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jarno trulli uk fan club |
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29th April 2003 spanish
gp. driver preview. Jarno Trulli
Jarno, how are you looking forward to Barcelona?
I’m feeling
very good; although I had some problems in Imola, we know we were unlucky
with the new regulations and how difficult it is to overtake there. Fernando
showed the car had good speed, even though it wasn’t our best circuit, and I
think we can feel positive about Barcelona. We were quick there last year, it
should suit our car well because of the aerodynamics and our reliability has
been excellent. I think we can definitely look to score more points this
weekend. What are the challenges for a driver at Barcelona?
With lots of
corners, and most of them at relatively high speed, the car’s aerodynamic
performance is very important. We spend a lot of time over the lap in the
corners, so we have to get the balance absolutely right for them; Turn 3 can
be difficult, because the left front tyre is under a very high load for a
long time and you can lose a lot of time there with understeer. The other
thing is the track surface, which can be quite unsettling in Turn 11, the
uphill right hander– but we can’t do much about that with the set up; you
just have to cope with it as well as possible! Fernando Alonso Fernando, this season will be the
second home Grand Prix of your career. Does the extra focus on you play a
role in your weekend, or not? For me, this
is obviously a very important race; it’s a special feeling to be racing in
front of m home fans. It means a lot to me to know that people around the
circuit are concentrating on me, and I always get great support from the
crowd in Barcelona. Obviously, I am a professional, and my motivation is high
for every race: it doesn’t matter what circuit I go to, I am always
performing to my maximum and that is what is important, to always be pushing
for more. But even so, I think that every driver tries to do a little bit
more for their home race, and it is no different for me: a good result here
this weekend would be very special indeed. What memories do you have of
racing in Barcelona earlier in your career? To be
honest, I haven’t done that many races at Barcelona, but we always used it
for lots of testing in the junior categories in Spain. I actually won a race
there in Formula Nissan in 1999, and had a good race with Minardi in 2001. What kind of driving style does the driver need at Barcelona?
It is
definitely what you would call a driver’s circuit, with all types of corners:
a good mixture of high speed and low speed, and some of them are pretty
difficult to get absolutely right. The driver is definitely a big part of
getting a good lap time because the quick corners need good commitment and confidence
in the car. From that point of view, I enjoy the demands on the driver: we
are always being tested one hundred percent over the lap. 23rd and 24th
April 2003 The
Renault F1 team conducted a two day test at Silverstone in preparation for
the Spanish GP on 2nd – 4th
May. They ran one car with Allan McNish driving. 20th April 2003 san
marino gp. race. It’s a pleasant enough Easter
Sunday in the UK. In Iraq, there is a religious pilgrimage going on for the
first time in 4 decades. Race, what race? Oh, that one in San Marino? Won by
Michael Schumacher. Second was Raikkonen and third Barrichello. A bit of a
sad podium for Michael, mourning his mum, who died overnight. Nothing else of
great significance happened in this race: no crashes, little overtaking and
retirements for Fisichella (big smoky blown engine……most exciting moment of
the day), his team mate Firman, Webber, Verstappen, Wilson and Villeneuve
(those BAR gremlins again.) Definitely a race to forget for Jarno, whose car
was just not up to it. He finished 13th, a significant number,
reflecting the whole weekend. More luck again for Alonso, who finished 6th
and benefited from a botched pit stop for 7th place Montoya, the retirement
of Villeneuve, and the poor start and later retirement of Webber. The lead
changed through the pit stops, but it was always a Ferrari, Williams or
McLaren. At least Renault got two cars to the end of the race again, although
Jarno could be forgiven if he had preferred an early bath. Top 8:
M.Schumacher, Raikkonen, Barrichello, R. Schumacher, Coulthard, Alonso,
Montoya, Button. Weather: cloudy
Temperature: Air: 18 °C
Track : 21 °C Jarno
Trulli R23-01 RS23 Spec A Fernando
Alonso R23-05 RS23 Spec A T-car R23-03
RS23 Spec A Fernando Alonso, 6th, best
lap 1:23.844: “A perfect
finish to a good weekend for me. Today I couldn’t hope for a better result.
