Preview, 2007 Spanish GP - 8 MAY 2007
The ING Renault F1 Team previews round four of the 2007 Formula
1 World Championship.
Giancarlo Fisichella: "Getting the maximum out
of the car"
Although the team's overall performance so far has
been disappointing, you have driven three aggressive races.
How will you be approaching the Spanish Grand Prix?
At the first three races, we managed to get the maximum out
of our package, and that was something positive. But we know
that the car is not competitive enough yet. The team has been
working very hard over the last few weeks to understand the
problems, and how to solve them. Personally, my focus is on
the race, and on taking every opportunity to make sure we
continue performing to the car's maximum.
You said that the team has been working hard since
Bahrain. Do you think the R27 will have improved relative
to the competition?
We have worked well, and made progress. The test last week
gave us the opportunity to find a good set-up with the car,
and to work with some new parts. We are going in the right
direction, and everybody in the team is very motivated, but
our competitors are clearly working hard too and moving forward.
The competition is very close at the moment, and we will need
to be ready to battle again this weekend.
You know the Circuit de Catalunya by heart after
testing here so often over the years. Is it a circuit you
enjoy?
It's true that we test here a lot because it's very demanding
for the tyres, and also the aerodynamics. It is a very complete
circuit, and tough for the cars. From a driving point of view
it's a good challenge too, and I always enjoy racing in Barcelona.
I finished on the podium in 2006, and set fastest lap in 2005,
so it suits me well. The races are always close, and you have
to keep the car and tyres in good condition all the way through
to get a good result. I'm certainly looking forward to the
race.
Heikki Kovalainen: "We will be fighting hard
in Barcelona"
Heikki, the European season begins with round 4 of
the championship in Barcelona. How have you prepared for this
race?
The main preparation came during testing at this circuit last
week. We ran through our usual pre-race programme, working
on car set-up, while I focused on my driving, finding the
right lines and good braking points. It was our normal series
of preparations before we race at a circuit, and of course,
we also carried on collecting data to continue the analysis
of the problems we have experienced since the start of the
year.
What factors do you need to take into account to
set-up the car for this circuit?
Barcelona is a very demanding circuit for the car. You need
a good chassis balance in the long corners, good aerodynamic
grip, and also good mechanical performance – particularly
on the exit of the slow corners. The track is very hard on
the tyres, and you have to pay attention to the wear levels,
particularly on the long runs. With that in mind, you also
need to tune control systems such as the traction control
properly, in order to be quick over a full race distance.
The circuit was modified during the winter. Does
the new layout change much for the drivers?
A little bit, but it's not too significant. The main thing
is that you need to pay even more attention now, because the
new part of the circuit is more slippery than the rest of
the circuit and that can catch you out. Overall, though, it's
not a big change: it means the circuit has more corners than
before and it's quite fun to drive!
How do you expect the car to perform this weekend
in Spain?
When we tested at the track last week, the car seemed to be
working quite well. The new parts have helped us make a small
step, so hopefully it will be enough compared to our immediate
competitors. Clearly, it is going to be another hard-fought
weekend at such a demanding track, but we will be pushing
to the maximum – and trying to get everything out of
the car during qualifying and the race
Pat Symonds: "The team has been exemplary so
far in 2007"
Formula 1 has enjoyed a four-week break between the
Bahraini and Spanish Grands Prix. What has been the agenda
for the ING Renault F1 Team?
Leaving Bahrain we knew that the "break" to the
next race would be one in name only – and that's exactly
how it has proved. There has been a huge amount of research
and analysis conducted, as we work on finding the solutions
to our current problems. In parallel with that, we have been
pushing forward with our usual performance development, testing
new parts for the coming races.
What areas has you work focused on as you look to
resolve the current performance problems?
Of prime importance has been the ability to run on track,
with additional instrumentation that cannot be used during
the race weekends. We have collected gigabytes of data and
conducted detailed analysis of them. As we have always said,
this initial phase is very much a process of elimination:
our approach has been to look at every possible cause, then
discard them as our work advances in order to pin-point the
areas for more detailed investigation. It is painstaking work,
but we have made good steps forward since we raced in Bahrain.
Will that progress be reflected in a significant
improvement in on-track performance in Barcelona?
