Bahrain Grand Prix 2008 Preview - 31 MAR 2008
The ING Renault F1 Team prepares for the third round of the
2008 Formula 1 World Championship: the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Fernando Alonso: "We must approach the season
step-by-step and keep improving"
Fernando, after an amazing race in Australia, you
scored just a point in Malaysia…
Yes, we scored a point for eighth place and it was not possible
to do any better. It is only a point, but a point all the
same. We know that our level of performance at the moment
is not at the level of the leading teams, but we are working
hard to move forward and close the gap. To finish in the points
must be our goal at the moment and we must approach the season
step-by-step and keep improving.
In the last four years you have won in Bahrain twice.
Is it a circuit that you like?
I do have happy memories because I won there in 2005 and 2006
with Renault. It is an unusual circuit because of the sand
that can be blown onto the track and so driving the car can
feel quite strange. You never really know what the track conditions
will be like from one corner to another, and sometimes you
can be taken by surprise. The temperatures are also high in
Bahrain, but after hot races in Melbourne and Sepang, we are
already used to this.
What in your opinion are the main demands of the
circuit?
Sakhir is renowned as a circuit that is demanding on the brakes.
The wear can be very significant and it is an aspect that
we have to pay attention to, especially in the race so that
we can be sure that we do not have a problem that will cost
us any positions. From the first free practice session on
Friday, this will be something that we will keep in mind.
What will be the goal for the team this weekend?
We don't know yet exactly where we stand, although we know
that we are behind Ferrari, McLaren and BMW. Reaching Q3 is
not easy and so scoring points in the race is also difficult.
But we have scored points in the first couple of races and
I think that is what we must aim for again this weekend in
Bahrain. We must try and take advantage of the slightest opportunity
that comes our way and each race must be seen as a way for
us to progress.
Nelson Piquet: "We must be ready to take any
opportunities that present themselves"
Nelson, you had a difficult debut in Melbourne, but
you bounced back in Malaysia were you showed good pace and
finished your second Grand Prix…
The weekend was certainly much more positive in Malaysia and
I was in a position to do lots of running in each session,
which allowed me to find a good rhythm for the whole weekend.
Unfortunately I did not have an ideal qualifying session and
that is something I have to improve. The race itself was difficult
because my drink was not working and I was stuck in the traffic,
but I did not finish too far away from Fernando and I am happy
to have completed my first Grand Prix – that is very
important for me.
You know the Sakhir circuit as you raced there in
GP2 in 2005. Is it a circuit that you enjoy?
To be honest it is not one of my favourites. But I do know
the circuit and that is certainly an advantage for me. I will
be able to start working on improving the set-up of the car
with my engineers as soon as the practice sessions begin,
rather than having to learn the circuit. That will allow me
to approach my weekend more calmly.
The team must still improve the performance of the
car, but what are you hoping for from your third Grand Prix?
My goal is to be in the points. That was my target in Malaysia
but unfortunately I was not in a position to do it on that
occasion. Fernando has finished in the points twice in the
first two races, and so I would like to follow this and score
some important points for the team. I think that we can aim
for seventh and eighth places and we must be ready to take
any opportunities that present themselves.
The track is often slippery in Sakhir because of
the sand which gets blown onto the circuit. Is there a specific
area where you must work in order to improve the car?
There is nothing special you can do – you just have
to stay on the clean part of the circuit and try not to make
any mistakes. I think that the race will probably be eventful,
a bit like Melbourne, with the drivers making mistakes more
easily as a result of the new regulations and the absence
of driver aids.
Pat Symonds: "The situation is very different
to last year"
Pat, where do you feel the team stand after the opening
couple of races?
I don't think we learnt a great deal from the first race and
that is not uncommon because Melbourne is always an unusual
race, but in Malaysia we had a more straightforward race and
so I think we can see the picture starting to emerge. In Australia
we thought that McLaren had a big advantage, but when we got
to Malaysia we were not quite so sure and Ferrari had the
upper hand. That suggests we are likely to see something similar
to last year where the performance of teams swings from one
circuit to another as the strengths and weaknesses of the
cars become apparent. Behind those cars there is a big bunch
of teams that are all very closely matched, but I think we
have to believe that BMW, Toyota and maybe even Williams are
ahead of us and we therefore have a lot of work to do.
What positives do you take from the opening two races?
There are plenty of positives as we have had pretty good reliability
in the first couple of races. Nelson didn't finish in Australia,
but that was only due to a very trivial electrical problem
and, other than that, the cars have run reasonably well. I
think that we can take a big positive from Nelson's start
to the season as he overcame a very difficult weekend in Australia
and bounced back in Malaysia where he was very strong, which
is a real credit to him. I think the other positive which
we all expected is the sheer effort that Fernando puts in,
and particularly the way he grabbed fourth position towards
the end of the race in Australia – that was just so
typical of Fernando and shows us that he never gives up.
What have the team identified as areas to improve
in the quest for greater performance?