The car felt very good, I was competitive from the start and it was great to
be able to race and fight with the top teams. I am very happy and optimistic
for my home race in Spain, in two weeks.” Jarno Trulli, 13th, best
lap 1:25.444: “Today, it
was good to get to the end of the race, to confirm the reliability of our
car. I am obviously frustrated, because although I didn’t encounter any
particular problem, to race in the T-car, which wasn’t set up for me, made it
impossible to make any progress during the race. It’s a consequence of the
new rules and I must accept them. I will have to put this behind me and I am
already looking forward to the next race.” Flavio Briatore, Managing
Director, Renault F1 Team: “A rather
positive weekend for the team. It’s very encouraging to have confirmed the
reliability of our engines and to have scored three more points on this very
difficult circuit. We are very satisfied.” Mike Gascoyne, Technical
Director, Renault F1 Team: “It was a
very competitive race. Fernando made an excellent start and drove a very
strong race. We decided to change our strategy from three to two stops during
the race and he was consistent and kept his position, which is very pleasing
for him. Jarno’s weekend was ruined by problems on his car, which forced him
to qualify and race in the T -car, which wasn’t set up for him. He wasn’t
happy with the balance of the car and unfortunately he couldn’t progress.
However -overall - a big satisfaction for the team, who maintains a 100%
finishing record since the start of this season. It’s great to bring home
some more points at this race, where we didn’t think we would be very
strong.” Denis Chevrier, Engine Operations
Manager, Renault F1Team: “This was a
straightforward race, with no accident on the track and no mechanical
problems for us. Fernando was able to put into practice what we expected from
him, by fighting with the top teams and finishing into the points. For the
first time, we don’t have both cars scoring points, but Jarno’s race had been
already compromised yesterday. The problems continued even on the starting
grid and his race was uneventful.” For the UK
(apologies rest of the world)……ITV watch: Allan McNish is found!!!! He was
seen giving an interview to Loopy Lou, quite a good one as it happens. And
Louise actually travelled with the drivers on the parade lorry! Pity she
didn’t choose to try and interview anyone different……we got DC and
Barrichello (and the Brazilian boys) again. It’s a pity James Allen, during
the race, didn’t explain WHY Jarno had had such a bad weekend and race due to
the change of cars, instead of just stating the fact. Maybe it slipped his
mind. Excruciating interviewing by Jim Rosenthal of Ross Brawn, relating to
Michael’s mother’s death. I swear he asked the same question 4 times in
different ways…..the answers were all the same anyway. Learn when to leave
it, Jim, for goodness sake. No driver interviews after the race…..no doubt we
have to wait until 1am and the end of the highlights programme for those.
Perhaps they’ll also find some footage of the tussle between Jarno and
Fisichella where Fisi had to take a trip through the gravel and still failed
to overtake: ITV missed it first time round (and any replay) due to a
commercial break. Thank goodness for Radio 5! 19th April 2003 san
marino gp. saturday practice and qualifying 1. Saturday Practice
Several drivers had off-track
excursions in the first session, and Frentzen and Pizzonia had to abandon
their cars with mechanical problems, in Frentzen’s case, a blown engine.
Wilson was only able to complete 6 laps. Alonso was 8th, Trulli 10th. Top 6: Raikkonen, R. Schumacher,
Barrichello, M. Schumacher, Coulthard, Montoya. The second session was
marked by a crash for Ralf Schumacher and several more off-track excursions
for Barrichello, Jarno, Fisichella, and da Matta. Frentzen failed to appear
while his engine was being changed, and Firman’s car failed. Top 6:
Barrichello, R. Schumacher, Webber, Raikkonen, M. Schumacher, Alonso. Qualifying 2
Probably a day that Jarno
would prefer to forget, and none of it of his own making! After problems with
the car all weekend, Jarno’s race car had a mechanical problem just before
qualifying, causing him to use the T-car…..a car that was not set up for him
and he was unable to do any practice laps with. So Jarno lacked confidence in
the car and this was reflected in his lap time, although he did manage to
keep it on the road. But P16 was not what he was hoping for! In contrast,
Fernando had managed to sort his car out today but only finished P8,
nonetheless. Of course, none of us know what fuel loads anyone is running.
