Renault F1

Formula 1 Team reports for the 2009 F1 season includes race previews, reports and reviews
Ed
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Post by Ed » Sun Jun 21, 2009 1:02 am

Today's qualifying session saw Fernando Alonso and Nelson Piquet qualify in 10th and 14th places respectively for tomorrow's British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

FREE PRACTICE 3

Fernando Alonso: 14 laps, P8, 1:19.917 on lap 13
Run 1: 7 laps, new hard tyres
Run 2 : 6 laps, new soft tyres, change to rear springs

Nelson Piquet: 18 laps, P13, 1:20.232 on lap 17
Run 1: 6 laps, new hard tyres
Run 2: 6 laps, new hard tyres
Run 3: 5 laps, new soft tyres, change to front springs


QUALIFYING

Fernando Alonso P10, 1:20.741
Q1: 1 run on new hard tyres, 1 run on new soft tyres
Q2: 2 runs on new soft tyres
Q3: 2 runs on new soft tyres

Fernando: "Today we were carrying quite a bit of fuel as we decided it was better to do this than start light and lose track position by having to pit early. I think points could be possible in the race, but we have to hope that the strategy will come to us around the time of the pit-stops. I think the most important factor tomorrow will be managing the tyres because Silverstone is very demanding on them. So we need to look after them, especially the softer compound, on the long stints."


Nelson Piquet, P14, 1:19.392
Q1: 1 run on new hard tyres, 2 runs on new soft tyres
Q2: 2 runs on new soft tyres

Nelson: "The car felt good at the start of the session and we had improved it since free practice, but something didn't feel right at the rear of the car at the end of Q2 and so I had to abort the lap. I would have liked to have been a bit higher up, but we needed a couple of extra tenths to make it into Q3. Tomorrow will be a tough race as it's difficult to overtake here, but with a good start and strategy we could challenge for some points."

Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering
"The car looked very good this morning on fuel loads similar to those run in third qualifying, but unfortunately this afternoon we haven't met our expectations. Something broke at the back of Nelson's car towards the end of Q2 which we are still investigating."

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Post by Ed » Mon Jun 22, 2009 2:02 am

It was a disappointing afternoon for the ING Renault F1 Team at Silverstone as Nelson Piquet and Fernando Alonso finished in 12th and 14th places respectively.

Fernando Alonso, R2904, P14
1st stint: 19 laps, hard tyres
2nd stint: 20 laps, hard tyres
3rd stint: 21 laps, soft tyres

Fernando: "Our chance to score points today was over at the start as we lost two positions and I was stuck behind Heidfeld who was heavy on fuel, which cost us a lot of time. Although I had some good fights around the track, I'm obviously frustrated with the poor result and it's clear we need to improve on all fronts before Germany."

Nelson Piquet, R2901, P12
1st stint: 29 laps, hard tyres
2nd stint: 32 laps, soft tyres

Nelson: "The overall result is disappointing today, but I think I had a solid race. It's clear that we must continue to work hard and hopefully introduce some new upgrades in time for the next race in a few weeks' time. I know that I can be competitive if the car is good, however it's down to me to improve my performance in qualifying."

Flavio Briatore, Managing Director
"Fernando's poor start put him in a position that was difficult to recover from and equally Nelson was caught in traffic, which made it difficult to see his true pace. The team switched Nelson to a one-stop strategy, which gained him four places, nevertheless we must improve the pace of the car very rapidly."

Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering
"Our performance today did not meet the expectations that we had after qualifying and so we leave Silverstone disappointed. The poor start for Fernando compromised his race and losing so much time in his first stint made it impossible to score points. Nelson's one-stop strategy worked well, but it's clear that we weren't quick enough today. We need to regroup and improve before Germany."

Remi Taffin, Head of Engine Operations
"Unfortunately we just weren't fast enough today. We didn't have a great start to the race, which meant we were caught in traffic, and with the strategies we were running that made it difficult to move forward. Both drivers drove well and gave their maximum. We must now concentrate on the next race in Germany."

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Post by Ed » Mon Jul 06, 2009 11:06 pm

German Grand Prix 2009 Preview - 6 JUL 2009

The ING Renault F1 Team looks forward to round nine of the season, the German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring.

Fernando Alonso: "The Nürburgring is a good place to go racing"

You had high hopes for the British Grand Prix, but things didn't work out in the race...
We thought that Silverstone would suit the car, but after qualifying we realised that we were not as competitive as we had hoped. In the race I made a poor start and got stuck behind Heidfeld who was heavy on fuel, which ended my chance of finishing in the points. I still had some fun battles, especially with Lewis [Hamilton], but I prefer to be fighting at the front.

Are you optimistic that the team can make up the performance gap to the leaders soon?
The position we are in at the moment is similar to last year, but this time all the teams are much closer together and so it's more difficult to take a big step forward. If you can find three of four tenths with an upgrade, it can make a huge difference and put you five or six places higher up the grid. That's what the team is looking for – that magic component which gives us a big boost, but we know it's not easy to find.

It has been a couple of years since you've raced at the Nürburgring, are you looking forward to going back there?
It's not the most exciting circuit of the year, but it's a good place to go racing as the track has a bit of everything and so the car has to work well in every part of the lap. There are fast corners where you need a lot of downforce and slow corners where braking stability and good traction are important. We have some new developments for this race, which will hopefully improve our situation and allow us to get some points in the race, but we know all the other teams will have improved as well. We also need to work on our starts because if you lose ground on the first lap it's very difficult to recover.


Nelson Piquet: "I'm looking forward to driving a Formula One car at the Nürburgring"

Looking back to Silverstone, how do you rate your weekend?
The end result was disappointing although I think I managed to get the most from the race as our one-stop strategy worked well. Unfortunately my problems started in qualifying as I had a technical issue and had to abort my final run in Q2, which meant I started the race from 14th. Starting so far back makes it difficult to score points, but I still pushed hard and made up some ground in the race. Overall it was a pretty frustrating weekend for the team.

Will this be the first time you've driven a Formula One car at the Nürburgring?
Yes, because last year the German Grand Prix was at Hockenheim where I finished second behind Lewis Hamilton. However, driving at the Nürburgring won't be a new experience for me as I raced there a couple of times in GP2 and I've always gone well and enjoyed it. I'm definitely looking forward to driving there in my Formula One car.