Ultimately there is one area that is most dominant in terms
of performance and that is the car's aero package. But the
situation is very different to last year, and I think that
is a point we need to emphasise because last year our aero
performance was not what we believed it to be and that was
because we had a very specific problem in correlation between
the wind tunnel and the car. This year our correlation is
perfectly reasonable, it's just that our aero performance
is not where we want it to be, and I believe that is because
we are still suffering the penalty of the development time
we lost while getting the correlation back. We've tried desperately
to catch up by starting work on the 2008 car earlier, but
clearly we haven't done all the catching up that we need to
do. What we can do now is redouble our efforts in that area
and concentrate on improving the aero performance.
Going back to the drivers, how do you rate Fernando's
performances so far?
Fernando really is one of the positives and the effort we
get from him is fantastic, as is his understanding of the
race, the tactics and the whole business of Formula 1. He
goes about things in a very calm way and I like that because
I think it pervades through the team. I always like to try
and put calmness in the team because I think it operates better
that way and it's great when you have a driver who can do
that. The other thing about Fernando is that his results are
very motivational – he's not a guy who has to go around
motivating people because his ability and his results motivate
people in themselves. Everyone knows that at the end of every
race Fernando has put in a 100% effort no matter what the
circumstances are or what position he is racing for, and that
is incredibly motivating for the whole team.
Nelson enjoyed a more positive weekend in Sepang
and gained valuable mileage. What can the team expect from
him in Bahrain?
I think Nelson had a pretty exemplary weekend in Sepang and
it was a big step forward from Australia where there were
a lot of problems that were not of his own making. He showed
a lot of strength to bounce back from such a difficult weekend
and perform like he did in Sepang. In terms of what we can
expect from him in Bahrain, I think the answer is that we
can expect further building on a very solid Malaysian weekend
and another strong performance. Nelson already knows the track
as he did three days of testing there last year and that will
be a big help because he won't have to learn the circuit.
It's not a necessity to get him out on the circuit just doing
miles and I think we can adopt a much more normal programme
with him in Bahrain, which will allow him to use his new tyres
better and have a clearly focussed weekend.
How do you expect the R28 to suit the Sakhir circuit
this coming weekend?
There are a lot of similarities between the first three circuits,
and particularly between Malaysia and Bahrain where the general
set-up of the car is not that different. I think that Malaysia
was a reasonably straightforward race where, with the possible
exception of Williams, we saw everyone's true colours, and
I don't think that the conditions of Bahrain are sufficiently
different to alter the status quo that has been established.
So I see us being part of this very tight bunch of teams with
everything to play for, and the ability to be at the front
or the back of that bunch with very there being very little
in it. We managed to be in that bunch in Malaysia and I expect
the same in Bahrain, which means that points will be the target
and I'd love to see both drivers through to Q3. But I know
that is not going to be easy because that is the nature of
the competitiveness at the moment.
And finally, how would you sum up the mood in the
team at the moment?
We had hoped that we would give Fernando a car that was capable
of winning because we know that he can win, and so far we
haven't done that. That leads to some disappointment, but
above all it leads to determination that we are going to give
him that car. Everyone in the team hated last year, especially
after two years of regular winning, and our determination
is to get back to that standard and not to accept anything
less than that.
Bahrain: Tech File
The Bahrain International Circuit offers an interesting technical
challenge for the teams, even if the circuit is not renowned
for its exciting high-speed corners. With long straights,
big braking zones and several low-speed sections, it is a
circuit that requires good mechanical grip and a precise and
responsive car. In this regard it is quite similar to Melbourne's
Albert Park as the emphasis is on hard acceleration and stability
under braking. A strong engine, good mechanical grip and sound
brake balance are therefore the keys to a good lap in Bahrain.
Aerodynamics
The team will run a similar aero package to Melbourne and
Sepang, although the lack of high-speed corners in Bahrain
means that the downforce settings will be a level lower than
in the first two races. The three long straights also require
a slippery car in order to get good straight-line speed in
the race, although this can make the car nervous under braking.
Chassis set-up
A set-up compromise must be sought to ensure a stable balance
in the quick corners and supple enough suspension in the lower
sections to give good mechanical grip. Hitting this balance
will also minimise oversteer on the exit of the slower corners,
allowing the drivers to carry good speed onto the straights.
Good braking stability is also important, especially in Turn
10 where the drivers must begin turning into the corner while
still braking.
brakes
The Bahrain International Circuit is one of the more demanding
circuits on the brakes, being similar to Montreal as one of
the most severe tests of the year. With three big stops from
over 320kph into first or second gear corners, the car needs
good stability to avoid locking tyres during the race. The
frequency of braking is also significant, especially between
Turns 4 and 13, where the brakes are constantly running at
high temperatures without the chance to cool down. Braking
is further complicated this year by the absence of engine
braking systems, and a mistake into the slow corners of 10,
13 or 14 could prove costly with the drivers having to be
defensive down the following straights.
Tyres
Tyre energy is relatively low in Bahrain owing to the lack
of high-speed corners and so the team will use the medium
and soft option Bridgestone tyres, as was the case in Melbourne.
Tyre wear is not a particular concern, although tyre temperatures
tend to be high because of the hot tarmac surface and the
high brake temperatures that feed through to the tyres. The
presence of sand on the track surface also means that grip
levels on the circuit are always relatively low and any sand
will embed in the tyres and reduce grip for several corners.
