Britain Preview Quotes: Renault

Jarno Trulli

Q. You have performed very strongly at the last two Grands Prix. How confident are you for Silverstone?

JT:

I am feeling optimistic: with the car we have, at this circuit, I think we have to be confident. I have been a little unlucky in the past two races, but I have performed really strongly, and that is satisfying. Now, I must carry on doing a good job with the team and the engineers, and I now we will get there.

Q. From a driving point of view, what is the key to being quick at Silverstone?

JT:

The usual things: a good balance on the car, and finding the right compromise between the mechanical and aerodynamic sides. I think Stowe is one of the most important corners, and also the slow section through Brooklands and Luffield at the end of the lap.

Q. Weather conditions can have quite a dramatic effect on performance at Silverstone. What do the drivers do to cope?

JT:

We adapt! Changing conditions are something we just have to live with at Silverstone, and we adapt accordingly. We know there could be anything from rain to sun in one race, and just have to be prepared to tackle what the weather throws at us.

Fernando Alonso

Q. Many drivers say the Becketts complex is the most enjoyable part of the circuit. Is that true for you as well?

FA:

I don't have a particular part of the circuit that I like more than the others â€" I enjoy the whole track! Around one lap, you have every type of corner, from high to low speed, hard braking points, and also some changes in gradient. Any driver enjoys a lap around Silverstone, because to be quick, you have to respond to every different kind of challenge possible.

Q. In terms of car set-up, what are the important factors?

FA:

The most important set-up area is performance in the high-speed corners: the car has to be perfect through them to set a quick time. The new aerodynamic package will definitely help with that, and we should also be good in the low-speed sections. At a circuit like Silverstone, the aerodynamic improvements will definitely provide a bigger step here than at some other places. Also, Friday morning testing will be useful for finding some solutions with the tyres and set-up according to the conditions we will have during the weekend.

Q. You have been living in Oxford for over a year now. Is this like a second home race?

FA:

When you race close to home, it is always a special feeling, and it feels a bit like that for Silverstone. The British side of the team is based nearby, which will bring us a lot of supporters, and I live close to the circuit, so there is some extra motivation to do well. It will feel a bit like another home race, and the last one didn't go too badly!

Allan McNish, Test Driver

Q. You tested for three days last week in Barcelona. How did it go?

AM:

Our programme in Spain had two aspects. Firstly there was the tyre programme, which was critical for the British Grand Prix. Secondly, we also conducted some general development of the car. Overall, we did a tremendous number of laps, and found a number of areas of improvement with the tyres and car. I think we will go into Silverstone in good shape.

Q. This is your home Grand Prix: will it be a special feeling?

AM:

Driving at the British Grand Prix is always a special feeling, and that does not change just because I will only be out there on Friday morning. I went to Silverstone as a spectator when I was young, and there is a special crowd and atmosphere. The enthusiasm is a unique feeling, and I feed off it: I am just looking forward to getting out there on the track, and enjoying the weekend.

Q. What are the challenges for a driver at Silverstone?

AM:

These days, Silverstone can be considered to be a circuit of two halves. The first section is very, very quick, from the start all the way through to Club Corner, with fourth, fifth and sixth gear corners; for the rest of the lap, corner speeds are much lower. It requires good aerodynamic efficiency, mechanical balance for the lower-speed sections, and decent power for the straights. Watching a car through Becketts to Hangar Straight, is one of the best places to see a Formula One car in action: the speed, the change of direction, it is so quick that it always looks extremely impressive!

Mike Gascoyne, Technical Director

Q. Mike, what is your assessment of the French Grand Prix?

MG:

Magny-Cours was a disappointing end to a competitive race. Our aim is to finish above our position in the championship last year, which means we need to target third place, currently held by McLaren. Not finishing in Magny-Cours puts us even further behind them. The two failures we experienced in France were unrelated, though, and are being addressed. We now have to look what had been an excellent reliability record before Magny-Cours, and get two cars into the points at Silverstone as well as beating cars from the teams ahead of us.

Q. The R23 has become R23B as of Silverstone. Tell us a little more about it..

MG:

We will have a major bodywork update on the car. We have decided to christen this R23B as it groups together a significant number of detail modifications into a single package, which had always been planned for Silverstone. Following a positive test in Barcelona last week, we expect it to bring a definite gain on the stopwatch.

Q. How do you expect the team to perform at Silverstone?

MG:

Silverstone should suit us very well. The circuit most obviously akin to it is Barcelona and we ran very strongly there earlier this season, coming close to winning the race. Silverstone is a circuit which rewards strong aerodynamic performance, and we have further improvements in that area for this race. I think we can have a very competitive weekend, and take points off our direct competitors.

Pat Symonds, Executive Engineering Director

Q. Reliability problems in Magny-Cours must have been disappointing after such a good season so far?

PS:

Reliability amongst the top teams these days is outstanding. That teams can run such complex machines so close to the limits, for so long, with so few failures, is a real tribute to all the engineers. Occasionally, though, things do go wrong, and in France, it was particularly disappointing to experience two failures in one race. However, we have identified the reasons for these, and corrective action has been taken. As a whole we have had extremely good reliability this year, and we hope our diligent work since Magny-Cours will ensure a return to reliable racing.

Q. Tyres are a hot topic at the moment, with Michelin performing particularly strongly. What are the challenges for the tyres at Silverstone?

PS:

Silverstone, along with Barcelona and Monza, provides some of the most extreme conditions for the tyres; indeed, we tested in Barcelona last week largely because it involves similar tyre loadings to Silverstone. However, the circuits are not exactly the same and overall, a lap of Silverstone puts over 4% more energy into the tyres than Barcelona and, specifically, loads the front axle even more, as the circuit includes a higher number of fast corners and highspeed corner entries. Following our work last week, and coupled with Michelin's excellent performance in recent races, we are confident that we go to Silverstone with a very competitive choice of compounds.

Denis Chevrier, Engine Operations Manager

Q. Denis, what is your assessment of Silverstone?

DC:

First of all, you must no forget that, after Barcelona, Silverstone is the most frequently-used testing circuit for the F1 teams throughout the year. We therefore have a large database of information at our disposal, which is essential for fine-tuning the engine correctly for this circuit. However, Silverstone's salient characteristic is the micro-climate, which means the teams have to anticipate the changeable weather, as it has a large impact on the car's performance. The unpredictable, variable weather makes the choice of 6th gear difficult. The aim is to achieve maximum speed at the highest engine speed; thus, if the maximum speed changes, because of a strong tailwind for example, this can leave us with too high a maximum engine speed. This induces over-revving, with all the consequences for reliability that this brings. A strong headwind, on the other hand, can reduces revs, and bring a loss of performance.

Q. How do you rate Silverstone?

DC:

Overall, we cannot consider Silverstone as a severe circuit for the engine, as it is only at full throttle for 55% of the time. However, as it is a circuit with a wide variety of corners, the engine needs to perform strongly in all areas.