What are your expectations for the weekend?
The team have been working hard since Silverstone with some upgrades, mainly to the aero which should give us a boost. After Silverstone I said that it was down to me to improve in qualifying and so I'd love to make it into the top ten, which would give me a realistic chance of scoring my first points of the year. You also need to keep an eye on the weather at the Nürburgring as it's near the mountains and conditions change very quickly, a bit like in Spa. We can probably expect at least a couple of showers over the weekend.


Pat Symonds: "Finishing the season with the third fastest car still has to be the target"

Pat, how do you look back on the team's performance at the last race at Silverstone?
We had certainly hoped for a better result. In free practice we were more or less in our usual position, but in the third part of qualifying we did not perform at the level we expected to. Then we had a poor start to the race and spent a lot of time stuck in traffic, which made it very difficult to recover. However, when we did have some clean air the car's pace was about where we expected it to be and so while the result wasn't good enough, it's perhaps not as bad as it appeared.

Where is the team concentrating its efforts to improve competitiveness?
As always we are concentrating our attention on aero as it's still the fundamental element that brings the most speed to the car. But rather than just putting parts on the car, we're also working on the usability of that aero: exploring the aero mapping so that we get the most from the car in every corner.

What upgrades can we expect for the Nürburgring?
New developments are introduced at every race and we've got a reasonable upgrade for the Nürburgring, which includes a further version of the new front wing that we evaluated at Silverstone. We're also hoping to have some new rear wheel fairings and an updated engine cover as well as some mechanical upgrades.

It's been a couple of years since we raced at the Nürburgring, does that change your approach or preparation at all?
Not really because preparation for a race always involves looking back over many years. We also have to remember that we are dealing with quite a different car this year and so our knowledge of how we ran last year's car is not as relevant as it has been in the past. One area we will look back on is tyre behaviour because even with the switch from grooved to slick tyres, we can see if the track causes graining or has particularly high wear rates.

Is the Nürburgring a technically challenging circuit?
It's a circuit with a bit of everything: fast corners, slow corners, chicanes and heavy braking areas. We therefore use a very typical set-up as we have to compromise through the speed range, as we do for most circuits.

What are the realistic targets in the second half of the season?
We are in a similar position to last year when we said that we wanted to end the season with the third fastest car. Doing that this year is probably more difficult as the middle bunch of teams is much tighter and we have limitations on where we can develop. But finishing the season with the third fastest car still has to be the target, although where that leaves us in the championship standings is difficult to predict.


Tech File: Nürburgring

The Nürburgring has a reputation for being a ‘complete' circuit in the sense that it includes a wide variety of corners. There are high-speed sections, medium-speed chicanes, and some very slow corners with high traction demands. The R29 will have to meet all of these challenges this weekend. Overtaking is difficult but possible into the first corner and the chicane at turns 13 and 14. However, the weather is a constant concern and no matter what the season, rain and cool conditions are an ever-present threat in the Eifel mountains.

Aerodynamics
The Nürburgring demands some of the highest downforce levels of the season, not only for the numerous high and medium-speed corners, but also to maintain good stability under heavy braking for the first corner and the slow chicane of turns 13 and 14.

Fernando explains: "The left-right chicane of turns 13 and 14 is probably the best overtaking opportunity as it's one of the biggest braking zones of the lap. If you are following another car closely, you can pick up a good slipstream on the approach and make a lunge down the inside. We take it at about 100 km/h in second gear and you need to be aggressive with the curbs to straight-line the chicane as much as possible and carry speed through the corner."

Chassis balance
Corners such as turns 5/6, 8/9 and 10/11 in particular demand a neutral handling balance to avoid compromising the optimum line through the second corner in the sequence, and the engineers will often work through the weekend to dial out understeer in the medium-speed corners.

A quick, responsive change of direction is required in both the slow-speed section at the start of the lap, and through the quicker corners. Mechanical grip is particularly important through turns 1 to 4, but cannot be achieved at the expense of aerodynamic performance around the rest of the lap.

Fernando explains: "The run through turns 1 to 4 is not very exciting for the drivers, but we spend a lot of time in them and that means that any mistake is likely to be very costly, especially in qualifying. We need to be precise with our braking and keep the car under control all the time as too much understeer, oversteer or a missed apex will put you out of shape for the following corners. The car balance is never perfect at such low speeds either, so we are always fighting understeer in the very slow corners, and a nervous rear end when we accelerate away."

Tyres
Tyre performance will, as always, be a critical performance parameter for all teams this weekend with Bridgestone providing the super-soft and medium compounds from its 2009 range. Ambient conditions will play a role in determining which compound is the preferred tyre for the race as we often experience cool temperatures at the Nürburgring.

Brakes
Wear on the brakes is not a major concern. None of the braking zones are particularly severe and there is no reason to think that wear levels on the discs and pads should be abnormally high as a result.

Engine
The Nürburgring is not a circuit that presents the engines with any extreme challenges, and its overall impact is further reduced by the fact that the circuit is situated at altitude, some 500m above sea level. This has the effect of reducing engine power by approximately 5%, while also reducing loads on certain engine components such as the pistons.

The engine is at full throttle for just over 64% of the lap – a value slightly above the season average of approximately 62%. The longest single period at full throttle barely exceeds ten seconds, so the main challenge for the engine team is ensuring strong performance from low revs so the engine launches well out of the slow corners, particularly turn 7 which leads onto the uphill drag to turn 10.

Nelson explains: "We approach turn 7 downhill in seventh gear at almost 300km/h before braking and downshifting to third for the hairpin. It's really important to stay online and hit the apex through this corner so that you can apply the throttle early on the exit to carry as much speed on the long drag back up the hill towards the high-speed chicane of turns 8 and 9."

The circuit includes a number of elevation changes, but none are sudden enough to cause the engine systems any concern. The only note of caution is finding the best line through some of the bumpier corners, and particularly the chicane, to avoid spending too much time on the rev limiter, which is potentially damaging for the engine.

Ed
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Post by Ed » Wed Jul 08, 2009 9:41 pm

2009 Altran Engineering Academy Final - 8 JUL 2009

The final of the 2009 Altran Engineering Academy (AEA) took place this week at the ING Renault F1 Team's Technical Centre in Enstone, England.

22 year-old Helen Makey from the UK crossed the finish line first with her project aimed at enhancing energy efficiency using moveable aerodynamics and will join the team for a six-month placement later this year. Helen, who has a passion for karting and road rally events, is a MEng in Mechanical Engineering and was a team leader in the Formula Student competition.