Jos Verstappen managed to spin and crash his car, so his Minardi will start
from the back tomorrow…..if he notices the difference! The Ferraris and
Williams battled it out for pole, the McLarens 6th and 12th.
DC will not be happy, although did make a small mistake. Top 6: M.Schumacher,
R. Schumacher, Barrichello, Montoya, Webber, Raikkonen. Short ITV Interview: Louise
Goodman: Jarno, not too happy with today’s qualifying? Jarno: “Not really! All
weekend I’ve been having all sorts of problems with, unfortunately, my home race,
and it’s like this. I had a problem with my race car just before qualifying.
I had to step up in the T-car, which wasn’t set up for me and naturally the
set up was…..this time …..was very different, and basically I didn’t have
enough confidence in qualifying. L.G: What was the problem with
the race car? JT: A mechanical problem, that we couldn’t
run it. Weather: Cloudy then sunny Temperature: Air: 20-21°C Track : 22-23°C
Jarno Trulli R23-01 RS23 Spec A Fernando Alonso R23-04 RS23
Spec A Fernando Alonso 8th 1:23.169: “I am very happy with my 8th place today. The team worked very well and managed to find solutions
to yesterday’s problems. As a consequence, my car felt much better in qualifying,
I had a good lap and I am confident that for tomorrow’s race I am in the
position to fight and score some points.” Jarno Trulli 16th 1:24.190: “I had a problem with my car
right before the start of qualifying and it’s thanks to my mechanics that I
didn’t miss the session! Although they worked hard and fast, the T-car was
set up for Fernando and I just didn’t feel comfortable enough on my lap.
Tomorrow I will have to fight hard and I think it will be a tough race.” Mike Gayscoyne, Technical Director,
Renault F1Team: “We had a difficult qualifying
session especially for Jarno. Just before the warm up, he had to switch to
the spare car which had Fernando’s set up. I think we will have a difficult
race but I still think we can have a good race performance and get both cars
into the points.” Denis Chevrier, Engine Operations
Manager, Renault F1 Team: “For the first time this season
we have a big gap on the grid between our two cars. I would say that
Fernando’s position reflects the real potential of our car. Unfortunately the
series of problems we encountered on Jarno’s car throughout the weekend
forced him into the spare car right before qualifying and he was obviously
penalized in his lap.” ITV Watch: Still only recorded Friday
qualifying, but they are interviewing a few more drivers apart from the
British ones. And no sign of Allan McNish all weekend so far! Maybe they
found the other drivers WILL talk to them after all! Louise got short shrift
from Michael Schumacher though, when she asked one of her stupid, almost
hypothetical questions, and he said “Obviously not!” and walked off! They
even did a Jarno interview (well, few words anyway) after Friday qualy, and a
sound only interview after his Saturday run (see above). Also, some sympathy
from Brundle concerning Jarno’s struggles to set up the car……they are
actually blaming the car and not the driver! What a difference a few good
results make! 18th April 2003 san
marino gp. friday practice and qualifying 1. Practice Straightforward practice session
today, although Wilson, Pizzonia and Villeneuve were unable to complete it
due to car problems. Alonso was 5th quickest and Trulli 8th.
Top 6: R. Schumacher, Montoya, Webber, Coulthard, Alonso, Button. Qualifying The drivers came out one by
one…..but that’s the way it goes. The Renaults are not coping so well with
this track, finishing 13th (Alonso) and 16th (Trulli).
