIA, to specified areas of the engine, were permitted
to re-tune the units for a new maximum rev limit of 19,000
rpm. All engines must be 2.4l V8 engines.
The engineer's view: Rob White, Deputy Managing Director
(Engine)
"Our development programme is clearly much reduced compared
to previous years – and our resources have been structured
to reflect this. In the past, the primary routes to improved
performance came through development within the engine's sealed
perimeter, and any such development has been outlawed by the
engine homologation regulations. No development is permitted
within the sealed perimeter of the engine, which restricts
our work to optimising how we use the engine in the car –
and the areas of electronics, ancillary components and gains
from fuel and lubricants with our partner Elf. Last year,
with unlimited development under deliberately restrictive
V8 engine regulations, we could expect to achieve a gain of
between 1 and 2% in engine performance. During 2007, modest
gains of up to 1% may be achievable."
Engine usage is now free during the free practice sessions
on Friday (P1 + P2), in order to encourage increased on-track
action relative to 2006.
An engine must still last for two consecutive Events, but
for the purposes of engine usage, an Event is deemed to comprise
P3, qualifying and the race. This means engines will be changed
after P2, in preparation for running on Saturday and Sunday.
In total, the ING Renault F1 Team will bring eight engines
to each Grand Prix event, compared to five in 2006. However,
engines that run in Friday practice will not reach peak mileage
during these sessions, and may subsequently be run at other
Grand Prix weekends, or during testing.
The Renault F1 Team will supply identical specification RS27
engines to Red Bull Racing for the 2007 season and beyond.
The engineer's view: Denis Chevrier, Head of Trackside
Engine Operations
"Competitive customer engine supply is part of Renault's
racing heritage, and we have tried to approach our new relationship
with Red Bull Racing in the best possible conditions, establishing
clear, honest operating principles from the outset. Priority
number one was to ensure that the works team suffered no drop
off in the quality of trackside support. And number two, was
to establish a strong trackside team with Red Bull Racing,
building for the long term. Our teams have had to learn how
to work together, in order to build up performance levels
ahead of the season. What's more, our engine supply agreement
has meant we completed more miles with the RS27 engine this
winter, allowing us to learn more about its on-track behaviour
than would otherwise have been possible. That additional knowledge
will be beneficial for both Renault and Red Bull Racing."
Race Weekend
Free practice sessions will take place on Friday from 10.00
to 11.30 (P1) and 14.00 to 15.30 (P2). Teams are permitted
to run additional drivers during these sessions, but may run
no more than two drivers in any one session.
For all free practice sessions, pit-lane speed limits will
be fixed at 60 kph. For qualifying and the race, this will
be raised to 80 kph – reduced from 100 kph in 2006.
The additional time required for pit-stops may influence teams'
decisions on race strategy
This Race in History
Famous anniversaries in Renault's F1 history at the 2007
Australian Grand Prix:
Australian GP
1985:Pole, Senna (Lotus-Renault)
1989:Win, Boutsen (Williams-Renault)
1992: Pole, Mansell (Williams-Renault)
1994: Win, Mansell (Williams-Renault)
1995: Front Row, Hill/Coulthard (Williams-Renault); Win,
Hill (Williams-Renault)
1996: Front Row, Villeneuve/Hill (Williams-Renault);1 - 2,
Hill/Villeneuve (Williams-Renault) [75th GP win Renault engine]
2005:Pole + Win, Fisichella (Renault F1 Team)
2006: Win, Alonso (Renault F1 Team)
This Day in History
18/03/06: Pole, Fisichella, Malaysian GP (Renault F1 Team)
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