Following in the footsteps of her predecessors from the UK, Spain, Sweden, the Czech Republic and Brazil, Helen will commence her placement in Enstone in September working in the Research and Development department of the Renault F1 Team under Dr. Robin Tuluie, the department head. Salary, accommodation and a Renault company car will be part of the well-earned prize offered by Altran, Total and ING Renault F1 Team.

After hearing her name called out as the winner, Helen said: "To win this competition is a dream come true. The chance to be part of the Renault Team is very special and provides me with an excellent opportunity to put my studies into practice in the dynamic world of Formula One. I'd like to thank Altran, Total and or course the Renault F1 Team for giving me this chance."

The eight other candidates from Brazil, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland also impressed the jury headed by Dr. Robin Tuluie. Other jury members were Alfonso Martinez, Director for Altran Technologies in Spain, Olivier Guillaud, Senior Consultant in the partnership between Altran and Renault F1 Team, and Total's F1 Engineering Expert, Philippe Girard.

After announcing the winner, Robin Tuluie confirmed his heartfelt support for the AEA: "After six years I continue to be impressed by the quality and the level of thought these young engineers bring to the competition. Their passion and ideas are inspiring and I am proud some of them will have the opportunity to fulfil their dream with the Renault F1 Team."

Philippe Girard from Total commented: "It has been inspiring to see the commitment of all the participants. Young talent is essential to the science of energy and it is encouraging to know that we can count on such quality and enthusiasm for the future of our research."

Alfonso Martinez also pointed out that, although only one winner could be chosen, the doors were not completely closed to the other participants: "Selecting the winner seems more difficult every year and I want to thank all the finalists for their contribution to this event. Both Altran and Renault F1 will keep an eye on them!"

About the Altran Engineering Academy

Founded in 2004, the Altran Engineering Academy is a unique initiative with a clear goal: giving young talent a chance. Formula One is a notoriously closed world where it is often extremely difficult for talented young engineers to get their break. In line with the ING Renault F1 Team's commitment to open up Formula One at all levels, and underlining Altran's commitment to engineering talent, the AEA was founded as a ‘star academy' with the goal of giving young engineers the chance to prove themselves at the highest level. The result has been a runaway success, with more than 1,000 young engineers entering detailed technical projects in the competition since 2004. Helen Makey is the sixth winner of the AEA.

Ed
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Post by Ed » Sat Jul 11, 2009 1:53 am

2009 German Grand Prix Friday - 10 JUL 2009

The ING Renault F1 Team completed a busy day of practice at the Nürburgring today in preparation for this weekend's German Grand Prix.

Fernando Alonso, R2904
Free practice 1: 16 laps, 1:34.148 on lap 11, P10
Run 1: 6 laps, new hard tyres
Run 2: 5 laps, same hard tyres, change to front suspension
Run 3: 4 laps, same hard tyres, change to rear suspension

Free Practice 2: 24 laps, 1:32.774 on lap 14, P8
Run 1: 10 laps, new hard tyres, new gear box ratios
Run 2: 8 laps, new soft tyres
Run 3: 4 laps, new soft tyres, change to front wing
Run 4: 2 laps, same soft tyres, change to front wing

Fernando: "We had a few more issues to deal with today as we lost some track time with the rain. So we probably would have liked to make a few more changes to the car and run some more laps, but there was not time. It's difficult to judge our competitiveness as it's only Friday and we still need to analyse the data this evening to get a better understanding of our performance. We've definitely improved the car, but it looks like the other teams have improved as well."

Nelson Piquet, R2903
Free practice 1: 24 laps, 1:34.738 on lap 16, P15
Run 1: 8 laps, new hard tyres
Run 2: 9 laps, same hard tyres, change to tyre pressures
Run 3: 6 laps same hard tyres, change to front suspension and front ride height

Free Practice 2: 29 laps, 1:32.992 on lap 25, P10
Run 1: 11 laps, new hard tyres, new gear box ratios
Run 2: 12 laps, new soft tyres
Run 3: 5 laps, new soft tyres, change to front wing

Nelson: "The track was quite slippery early on in both sessions and the rain showers didn't help. But we still managed to get through most of the programme, looking at the tyres and trying out some of the new parts. We still have a lot of data to go over this evening as I was running a different programme to Fernando so that the team could learn as much as possible. It feels like we are more competitive than we were at Silverstone, but it's never easy to tell much on Friday."

Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering
"We had quite a successful Friday even though we had to keep one eye on the weather! We have a number of new aero parts here and it was necessary to evaluate those, which we managed to do and we're happy with their performance. In terms of the tyres, they seem to be performing in the same way for all the teams: the soft is working much better than we expected, but the hard tyre is a little difficult to warm up. Overall we are quite happy with the progress we have made."

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Post by Ed » Sun Jul 12, 2009 12:39 am

2009 German Grand Prix Saturday - 11 JUL 2009

Today's qualifying session saw Nelson Piquet and Fernando Alonso qualify in 10th and 12th places respectively for tomorrow's German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring.

FREE PRACTICE 3

Fernando Alonso: 18 laps, P2, 1:31.340 on lap 17
Run 1: 7 laps, new hard tyres
Run 2: 6 laps, new soft tyres, rear downforce change and change to anti-roll bars
Run 3: 4 laps, news soft tyres

Nelson Piquet: 15 laps, P15, 1:32.223 on lap 14
Run 1: 3 laps, new hard tyres
Run 2: 7 laps, new hard tyres
Run 3: 4 laps, new soft tyres, change to front and rear ride heights


QUALIFYING

Fernando Alonso, R2904, P12, 1:42.318
Q1: 2 runs on new soft tyres
Q2: 1 run on used soft tyres, 1 run on intermediates, 1 run on new soft tyres

Fernando: "At the start of qualifying we were quite optimistic. We were competitive in Q1 but after that Q2 became difficult for everybody as the conditions were constantly changing. Unfortunately we missed the opportunity to be in Q3, but hopefully tomorrow we can make up some positions and if it does rain that could work to our advantage. I'm quite confident for the race tomorrow."

Nelson Piquet, R2903, P10, 1:34.803
Q1: 3 runs on new soft tyres
Q2: 1 run on used soft tyres, 1 run on intermediates, 1 run on news soft tyres
Q3: 1 run on used soft tyres

Nelson: "The conditions were difficult today, but I managed to deal with them well and had the right tyres at the right moments. It's a shame that I couldn't get any more out of Q3, but it's good to be in the top ten and hopefully we will be in a position to score points tomorrow."

Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering
"There is no doubt the updates on the car have improved our position this weekend. It was a very exciting qualifying session; Fernando looked extremely competitive but unfortunately spun at a critical moment and failed to make Q3. Nelson had a steady session and thoroughly deserves his position on the grid."

Ed
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Post by Ed » Mon Jul 13, 2009 1:52 am

2009 German Grand Prix Sunday - 12 JUL 2009

Today's German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring saw Fernando Alonso and Nelson Piquet finish in 7th and 13th places respectively.

Fernando Alonso, R2904, P7
1st stint: Laps 1 to 17, soft tyres
2nd stint: Laps 18 to 46, hard tyres
3rd stint: Laps 47 to 60, hard tyres

Fernando: "It was a difficult race because my start was very poor and we lost quite a few positions before the first corner. After that, the race was tough and we were stuck in traffic, but the car has clearly improved as I set the fastest lap and scored some points. The most important thing I take from the weekend is that we are competitive and we can be optimistic for the races to come."

Nelson Piquet, R2903, P13
1st stint: Laps 1 to 26, hard tyres
2nd stint: Laps 27 to 47, hard tyres
3rd stint: Laps 48 to 60, soft tyres

Nelson: "It wasn't an easy race for me today and I'm disappointed not to get a better result. I lost ground at the start as I had some problems warming up the tyres. After that I got held up in traffic, which made it very difficult to make any progress in the second half of the race. I pushed really hard all afternoon, but I just couldn't match the pace of Fernando who had the new updates on his car."

Flavio Briatore, Managing Director
"Although we have come away with just two points, it has been a positive weekend for the team. Fernando had great pace, setting the fastest lap of the race and making good progress through the field. It's just a shame that we were penalised by our qualifying position yesterday, where we lost out in the difficult weather conditions. We now need to build on this performance and continue making progress as we enter the second part of the season, just as we did last year."

Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering
"The car looked a lot more competitive this weekend. Fernando's problem in qualifying coupled with the team's problem with the start made it a difficult race, but when he was out of the traffic he was able to show the exceptional pace of the car with the developments that have been made to it. With Nelson, we decided to go for a long first stint and, as the temperature came up on the grid, we decided to start on prime tyres. Again, he had a problem with the start and the warm-up of the tyres, which left him with too much to do to be able to capitalise on his grid position."

Remi Taffin, Head of Engine Operations
"Overall we have to be disappointed with the weekend. Despite bringing lots of developments here, we haven't made the most of them. The car has clearly improved, but we didn't have a good qualifying session or a good start today and it was only in the second half of the race that we could show the true potential of the car. So although we are disappointed with the result, we can take a lot of positives from the performance of the car for the rest of the season."

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Post by Ed » Sat Jul 18, 2009 2:51 am

Hungarian Grand Prix 2009 Preview - 17 JUL 2009

The ING Renault F1 Team looks forward to round ten of the season, the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest.

Fernando Alonso: "I always enjoy going back to Budapest"

Fernando, despite scoring just two points in Germany, the R29 appears to have taken a step forward…
We have definitely improved and the latest upgrades made us much more competitive. It's just a shame that I lost out in the wet qualifying because starting down in 12th meant I was out of position and couldn't show the true pace of the car in the first half of the race. When I did have some clean air, the car was really quick and I set the fastest time for 11 laps of the race so I think we had the potential to be on the podium. It's always easy to say what might have been, but to come away with just two points was a bit disappointing.

The next race is in Budapest, the circuit where you won your first Grand Prix. Do you enjoy going back to where it all began?
The memories of my win in 2003 are very special as it was also Renault's first victory since returning to Formula One and it gave the whole team a lot of motivation and self-belief. I always enjoy visiting Budapest as it's a beautiful city, the people are friendly and there is usually a relaxed atmosphere in the paddock as everybody is looking forward to their summer holidays.

Tell us about the track and how you will set the car up?
It's one of the slowest tracks of the season and you are almost constantly in a corner so the track is quite demanding mentally and physically, especially with the high temperatures. With so many low-speed corners you need a stable front end because if you understeer wide it will cost you a lot of time. Good traction and mechanical grip are also important to get a clean exit from the slow corners. Overtaking is really difficult and the only real opportunity is into turn one at the end of the main straight, so it's important that we maximise our performance in qualifying so we can start the race well inside the top ten.


Nelson Piquet: "Points must be the target in Hungary"

Nelson, you had mixed fortunes in Germany. Talk us through your weekend…
It wasn't an easy weekend as the weather kept changing, especially during qualifying. It was good to get through to Q3 but then I had a poor start to the race and struggled to get heat into the hard tyres, which cost me a lot of places on the first lap. After that I pushed hard, but my car didn't have the new updates that Fernando had and it was difficult to make much progress or match Fernando's pace.

Hungary is a circuit where you've been successful in the past. Are you looking forward to this year's race?
I enjoyed Hungary last year and it was probably one of my best races as I finished sixth. It's also a circuit where I won in GP2. Although there are no quick corners, it's a fun place to drive and the twisty layout makes it feel like a go-kart track. It's still quite challenging and you have to find the rhythm of the circuit and be accurate through the slow corners as the exit of one corner is the entry to the next. Any mistakes therefore cost you a lot of time.

What are your aims for next weekend?
I should have the same upgrades as Fernando in Hungary and I think I can be more competitive. As always I will be aiming to qualify in the top ten and hopefully score some points in the race. Qualifying will be vital as it's so tough to overtake at the Hungaroring because the braking zones are small and it's very dirty offline, so it's important that we concentrate on getting the most from Saturday.


Bob Bell: "We need to deliver another strong performance in Hungary"

Bob, the team took a big step forward in Germany. What do you feel made the difference?
The upgrades we introduced certainly improved the aerodynamic and mechanical performance of the car and allowed us to be much more competitive. When you develop the car to a level where the drivers feel really comfortable and confident with it, you often get a lot more gains than you would expect from the sum of those parts on paper. I think we saw a good example of that at the Nürburgring and Fernando in particular was able to raise his game and get the most from the new parts that he had on his car.

Despite coming away from Germany with just two points, the R29 was the fastest car in the race. You must be optimistic for the rest of the season…
It is encouraging, but we need to be cautious and not get too excited by a single performance. We now need to go to Hungary and consolidate that performance improvement to confirm that the pace of the car is genuine and not simply due to unique circumstances in Germany, such as the track conditions or tyre performance.