In previous weeks, we have said that the road back to our
normal level of competitiveness will be a long one, and that
is still true. We have made good progress in our analysis
and understanding of the R27, but we are not expecting a leap
forward in our competitiveness relative to our rivals this
weekend. It will be a tough race weekend where we have to
fight for every point.
After a difficult start to the team's 2007 campaign,
what positives can you take from the season so far?
The positives are not as easy to find as in previous years
– but that doesn't mean they are not there. The team
at the circuit has worked tirelessly during winter testing
and the first three flyaway races, including a test session
in Malaysia. Throughout, they demonstrated why we have just
won two championships: race reliability has been exemplary,
and details like the pit-stops were spot on. The work back
at the factory is less public, but it has been no less intense.
Analysis after analysis has been conducted, solutions tested
and implemented. The work has been above and beyond the call
of duty for all of our staff and the response to our current
situation has been exemplary.
Let's talk about the drivers, and Giancarlo first
of all. How has he been driving during these opening races?
Giancarlo has been very impressive so far this season. A lot
of our esteem for him is rooted in the way he handled our
2001 season, when he put huge effort into making the most
of a difficult car. We are seeing something similar this year.
The R27 is a hard car to drive consistently, but in spite
of this, he has driven very consistent races. He has taken
the car to the limit of what it is currently capable of, and
contributed in every way he can to helping resolve our current
problems. We couldn't ask any more of him.
Heikki endured a difficult debut race, but performances
have improved since then. What is your assessment of the beginning
of his F1 career?
With a rookie driver, the one thing you need to give him so
he can perform is a car that he can trust. It needs to be
consistent, and allow recovery from the inevitable mistakes
a rookie makes. At the moment, Heikki doesn't have that kind
of car, and it was all too obvious in Melbourne. Since then,
though, he has applied his intelligence, learned to drive
the R27 within its limits and, like Giancarlo, he has worked
tirelessly to help the engineers understand the problems.
He has shown he is a team player, and that he can play his
role as a motivator too.
How will the R27 suit Barcelona this coming weekend?
Like our rivals, we have completed a lot of miles on this
circuit, and we know that it is a tough test of an F1 car.
Although the nature of the track has changed slightly with
the new chicane at turns 12/13/14, we can still expect very
close competition. Last year, P5 to P9 in qualifying were
separated by just 0.13s, and if anything, the times in the
midfield group are even closer this year than last. That means
getting into third qualifying will remain a tough challenge,
just as it has been at every race so far. But we will do our
best to rise to it.
Will the car feature new developments?
Yes. It is important to keep pushing our development programmes
in addition to our problem-solving, and that is exactly what
we are doing. We have aerodynamic and mechanical updates to
the car in Barcelona, and of course, we have been working
hard to ensure we maintain our record of reliable race finishes.
In the current circumstances, have you been tempted
to look back at the past two years, when the team arrived
in Barcelona leading the championship?
Motor racing is all about looking forward, not being nostalgic
about the past. We are certainly in a tougher situation than
in the last two years, and the reward for our hard work is
less tangible. It takes character to find real reward in achieving
the maximum with the equipment available to you, and to work
methodically to resolve problems. Real character is something
that this Renault team has in abundance, and it's what makes
me optimistic that it will be a case of when, not if, we bounce
back.
Spanish GP Tech File
Barcelona is a circuit that every F1 team knows well from
thousands of kilometres of testing during the winter and throughout
the season. The circuit is known as a definitive aero circuit,
with long, high- and medium-speed corners that really put
the cars to the test. The long corners mean the tyres have
a tough time and for 2007, the teams will have to adapt to
the new, slow chicane at turns 13 and 14. This will mean cars
can now follow each other more closely through the final corner,
taken under hard acceleration, meaning overtaking –
previously considered almost impossible – may now be
a possibility at the Circuit de Catalunya.
Chassis
Aerodynamics: Aerodynamic efficiency is
always a key factor at this circuit. The new chicane replaces
a high-speed corner, meaning the circuit's aerodynamic demands
are a little less severe than in previous years. However,
the Circuit de Catalunya is still a formidable test of a car's
aero performance, and teams are still likely to run with high
downforce in order to maintain competitiveness over the whole
lap. However, with overtaking now a possibility on the main
straight and into turn 1, optimum downforce levels may need
to be revised in order to race well depending on the straightline
speeds achieved by competitors.