Good thing it’s only Friday and this is meaningless! The Ferraris, from being
mid-table in practice flew in qualifying, sewing up positions 1 & 2. Top
6: M.Schumacher, Barrichello, R. Schumacher, Montoya, Webber, Button. Weather: sunny Temperature: Air: 23°C
Track : 28-29°C Jarno Trulli
R23-03 RS23 Spec A Fernando
Alonso R23-04 RS23 Spec A Fernando Alonso 13th 1:22.809: “As we
expected, it’s going to be a hard weekend for us, as we are struggling with
tyres and on this very fast circuit. But we still a have a full-days work and
I am optimistic we can reasonably improve our final position on the grid in
tomorrow’s qualifying.” Jarno Trulli 16th 1:23.100: “This
morning we lost time during the test and free sessions, with a few problems
on the car and therefore this afternoon, I felt the car was not well
balanced, which reflected in my poor lap time. We will have to set to work
hard on the car now, but am confident I can improve my position tomorrow.” Pat Symonds, Executive
Engineering Director, Renault F1 Team: “While we
knew this circuit would be harder for our cars than the three previous
tracks, we are obviously very unsatisfied with the present result which
places us too far behind our direct competitors. We must now analyse all data
and find solutions for tomorrow’s qualifying.” Denis Chevrier, Engine Operations
Manager, Renault F1 Team: “Overall, a
disappointing day for us. This morning’s problems prevented us from
developing our full programme and it’s difficult to say where we really are
and how much we can improve. Today the gap to the others is significant and
we have to understand why and react accordingly.” 18th April 2003 san
marino gp. private test. Weather: Sunny Temperature: Air: 17-20°C Track :
18-22°C Jarno Trulli R23-03 RS23 Spec A Fernando Alonso R23-04 RS23
Spec A Allan McNish R23-00 RS23 Spec A In this morning’s test session,
fastest was Jaguar’s Pizzonia, followed by Fisichella, Webber and Firman.
Then came the Renault drivers in a line: Trulli 5th, then Alonso
and McNish. Pat Symonds, Executive Director
of Engineering, Renault F1 Team: “We had a very tough test
session. We lost quite a lot of time firstly with a mechanical problem on
Jarno’s car, which forced us to swap him to the T-car, which luckily had a race
configuration. Allan’s car also encountered a problem in the middle of the
test session and so our productivity today was relatively low. Having said
that, we have gathered some data on the different types of tyres and we know
well in which direction to work in order to improve the set ups of our cars.” Allan McNish, Renault F1 Team
test driver: “Basically, during this morning
session, we could work in quite good weather conditions. We had just started
our programme when, on turn n.9, I made a mistake and touched both the inside
and outside curbs which meant I spun and we had to cut the session short.
However, we were able to get some useful information with the 20 laps I did.
I think we put a good base for the rest of the weekend.” Denis Chevrier, Engine Operations
Manager, Renault F1 Team: “We started our test session on
a very dusty track. We ran a heavy programme with three cars on the track.
Unfortunately owing to the problems on Jarno’s and Allan’s cars we couldn’t
finish our programme as planned: overall, we didn’t have a productive test
session.” Drivers Football Jarno took part in a charity football match on Wednesday,16th
April, before the San Marino Grand Prix. Michael Schumacher scored twice as
he led his team of current and former Formula One drivers to a 6-2 victory
against a local San Marino team in the Olympic Stadium of Serraville. Other
scorers were Italians Giancarlo Fisichella and Ivan Capelli, a former Ferrari
driver, Spaniard Fernando Alonso, and Brazilian Felipe Massa, one of the Ferrari
test drivers. A crowd of 5,000 turned up to enjoy the game and in doing so
raised 21,500 Euros for UNESCO's Champions for Charity. 16th April 2003 san
marino gp. preview. Jarno Trulli - Race Driver: Jarno, how does it feel to
be back in Europe after the first three races of the season? “It feels
good. It is nice to get some time back at home and to be able to start
training properly again. In terms of results, too, it’s good: although I was
disappointed with my positions in Malaysia and Brazil, I have scored points
in every race so far, compared to last year when I hadn’t finished a race by
this stage of the season.” What are
the challenges of the Imola circuit for a driver?
“In terms of
set-up, the key things are good speed down the straights and getting a good
balance under braking: the car has been good in that area so far this season.
From a driver’s point of view, the circuit isn’t very exciting, but it’s
always a long, hard race.” This is your
first home race of the year: does that make a difference to you?
“In terms of
driving, no: my approach is the same for every race. Obviously, though, I
will have more supporters. A lot of people come from my fan club, so we have
a fun weekend meeting everybody. Imola will also be special because, although
Interlagos was technically my 100th race, that
figure includes Malaysia in 1999 when I didn’t actually start, so for me, I
consider that this weekend will be my hundredth race in Formula 1: I hope we can
get a good
result to celebrate!” Fernando Alonso - Race Driver: Fernando, how happy were you with the performance of
the HANS device in your accident in Brazil? “It’s quite
hard to say, because the accident was the biggest one of my career, but I am
obviously pleased with how it performed. For me, the system isn’t at all
uncomfortable in the car, and it was definitely an advantage at that moment.