Will there be more updates in Hungary?
In Germany we only had the new updates on Fernando's car, but next weekend Nelson will have the same upgrades as Fernando. There will also be some more bodywork updates that should take us another step further forward. Hungary will also give us more time to optimise all the previous upgrades in terms of car set-up, so I expect to see further benefits coming from the upgrade package we introduced in Germany.

Is the tight and twisty nature of the Hungaroring likely to suit the R29?
The problems we have been experiencing with the car in the first half of the year have not been related to specific circuit characteristics and are more general as we were lacking a little bit of performance in all areas of the car. To some extent those deficiencies have been corrected by the recent upgrades and so there's no reason why we can't produce a similar level of performance in Hungary as we did in Germany. The Hungaroring is also a circuit Fernando enjoys and has always gone well at so I think he can be competitive again.


Hungaroring: Tech File

The Hungaroring presents plenty of challenges for drivers and engineers alike. The circuit features no high-speed corners, leading the team to run the highest possible downforce levels, while the primary concern for the engine team is ensuring good cooling in the usually hot conditions. The high summer temperatures also make life difficult for the drivers, who need to be in peak physical condition to cope with a race that gives them very little respite over its 70-lap distance.

Aerodynamics
The twisting, 14-corner layout of the Hungaroring features just one legitimate overtaking opportunity per lap, into turn one. Apart from this straight of just over 700m, the circuit is filled with sequences of low to medium-speed corners, with short braking distances which make overtaking nearly impossible. The result is that the teams all run with maximum downforce levels, similar if not identical to those used in Monaco, in order to optimise not just cornering speeds, but also braking and traction. Maximum speeds achieved on the main straight rarely exceed 300km/h with the V8 engines.
Fernando explains: "The circuit is quite intense for the drivers, as there are so many corners in a short lap. The high levels of downforce mean we can be quite aggressive with the car, and the physical loads are high in the quicker corners. The section of track from turns 8 to 11 is all about accuracy, and anticipating the next corner. You need to find a good rhythm through the corners, and have confidence in a stable car balance to steer a smooth, quick course through this sequence."

Suspension
Mechanical grip is an important factor at a low-speed circuit such as this, and teams will generally try to run the car with softer settings all round to improve mechanical grip. The drivers want a responsive car in the low-speed sections, with good traction on corner exit, which will usually lead the teams to a forward mechanical bias (stiffer front/softer rear) in terms of set-up. However, rear tyre wear must be monitored very carefully, particularly to avoid overloading the softer compound available this weekend.

Tyres
Bridgestone will bring the soft and super-soft compounds from its 2009 range this weekend. The low-grip circuit conditions, coupled with the absence of high-speed corners, make these choices possible. As has become customary, the tyre management challenge for the weekend will be to control graining on the softest compound, and this should improve as the circuit rubbers-in throughout the weekend. Data collected during practice will determine whether the super-soft is suitable for use during the majority of the race, while cooler-than-expected temperatures, or overnight rain washing the circuit clean of rubber, could further complicate matters.
Fernando explains: "The track is always quite green and dusty at the start of the weekend, but it improves with every session and picks up a lot of grip as more rubber goes down. The first corner is the biggest braking zone and the only real overtaking opportunity on the circuit. It's a downhill right-hander that we approach in seventh gear at just under 300 km/h before braking down to 90km/h and downshifting to second gear. You need to take an early apex as the corner opens up on the exit so it's important to have good traction and get on the throttle early to carry good speed on the approach to turn two."

Cooling
Another important chassis parameter will be ensuring good cooling of the mechanical parts. Although the car's cooling capacity is now well-known, attention must be paid to ensuring the radiators are still well-cooled in spite of the high levels of front downforce we run at this circuit. This will have been the object of particular attention in the wind tunnel, and will be fine-tuned during the weekend to ensure the cooling solution required brings the minimum performance penalty.

Engine
With the longest period spent at full throttle barely exceeding ten seconds, and with only 56% of the lap spent at full throttle (significantly lower than the average), this is not a demanding circuit for the engine. Of the 14 corners, five are taken in second gear at around 100km/h. Unlike Monaco, where the cars reach abnormally slow speeds in the hairpins, the minimum speed at the Hungaroring is approximately 90km/h. This means the engine spends the majority of its time in a relatively narrow operating window between 100km/h and 250km/h, and the closely-spaced gear ratios we use are selected to ensure optimum performance in this range. As always on a circuit featuring a large number of slow corners, good torque is important to help launch the cars out of the turns.

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Post by Ed » Sat Jul 25, 2009 1:42 am

2009 Hungarian Grand Prix Friday - 24 JUL 2009

The ING Renault F1 Team completed a busy day of practice at the Hungaroring today in preparation for this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix.

Fernando Alonso, R2904
Free practice 1: 28 laps, 1:23.001, P9
Run 1: New hard tyres
Run 2: Front ride height and front anti-roll bar change
Run 3: Adjustment to front wing

Free Practice 2: 37 laps, 1:22.793, P12
Run 1: New hard tyres
Run 2: Front and rear ride height change
Run 3: Front and rear ride height change
Run 4: New soft tyres
Run 5: New soft tyres with front wing adjustment

Fernando: "It was a fairly normal day of practice, although it wasn't easy to cope with the constantly evolving track. The morning was all about getting used to the car again and in the afternoon we concentrated on understanding the two different tyres, which gave us some useful information for the race. We managed to complete our programme and I think we can be happy with the job we have done today. For tomorrow morning we need to get ready for qualifying as grid position will be very important for the race."

Nelson Piquet, R2903
Free practice 1: 22 laps, 1:23.678, P17
Run 1: New hard tyres
Run 2: Front ride height and front anti-roll bar change
Run 3: Weight distribution change

Free Practice 2: 36 laps, 1:22.927, P15
Run 1: New soft tyres
Run 2: New hard tyres
Run 3: Scrubbed soft tyres
Run 4: Front and rear ride height change
Run 5: New soft tyres

Nelson: "It wasn't an easy day because I had to learn about the new parts that I have on my car this weekend, as well as working on the set-up. As Fernando already had these updates in Germany, I've been able to get some set-up feedback from his data. Generally the Hungaroring is a circuit where it's quite difficult to find the right set-up, especially as the track is so dirty and bumpy. So far we have lots of data that we will look over this evening to prepare for tomorrow. It's difficult to say if it's possible to qualify in the top ten, but we're doing everything we can to have a quick car for tomorrow."

Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering
"It was quite a straightforward day of practice for us. As usual, we concentrated on understanding the tyres, particularly as we have the super-soft compound here, which is generally more difficult to use than the other compounds. However, today it was extremely satisfactory, for both short and long runs, so we feel confident for the remainder of the weekend."

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Post by Ed » Sun Jul 26, 2009 2:02 am

2009 Hungarian Grand Prix Saturday - 25 JUL 2009

Today's qualifying session saw Fernando Alonso take pole position for tomorrow's Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest. Teammate Nelson Piquet will start from 15th.

FREE PRACTICE 3

Fernando Alonso: 19 laps, P16, 1:22.274
Run 1: 8 laps, new hard tyres
Run 2: 5 laps, new soft tyres
Run 3: 5 laps, same set of soft tyres, weight distribution change

Nelson Piquet: 17 laps, P14, 1:22.210
Run 1: 6 laps, new hard tyres
Run 2: 5 laps, new hard tyres
Run 3: 5 laps, new soft tyres


QUALIFYING

Fernando Alonso, R2904, P1, 1:21.569
Q1: 1 run on new hard tyres, 2 runs on new soft tyres
Q2: 1 run on new soft tyres
Q3: 2 runs on new soft tyres

Fernando: "The result this afternoon is fantastic. We knew after Germany that we were more competitive and that the car has really improved with our latest updates, so we decided to take an aggressive strategy this weekend. Tomorrow, our aim is to finish on the podium and starting from pole position gives us a good chance of doing that. Also, with three Renault engines filling the first three places on the grid, it's another demonstration of the superb work done by the whole team."

Nelson Piquet, R2903, P15, 1:21.389
Q1: 1 run on new hard tyres, 2 runs on new soft tyres
Q2: 2 runs on new soft tyres

Nelson: "I knew that qualifying was going to be difficult. I managed to get a good lap in Q1, but in Q2 there was a lot of traffic and I couldn't repeat the lap time, so unfortunately I missed out on Q3. Tomorrow it's vital that we make a good start and I will do my best to have a strong race."

Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering
"I think after Germany we regained a lot of confidence in the car and the developments we had made to it. We therefore came here intending to go racing aggressively and by taking pole position we have accomplished the first part of our task. We now need to translate that into a good, solid finish tomorrow, hopefully on the podium."

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Post by Ed » Mon Jul 27, 2009 1:53 am

2009 Hungarian Grand Prix Sunday - 26 JUL 2009

It was a disappointing Hungarian Grand Prix for the ING Renault F1 Team as Fernando Alonso retired in the early stages having initially led the race, while teammate Nelson Piquet finished 12th. Attention now turns to the upcoming European Grand Prix in Valencia in four weeks time. The team also wishes Felipe Massa a full and speedy recovery.

Fernando Alonso, R2904, DNF
1st stint: 11 Laps, soft tyres

Fernando: "Today we missed an opportunity to finish on the podium. I made a good start and the car was quick during my first stint, but then we had a problem at my first stop fitting the right front wheel to the car. When I left the pits there was a lot of vibration and it felt like I had a puncture, but then a few corners later the wheel flew off my car. I made it back to the pits to replace it, but then the problem I'd had with my fuel pump since lap two returned and started to get worse so we had to retire the car. It's a shame that we missed this chance, but these things happen in racing and I'm trying to look on the bright side because we saw this weekend that the car is very competitive. I'm now looking ahead to the next race in Valencia, where I hope we can build on the promise we have shown."

Nelson Piquet, R2903, P12
1st stint: 24 laps, soft tyres
2nd stint: 25 laps, hard tyres
3rd stint: 21 laps, soft tyres

Nelson: "I made a very good start and managed to overtake several cars, but then I was always stuck behind somebody, which didn't help my race. I was also a bit unlucky with the strategy and I think my race would have worked out a lot better if I had been in some clean air. The car was good today and I'm glad that I benefited from the new updates this weekend."

Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering
"It's a very disappointing end to a weekend that started with a lot of promise. From around lap two, Fernando had a failure on the fuel pump and we had to try and control the problem manually, which cost us a lot of time. We stopped early because of that and then unfortunately we had a problem with the wheel fitting. Ultimately we retired the car because of the fuel pump problem. Nelson was always going to have a difficult afternoon and he pushed through to finish the race, but he wasn't in a position to score any points."

Remi Taffin, Head of Engine Operations
"Fernando made a good start, probably his best of the year and he had good pace in the early laps so we were hopeful of a good result and aiming for a podium. Unfortunately a technical problem ended his race. It's frustrating, but once again we have demonstrated the progress that we have made recently as this is only the second race where we have benefited from the new developments. Our attention now turns towards the European Grand Prix where we hope to convert our potential into a good result."

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Post by Ed » Wed Aug 19, 2009 12:49 am

European Grand Prix 2009 Preview

The ING Renault F1 Team looks forward to round eleven of the season, the European Grand Prix in Valencia.

Fernando Alonso: "Hopefully we can fight for the podium"

Fernando, the race in Hungary was disappointing, but there were some positives to take from the weekend...
Yes, our performance in Hungary was encouraging as the car was quick and we managed to get pole, which was actually a bit of a surprise. To retire from the race was disappointing, but I'm looking on the bright side because I think that the car can be just as competitive in Valencia. Last year my race there was very short – less than a lap – so I'm really determined to make up for that this weekend and hopefully we can fight for the podium.

How is the mood in the team after the summer break?
I think the break was good for everyone and the team has come back refreshed and ready to push hard for the final part of the season. I also have a new teammate this weekend and I'm looking forward to working with Romain who I'm sure will do a good job for the team. I already have a good relationship with him and hopefully he can help us score some important points for the championship.

How excited are you to be racing on home ground this weekend?
Racing at home is always special and Valencia is a beautiful city and a great place to have a race. I've always enjoyed racing on street circuits as they have a special atmosphere and the whole city gets involved in the race. Also, as it's a home race for me I know that there will be amazing support from the fans and I really want to reward them with a good result. As I've said, I would love to fight for the podium, but the main priority is to score points this weekend.


Romain Grosjean: "I'm ready to make the most of this opportunity"

Romain, you will race with the team for the rest of the season. How does it feel to have this opportunity?
Of course I'm very excited and I want to thank the team for giving me this chance. I started dreaming about being a Formula One driver when I was seven or eight years old when I was watching the battles between Prost and Senna on television so to make my debut in Valencia really is a dream come true.