Suspension: When we look at suspension settings,
we have to find the best compromise to give the drivers a
well-balanced, responsive car. This means we will use relatively
stiffer settings at the front of the car to get a good change
of direction, while the rear will be slightly softer in order
to get the best possible traction out of the slow corners.
The exit from the chicane at the penultimate corner will be
critical, as it will condition speed all the way down the
main straight – and a poor exit may leave cars vulnerable
to being overtaken into turn 1, as competitors will now be
able to follow more closely through turn 15, which is taken
at lower speeds than in previous years. Ride height is also
an important parameter to consider – generally we can
run the car quite low thanks to the smooth track surface,
to achieve optimum aerodynamic performance.
Tyres: The Circuit de Catalunya is well
known for being a tough circuit on tyres, particularly because
it includes so many long, high-speed corners. These put the
tyres under high loadings, and particularly the front left
which has to work very hard in all the quick right-hand corners.
We will therefore evaluate wear and degradation carefully
over the long runs, in order to select the best tyre with
which to run the majority of the race. The Medium and Hard
compounds from Bridgestone's 2007 range will be available
at this race, and these tyres were evaluated extensively during
the pre-race test session.
Engine
Performance: Barcelona is not generally
thought of as an engine circuit as the engine is not under
particular stress at any point. There are relatively few hard
accelerations from low revs, even taking into account the
new chicane, and the main priority is for the power delivery
to be progressive and driveable in order to maintain the best
handling balance, and limit tyre wear. The chicane has also
reduced the time spent at full throttle, which now equates
to around 64% of the lap.
Gearbox: Given the length of the main straight
at this circuit, the choice of gear ratios can prove difficult.
The wind direction is quite changeable, and usually provides
either a headwind or a tailwind on the main straight. This
means that the choice of final drive is important, because
while over-revving is no longer a possibility under the 2007
regulations, spending too much time on the rev limiter owing
to a poorly calibrated final drive will certainly cost overall
lap-time. Selecting the correct final drive is an important
part of the work during the practice sessions.
Magic Moments: 30 Years of Renault in F1
To mark the 30th anniversary of Renault's F1 debut in 1977,
we re-live the magic moments from the company's illustrious
motorsport heritage.
Renault at the Spanish Grand Prix
Renault's F1 history has seen the team compete in the Spanish
Grand Prix at Jarama (1978/79/81), Jerez (1986/89/90) and
Barcelona (1991 onwards).
While success was never forthcoming on the twists and turns
of Jarama, Renault power scored a first Spanish win in 1986,
propelling Ayrton Senna's Lotus-Renault to victory in one
of the closest finishes in F1 history as he beat Nigel Mansell's
Williams by just 0.014s.
However, Renault's success story in Spain really took off
in 1991, when the race moved to Barcelona. Nigel Mansell's
Williams-Renault took the win that day, famously banging wheels
with Ayrton Senna's McLaren on the long pit straight as he
passed the Brazilian in the early stages. That began a series
of three consecutive Renault wins in Spain, with Mansell repeating
his victory (this from pole) in 1992, before Alain Prost took
the honours from pole position in 1993. The V10 era saw two
more wins for Renault power in Spain, with Michael Schumacher
leading home Johnny Herbert in a Benetton-Renault one-two
in 1995, and Jacques Villeneuve taking the win in 1997 in
his Williams-Renault, on the way to the world title.
Although Renault F1 Team drivers have taken a total of five
podium finishes in Spain since 2002, just one of them saw
a Renault driver on the top step. That was in last year's
race when Fernando Alonso dominated his home race after starting
from pole position – the 150th pole for a Renault engine
in Formula 1.
On This Day in History… 13 May
Race day in Barcelona will be Sunday 13 May – which
has seen its fair share of Renault successes in the past thirty
years. It will be no surprise to learn that it coincides with
previous Spanish Grands Prix, notably the day on which Michael
Schumacher set pole position in 1995, while Fernando Alonso
did the same on May 13 2006. But do you remember the 1990
San Marino Grand Prix? It saw four leaders (the two McLarens
of Senna and Berger, the two Williams-Renaults of Boutsen
and Patrese) with Riccardo Patrese seizing the lead from the
struggling Berger just ten laps from the finish, following
retirements by Senna and Boutsen. It was the third win (of
75) for the Renault V10 between 1989 and 1997, and the first
of two wins in the 1990 season (the other coming in Hungary,
with Boutsen at the wheel).
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