Italy Preview Quotes: Renault

Jarno Trulli

Q. For an Italian, what does it mean to be racing at Monza?

JT:

I'm definitely looking forward to this year's race. First of all, racing in Italy means lots of my fans can get to the race, and it is always nice to see your supporters in the stands! As well as that, I think we have a good chance of running well this year: the car is very competitive at the moment.

Q. Generally, you are a fan of the more technical circuits, while the layout at Monza seems relatively simple. What is it like to drive?

JT:

You need to be comfortable with the car, and get it well-balanced under braking and in the changes of direction. Good straight-line speed is critical. At Monza, though, the low levels of downforce mean we have to drive more smoothly: we are usually right on the limit in terms of grip, and any small sideways moment can be more difficult to control.

Q. Last year, you raced from the back of the grid to fourth place. Can we expect as strong a performance in 2003?

JT:

It is always difficult to make predictions, but I know for sure that I hope we don't start from the back this time! The car has been very quick recently, as we have seen at the last few races: the circuits in Germany and Hungary were very different, but we were fast at both. I think the whole team is confident of getting a good result.

Fernando Alonso

Q. You spent a lot of time in Italy when you were starting out in racing: is it a special feeling to race at Monza?

FA:

Sure â€" I have spent a lot of time living in Italy, and I even started my F1 career with an Italian team. I love the culture, and the people: I really feel at home there whenever I go back. Monza is a unique circuit to race on, and the passion of the fans makes the weekend even more special.

Q. And what does it mean to be going there with you first Grand Prix win under your belt?

FA:

It's a fantastic feeling, but that was three weeks ago: we are focusing on the job ahead now. The win was a big boost for the team, because they have been working flat out all year, at Enstone and Viry, and now we have a real reward to show for it. For me personally, it was a great achievement… but we are looking forwards, and Monza is going to be a tough race.

Q. So, after testing last week, how competitive can you be?

FA:

We had a good test last week, and managed to do lots of work on tyres and set-ups. Nobody is going there expecting to repeat what we did in Hungary, but we are confident of scoring points at every circuit this season. We have found a good compromise on set-up, the car is good through the high-speed corners and well-balanced. There are still two extra hours to fine-tune some things on Friday, so I think we can have a strong race for sure.

Allan McNish, Test Driver

Q. Allan, is Monza a circuit you enjoy?

AM:

To be honest, yes. It is very different to every other circuit we go to, and because of the very high speeds, is now unique on the calendar. As well as providing different challenges from a driving point of view, though, it is also steeped in history. You can still visit the old banking, and there is a special atmosphere watching the cars go round. It is strange, but you can almost feel that great drivers like Fangio and Clark have raced and won there.

Q. At the wheel, what challenges does the circuit pose?

AM:

Above all, Monza is about precision. The very low levels of downforce mean there is no margin for error and any small mistakes in the corners see a dramatic penalty in terms of your speed down the straights that follow. Compared to Budapest, it requires a very different style of driving: you still need to attack, but to do so while driving with your fingertips. It is a little like driving in the wet.

Q. How competitive can the car be?

AM:

In terms of Friday morning, I think most teams will have a pretty good idea of their set-ups after testing last week, so the main benefit of the session will be in fine-tuning the car to the conditions: it rained during testing, and now we are coming to the end of summer there are no guarantees that the weather will remain stable all weekend. As for overall performance, we have managed to find a race-able set-up each time this year, using the car's good mechanical grip to achieve the correct compromise on downforce levels. The other important factor will be the quick corners: we know the car handles very well at high speed, and that will be crucial for achieving good straightline speed.

Mike Gascoyne, Technical Director

Q. Last week saw some controversy over the tyre regulations. How do you view it?

MG:

From our perspective, the challenge consisted in reacting to the clarification. Michelin worked incredibly hard to prepare a new shape tyre for testing last week at Monza, and all credit to them. Indeed, the most satisfying thing was that when we began running with this new specification, we actually found a small performance advantage compared to the old design.

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

MG:

Monza is the only very low downforce circuit left on the calendar, and we spend a lot of time preparing for it: up to two or three weeks in the windtunnel in total. The result is the low downforce package which we tested last week, without any problems at all. To be quick at Monza, you have to be fast down the straights, of course, but there is time to be found under braking and in the corners. The car's performance in the high-speed corners is excellent, and that will definitely be an asset. In terms of results, I think that given the perceived strengths of our package, people may be tempted to write us off. My answer would be to expect us to spring a few surprises…

Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering

Q. This weekend will see the race debut of a new Michelin tyre. What are your expectations?

PS:

In general, I think the whole affair has been something of a distraction over a minor issue. Changes have been made to the tyres, we tested them last week at Monza and we were able to quickly understand their effects in terms of speed and balance. Indeed, running the new profile, we found ourselves to be slightly faster. In terms of the overall playing field, I certainly don't think it will provoke any change in the status quo between the manufacturers.

Q. Every team on the grid tested at Monza last week. In light of this, how beneficial can you expect the two-hour session to be?

PS:

Owing to the fact that, along with the other teams, we have just conducted four car-days of testing just over a week before the race, we cannot expect the two hour session to be the extreme advantage it has been elsewhere. Having said that, a test like Monza is always busy, with lots of red flags, and you never quite finish everything you set out to do. That extra time will also allow us to round off the final details we didn't take care of last week.

Denis Chevrier, Engine Operations Manager

Q. Denis, Monza is commonly perceived as an engine circuit: how tough is it?

DC:

Monza is the circuit at which the cars spend the highest percentage of the lap at full throttle of the whole season, although the maximum single period at full throttle is fifteen seconds, less than we see at Indianapolis or Suzuka, for example. From the engineering point of view, the strain the engine is under means we must be extremely careful in how we use the engine, keeping strict control on temperatures and things like over-revving.

Q. Presumably, power is the key characteristic required from the engine?

DC:

A powerful engine is fundamental at Monza. While torque is less important, power at high revs and reliability are critical: the circuit is particularly sensitive to power, and a given increase in power can bring three times the gain it would at a circuit like Monaco. However, the engine also has its contribution to make on the handling side: the nature of the throttle response can have an impact on the car's balance, and a progressive engine will disrupt the car less as the driver gets on the power exiting the high-speed corners.

Q. What developments will be used on the engine?

DC:

We tested a new cylinder head at Monza last week, and it was a step forward compared to its predecessor. We hope to be able to use this component on Sunday but, with the homologation process still underway, we cannot yet confirm that the race engines will include this development.