Does it feel special to drive for the only French team on the grid?
My goal has always been to become a Formula One driver and to do that with a French team makes it even more special. Renault has supported me since 2006 and it was only with their help that I could afford to continue racing. There is maybe a bit more attention because people have been waiting for a French driver in a Renault, but I will do my best to show that they were right to believe in me.

How valuable has it been to attend all the races as third driver this year?
It has been really helpful as I've got to know everybody and seen how the team works. Attending all the meetings and debriefs during the last six months will certainly help me make the most of this opportunity.

How does it feel to be teammate to Fernando Alonso – a double world champion?
He is a great champion – maybe the best driver in Formula One and I'm looking forward to working with him for the rest of the season. We already get on well and because he has so much experience I know there is a lot I can learn from him.

You raced in Valencia in GP2 last year – what did you think of the circuit?
It's a mix between a street course and a normal circuit because in some places the track is narrow and tricky and in other places it's really wide with lots of run-off. It's not the easiest place to make your debut, but I've always liked street races and enjoy the atmosphere of being in the middle of a city.

How have you been preparing for your debut?
I've tried to make my preparation as normal as possible, although I have been training my neck muscles more than usual because Formula One is more demanding than GP2 on this part of the body. I've also taken some holiday time during the summer break to make sure I am fresh and 100% ready for Valencia.

What are you hopes for the weekend?
I've only driven the R29 in straight-line testing so my first race will be a learning experience. It's difficult to set myself an objective so my first priority will be to get comfortable with the car, build my confidence over the weekend and do the best job I can for the team.


Pat Symonds: "I'm confident that we can be competitive in Valencia"

Pat, the team had a disappointing end to a promising weekend in Hungary. Give us your thoughts on the race?
We wanted to show the potential of the car and confirm the step forward we had made in Germany, and I think to an extent we managed to do that. It was great to get pole position, but it doesn't necessarily mean that you've got the fastest car and fuel-corrected it's true that the Red Bulls were faster. Even so, we were pleased with our performance and I believe our aggressive strategy with Fernando would have paid off in the race had we gone the distance, but it wasn't to be.

The performance of the R29 in Budapest confirmed the team's recent progress. Can the team maintain this rate of development?
We can certainly push a lot more developments onto the R29 in the final part of the season and there is another big aero update for later in the year. We're also preparing the specific medium and low downforce configurations that are needed for Spa and Monza. How much more we do after that will depend how next year's car, the R30, is progressing and whether we can transfer what we learn from that onto the current car.

The team has changed its driver line-up this weekend with Romain Grosjean making his debut. What has impressed you most about him?
I think Romain has a great racing ability and we've seen that demonstrated many times in GP2. He's certainly one of the best in the series at overtaking and with the reverse grids he has shown that he's good at fighting his way through the field. It will take him a while to settle into Formula One, but I'm sure that he will adapt well.

How has the team been helping Romain prepare for his first Grand Prix?
In the past he would have done lots of testing miles, but that's not the way of modern Formula One with the ban on in-season testing. However, he has done several aero tests already this year and has spent a lot of time with the team at races attending briefings and debriefings to learn the way we work and the personalities of the team.

What are your expectations for this weekend's race?
The R29 has shown recently that it's a good car in all types of corner and so I'm confident that we can be competitive in Valencia. Like any street course, it rewards brave and capable drivers and we've certainly got that in Fernando, who will have home advantage and massive support from the fans this weekend.


Valencia: Tech File

Situated in the marina area of Valencia, the European Grand Prix street course is one of the most exciting additions to the Formula One calendar in recent years. Hemmed in by concrete walls, the 25-turn circuit combines a mix of high and low-speed sections and presents a challenging layout for the drivers and engineers. Good straight-line speed and stability under braking are therefore paramount, as is good mechanical grip through the mix of low and medium-speed corners.

Aerodynamics
The track layout means that the teams run with medium levels of downforce with a similar set-up to that used in Shanghai and Bahrain earlier this year. This set-up is possible as there are no high-speed corners and good straight-line speed is important down the long back straight.

Fernando explains: "One of the most exciting parts of the lap is the final section from turns 17 to 25. You are flat-out almost all the way from the exit of 17 to the final corner, but there are so many kinks that you are constantly in a corner. Turn 25 is quite difficult because it's so slow and yet you approach it at over 300 km/h. So you have to brake as you are coming through turn 24, which makes it's easy to lock a wheel or make a mistake."

Brakes
The circuit is particularly demanding on the brakes and on a par with somewhere like Bahrain. There are frequent large stops from over 300km/h, such as turns 12 and 17, leading into tight second gear corners which put high energy though the braking systems. Brake cooling therefore needs special attention and the team will use larger brake cooling ducts than usual, as was the case in Bahrain.

General car set-up
The drivers need a responsive and well-balanced car with good change of direction to deal with the high-speed kinks that are spread around the circuit. But, as always, this needs to be balanced with a supple enough suspension to give good mechanical grip in the low-speed corners. Good braking stability is also important, especially at the end of the straights, to avoid locking wheels on a track where there is little margin for error.

Fernando explains: "Overtaking is always difficult on a street circuit and Valencia is no exception. Turn 12 at the end of the long back straight is probably the best opportunity as it's the biggest braking zone on the track. There's also quite a lot of tarmac run-off in case you go too deep into the corner."

Tyres
Bridgestone will bring the soft and super-soft compounds from its 2009 range, just as it did for the streets of Monaco and at last month's Hungarian Grand Prix. This choice is possible as the tarmac is not particularly abrasive and the softest compounds from the range will offer good grip on what is likely to be quite a slippery track surface to begin with. However, like any temporary circuit, we can expect the track to gradually evolve, becoming faster with each lap as it rubbers-in. The main concern over the weekend will be monitoring the rear tyre wear, which tends to be high due to the number of low-speed corners that lead onto long straights where traction demands are high.

Engine
The mix of straights, low speed chicanes and hairpins means that the engine will be used in a very stop-start fashion. About 60% of the lap is spent at full throttle, which is slightly below average for the season, and so Valencia is not a demanding test for the engine. The key to a good lap time is not peak power, but good torque to help launch the car out of the slow corners and onto the straights. Getting the car well balanced will therefore be of utmost importance to avoid understeer out of the low-speed corners to allow early application of the throttle.

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Post by Ed » Sat Aug 22, 2009 4:16 pm

2009 European Grand Prix Friday - 21 AUG 2009

The ING Renault F1 Team completed a busy day of practice in preparation for this weekend's European Grand Prix.