With that kind of crash, you usually suffer from neck pains afterwards, and I
have had no problems at all. I think that HANS device helped in that, and did
a very good job in that particular crash.” Do you
enjoy racing at Imola?
“I always
enjoy coming back to Europe: even though we have had good results so far, I
always feel that this is when the Championship really begins, when you see
the motorhomes in the paddock and go to circuits where we have raced more. I
know Imola very well because I raced there in F3000, and tested there for
Minardi. The drivers need to be aggressive and that suits my style: I usually
use the kerbs even when I don’t have to, so it won’t be a problem. I enjoy
racing there, and I think we can get a very good result.” What’s
the most challenging part of the circuit?
“There are
no particular parts of the track which are difficult. The biggest challenge
is setting the car up, because we have to use a lot of the kerbs and it can
be hard to get the suspension to cope with that. We have a good opportunity
though, because the car seems very good in those circumstances.” Following his accident in
Brazil, Fernando Alonso underwent a medical evaluation last Friday, after
which he was passed fit for the forthcoming San Marino Grand Prix. Allan McNish - Test Driver
A frustrating weekend for
you in Brazil, Allan? “Certainly,
yes - with the problem, we missed out on an extra 45 minutes running on a dry
circuit so that obviously restricted our programme. Even so, we managed to
get a good feeling for a couple of parts of the programme, and some
indications of tyre choice, which was something Jarno and Fernando then
pursued. The mechanics did an excellent job just to get the car back out so I
could do the installation lap before practice. Relatively, I don’t think it
had a negative effect overall, because it then rained during the afternoon,
and we will be back on a good footing in Imola.” What do
you need out of the car to run competitively at Imola?
“The track
is basically a lot of chicanes with long straights in between: the key things
are being good over the kerbs and getting good traction. Pretty much everything
there is part of the race track, and how you attack it crucial to a good lap
time. Suspension set-up is obviously very important and we will look to
fine-tune that on Friday; the circuit is also quite undulating, which makes
power important for getting up the hills! So far, we have performed at a good
level, and Michelin have seemed to have an advantage: there’s no reason why
we shouldn’t be strong, but we’ll have to wait and see.” And what
does a driver bring to a good lap in San Marino?
“For the drivers,
aggression is always important, but you also need to be extremely precise
with your driving over the kerbs. The driver needs to feel confident about
how the car’s going to react, and especially needs to know what it will do
when it lands off the kerbs: it’s a bit like a jockey taking a racehorse over
jumps. A good lap will find the right balance between aggression and
precision.” 6th April 2003 brazilian
gp. race. Weather: rainy (understatement!) Temperature: Air: 18°C Track :
19°C In view of the intermediate tyre
problem, this was surely the teams’ and the FIA’s worst nightmare….an
extremely wet day! Torrential downpours during the morning and intermittent
rain before the start created doubts that the race would even be run. The teams
were allowed to change their car setups to reflect the conditions and in the
end, the start was delayed for 15 minutes and the race was started behind the
safety car. Starting from the pitlane were Verstappen and Frentzen, who took
their respective T-cars, Pizzonia, for some reason, and Firman, whose Jordan
was pushed there from the grid. All took advantage of that to load up with
fuel. As soon as the race was underway behind the safety car, Panis and
Fisichella both went back in for fuel straightaway. The real race began after
7 laps, and Coulthard was soon past Barrichello, who had bunched up the field
before the safety car went in. There was spray everywhere, driver visibility
very poor. Raikkonen also got past Barrichello and then Webber, as Montoya got
up to third. What is it with Jarno and Schumachers? This race it was Ralf who
tapped him from behind, causing them both to spin. That’s how it looked, as
it wasn’t re-played on ITV, and Ralf was the car behind. They both resumed,
Jarno in 9th, Ralf behind him. With those two out of the way,
Michael Schumacher was on a charge and got up to third. Heidfeld just stopped
at the side of the track, Wilson spun and retired, having got up as far as
twelfth. Ralph Firman’s front wing just fell off, and he spun into the
luckless and innocent Panis. Safety car again, to clear the debris. Several
cars pitted, including both Renaults, Alonso first. Montoya almost hit Jarno
going down the pitlane. Jarno’s stop was a long one after problems with a
rear tyre. Alonso had pitstop problems too, as the Renault boys put slicks on
the car by mistake. We know the boy’s good, but not that good! Luckily, it
was still a safety car period, so it didn’t really hurt him. The safety car
went in with Raikkonen in the lead. Although the track was drying, there was
still a river crossing the track in turn 3, where some drainage pipes were
pumping out water. First victim was Montoya who aquaplaned off the track and
hit the barrier. Immediately after, Pizzonia came out in sympathy and finished
alongside Montoya deep in the run off area. Next lap, the “rain master”
himself, Michael Schumacher joined the other boys in the tarmac, close to the
recovery crane. Safety car again. It came in on lap 30, with Coulthard
leading the race. Ralf, in third place, tried to overtake Barrichello, but
couldn’t make it stick. The next one to be caught out by the turn 3 river was
Jenson Button, who tried to save the car, but couldn’t help driving straight
into the barrier. Safety car again….doing more laps than some of the drivers!