Drivers must therefore stick to the racing line as much as
possible to keep the tyres clean.
Engine Performance
The Bahrain Grand Prix gives a good test of the engine with
around 63% of the lap spent on full throttle, but the latest
generation engines are well capable of running at peak revs
in high temperatures. The only concern arises when high temperatures
combine with especially dry air which can impact on engine
cooling, or following the possible ingestion of sand which
can impact severely on engine performance.
Strategy
The fuel effect is slightly lower than in Malaysia because
there are fewer quick corners that are critical to lap time.
Carrying a heavy fuel load therefore has less impact in Bahrain,
but a two-stop race is still the optimum strategy. We can
expect the top ten cars on the grid to make their first stop
anywhere between laps 17 and 21, with the second stops around
laps 35 to 40. The bottom 12 cars will probably make their
first stop between laps 20 and 25, and their second stop between
laps 40 to 45.
Renault at the Bahrain Grand Prix
The Bahrain International Circuit was launched to the world
in 2004 and quickly established itself as a valuable edition
to the Formula 1 World Championship. As a race in the desert,
the 2004 Bahrain Grand Prix was a historic day as it was the
first Formula 1 Grand Prix to be staged in the Middle East.
Since then, the Bahrain Grand Prix has enjoyed a regular early
season slot and stands as one of the biggest sporting and
social occasions in the Middle East.
With only four races to date, Renault has played a significant
part in the history of the Bahrain Grand Prix, sharing the
victories 50/50 with Ferrari. First blood went to Ferrari
in 2004 as Michael Schumacher won the inaugural Bahrain Grand
Prix. Both Renaults fared well on their first outing in Sakhir,
and the end result was a double points finish with Jarno Trulli
and Fernando Alonso finishing in fourth and sixth places respectively.
A year later, the team arrived in Bahrain in a rich vein
of form having won the opening two races of the season. That
soon became three as Fernando Alonso claimed pole position
and then drove an assured race to record Renault's first victory
in Bahrain, en route to his and the team's first world championship.
2006 saw a repeat performance with Renault again taking the
top prize as Alonso came out on top after an in intense tussle
with the Ferrari of Michael Schumacher. Having qualified in
fourth spot, Alonso's fighting drive was all the more impressive
as the team played the strategy to perfection, allowing the
Spaniard to lead the field after the second round of stops.
The Renault driver emerged from the pits and headed into the
first corner side-by-side with Schumacher, but the Spaniard
was on the racing line and made the advantage count to fend
off the Ferrari driver and claim victory.
Last year's race saw the Ferrari team restore the balance
as Felipe Massa won the race, leaving Renault and Ferrari
with two wins apiece in Bahrain. The ING Renault F1 Team was
unable to match its feats from the previous couple of seasons,
although Giancarlo Fisichella secured a couple of points for
the team by bringing his R27 home in seventh. This year the
team returns to Bahrain keen to find more success, with the
clear goal of getting both cars in the points.
Sakhir: Over at Red Bull Racing
Fabrice Lom gives his first report of the season and talks
about the ambitions of Red Bull Racing-Renault ahead of the
third race of the season in Bahrain.
Fabrice, what are your thoughts on the first two races
of the season for Red Bull Racing?
We can look at the beginning of our season in two ways –
as a glass that is half empty or as a glass that is half full.
There are many positive aspects from the first two races:
the car is competitive, the reliability is there and we have
scored points. On the other hand we broke an engine in Sepang,
which was our first technical problem with Red Bull Racing
since the start of our partnership. We need to make sure that
this does not happen again.
How does the team prepare for Bahrain?
We are preparing in a calm and focussed way. In the first
few years of racing in Bahrain we used to protect the engine
from sand by using a special air filter, but this type of
filter became the norm and today we use it at all the races.
What is the situation with the engines for Mark Webber
and David Coulthard this weekend?
David's V8 will be on its second race because we decided to
give him a fresh engine in Malaysia after his retirement in
Australia. As for Mark, he will have a new engine in Bahrain.
Is it a problem to be out of synch with the engines?
A little bit. The performance of an engine is never identical
and depends on whether it is new or if it has already done
a race. That makes the comparison between our two drivers
more difficult. As far as logistics are concerned, you always
need to be extra careful when transporting a new engine. Instead
of having to take care of this every one in two races, we
now must do this for each Grand Prix. That being said, if
this remains the case until the end of the season, I will
be delighted, as it will mean that we have not retired from
any of the races.
ING Renault F1 Team in numbers
60°C – It's the temperature that the drivers may
have to endure inside the cockpit during a hot Bahrain Grand
Prix.
Upcoming dates for the ING Renault F1 Team
14-16 April Testing – Barcelona, Spain
26-27 April Spanish Grand Prix – Barcelona, Spain
10-11 May Turkish Grand Prix – Istanbul, Turkey
17-18 May ING Renault F1 Team Roadshow – Marseille,
France
24-25 May Monaco Grand Prix – Monaco
31-01 June ING Renault F1 Team Roadshow – Prague, Czech
Republic
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