Fernando Alonso, R2904
Free practice 1: 18 laps, 1:43.345 on lap 6, P9
Run 1: 6 laps, set of new hard tyres
Run 2: 8 laps, same set of tyres, adjustment to front ride height
Run 3: 2 laps, same set of tyres, adjustment to rear aero

Free Practice 2: 33 laps, 1:39.404 on lap 31, P1
Run 1: 6 laps, new hard tyres
Run 2: 6 laps, same set of tyres, adjustment to front suspension
Run 3: 6 laps, same set of tyres, adjustment to rear ride height
Run 4: 10 laps, set of new soft tyres
Run 5: 4 laps, set of new soft tyres, adjustment to front wing

Fernando: "It was a positive day for us with some good laps and the car performed well right from the start of the first session. We worked on the set-up throughout the day and now we're pretty much happy with what we have so I think we are in good shape for the rest of the weekend. The incident with Nick Heidfeld this afternoon was a normal incident that can happen during racing or free practice. For tomorrow, we will try our best to get on the front row of the grid with the objective of scoring points on Sunday."

Romain Grosjean, R2903
Free practice 1: 23 laps, 1:44.356 on lap 21, P17
Run 1: 9 laps, set of new hard tyres
Run 2: 8 laps, same set of tyres, adjustment to front suspension
Run 3: 4 laps, same set of tyres, adjustment to front ride height

Free Practice 2: 35 laps, 1:40.787 on lap 34, P13
Run 1: 12 laps, set of new hard tyres, gear ratios change
Run 2: 13 laps, set of new soft tyres
Run 3: 4 laps, same set of tyres, adjustment to front ride height
Run 4: 4 laps, set of new soft tyres, adjustment to front suspension and front wing

Romain: "The day has gone pretty well. Your first time in a new car is always tricky, but I did my best and having Fernando next to me meant I could see how he approached the sessions and that helped me a lot. So I think today I have made good progress and tomorrow I will aim to continue in the same way. "

Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering
"Firstly it's very nice to be here in Valencia racing this weekend. Secondly, we would like to welcome Romain to the team and I have to say I was very impressed with his progress today. He was pushing hard yet driving within himself and making steady progress. Fernando has had a strong day too; the car looks good and we're quite happy with the way the tyres are behaving. All in all it has been a satisfactory Friday."

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Post by Ed » Sun Aug 23, 2009 12:14 pm

2009 European Grand Prix Saturday

Today's qualifying session in Valencia saw Fernando Alonso and Romain Grosjean qualify in 8th and 14th places respectively for tomorrow's European Grand Prix.

FREE PRACTICE 3

Fernando Alonso: 9 laps, P15, 1:40.402 on lap 6
Run 1: 5 laps, new hard tyres
Run 2: 2 laps, new soft tyres

Romain Grosjean: 11 laps, P10, 1:40.088 on lap 11
Run 1: 6 laps, new hard tyres
Run 2: 3 laps, new soft tyres


QUALIFYING

Fernando Alonso, R2904, P8, 1:40.236
Q1: 1 run on new hard tyres, 1 run on new soft tyres
Q2: 2 runs on new soft tyres
Q3: 1 run on scrubbed soft tyres, 1 run on new soft tyres

Fernando: "It was very hot today and a tough session. At the beginning it seemed that we could be 3rd or 4th and then after Q1 we realised that we were not going to be as competitive as we thought. Of course, I'm not happy with 8th but since we had the same position in Q2 it seems that this was the limit of the car today. I'm disappointed for all the fans here for whom I would have liked a better grid position, but I'll do my best tomorrow in the race."

Romain Grosjean, R2903, P14, 1:39.040
Q1: 1 run on new hard tyres, 2 runs on new soft tyres
Q2: 2 runs on new soft tyres

Romain: "I am pleased to have made it into Q2 for my first qualifying session, especially as that was the objective I set myself yesterday. I want to thank the whole team who have been working with me and Fernando for all his helpful advice. To be fighting with the best drivers in the world is an incredible feeling and I'm really looking forward to starting my first Grand Prix tomorrow. I will give my maximum to get the best result possible from the race."

Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering
"We were expecting more in qualifying today even with the disrupted third practice this morning because the car seemed good and we thought we would be nearer the front of the grid with Fernando. Romain has continued to have a very sensible first race and he should be proud of his grid position on this difficult circuit. I'm sure he will have a strong race tomorrow."

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Post by Ed » Mon Aug 24, 2009 1:32 am

2009 European Grand Prix Sunday - 23 AUG 2009

The ING Renault F1 Team came away with three points from Valencia as Fernando Alonso finished 6th in this afternoon's European Grand Prix. The team's rookie driver Romain Grosjean completed his debut Grand Prix in 15th.

Fernando Alonso, R2904, P6
"Sixth place is the best I could do today for my home Grand Prix and the three points are a good result considering that we started eighth. It was a very tough race: first of all because of the heat but also because it was a very competitive race and I had to push all the way, constantly fighting to keep my position. But we have been quick all weekend and therefore I'm quite confident we can keep this pace and deliver an even better result in Spa."

Romain Grosjean, R2903, P15
"Unfortunately the first lap didn't go well for me, but during the race there were a lot of positives and I gained some valuable experience. At the start of the race I had to really concentrate and pay attention to everything that was happening around me and after that I just tried to be consistent and set some good lap times. It's clear that I must do better next weekend in Spa and I will aim to put the experience I have gained in Valencia to good use."

Flavio Briatore, Managing Director
"Fernando's race was compromised by yesterday's qualifying, but he did the best he could and brought home three points. Romain did a very good job throughout his first Grand Prix and I'm sure he will improve rapidly during the rest of the season. The car is competitive and we can hopefully do better next week in Belgium on a more ‘traditional' track than here in Valencia."

Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering
"After the problem in qualifying, Fernando showed good pace during the race, but on this circuit it was difficult to do more than the result we've come away with and we certainly welcome the points. Romain was unfortunate to have an incident on the first lap but from that point he just had to settle down to a steady race and see how the car behaved over a race distance. He did this very well and we are really pleased that he finished his first race."

Remi Taffin, Head of Engine Operations
"I think we have come away with as many points as we could today and considering the disappointment of yesterday's qualifying session to finish sixth is a good result. Unfortunately Romain had an incident on the opening lap, but overall he had a strong race and showed good pace. We have now finished an engine cycle which means that the engines have completed their third Grand Prix and they have worked very well for us. We will be able to use them again during certain sessions later in the year but we will have new engines for Spa which should help us be competitive next weekend."

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