Coulthard was still leading as it went in, and Barrichello was pushing for
the lead, as Raikkonen was charging through the field to third. Fernando was
given a drive through penalty for overtaking under the safety car, so gave up
fifth to Fisichella. Da Matta pitted, he had been slow and was apparently
trying to race on slicks! Barrichello took the lead, but not for long, as the
car failed for no apparent reason. Webber spun at today’s usual place, but
managed to keep it going without hitting anything. Ralf made a pit stop, from
fourth place. Coulthard was leading from Raikkonen, Fisichella, Alonso,
Frentzen, who hadn’t made a stop, and Jarno. But Coulthard had to pit,
handing the lead to Raikkonen, who handed it to Fisichella. Jarno also had to
pit. Just about then, on lap 55, Mark Webber lost it coming round into the
pit straight, and had a big accident, spreading bits of car all over the
track. Yellow flags and the safety car came out. Fisichella and Raikkonen
picked their way through the debris, but Fernando seemed to be going much
faster when he whacked one of the Jaguar’s wheels and had a huge crash,
bouncing from one side of the track to the other, spinning at high speed. The
race was red-flagged, so medics could reach Fernando, who had got himself out
of the car. Then, because the race was more than 75% over, it was declared
abandoned and the winner was the leader of lap 53, according to FIA rules.
Jordan thought it was Fisichella, but celebrated too soon, because the leader
two laps before was still Raikkonen. Maybe Fisichella was lucky to be second,
as his car burst into flames in parc ferme. Third was Fernando, because of
his position when the race was stopped, but he was in an ambulance, rather
than on the podium. Fortunately, Fernando escaped with only bruising to his
ankle. Coulthard was fourth, having suffered for his recent pitstop, as did
Jarno who had just rejoined in eighth place. The unstopping Frentzen stayed
fifth, with Jacques Villeneuve sixth. Ironically, having crashed and his
loose tyres having caused the second accident, Mark Webber was classified
seventh and gets two points for it! The only other two finishers were Ralf
Schumacher in ninth (not too sure how he ended up there) and da Matta in
tenth. Jarno Trulli R23-03 RS23 Spec A Fernando Alonso R23-02 RS23
Spec A T-car R23-01 RS23 Spec A Fernando
Alonso crashed late in the race: although he has suffered no physical
injuries, doctors decided to transport him to hospital for further
examination. Fernando Alonso was classified third, with a best lap of
1:23.830. Jarno Trulli 8th best lap 1:25.060: “Honestly,
we had a very tough race. At the beginning I was fighting to keep the car on
the track: the circuit was so wet that it was hard to see anything. I had my
second pit stop just before the race was stopped, which meant I lost several
positions and finished in eighth place. I’m very sorry for Fernando: however,
I know that he is alright and I hope he will recover quickly.” Pat Symonds,
Executive Director of Engineering, Renault F1 Team: “We had a
race of mixed emotions: I think Fernando achieved a great result, although
clearly nobody likes to see their driver unable to take the podium.
Fortunately, he is OK. He drove a very good race in extremely difficult
conditions. It was very hard to calculate the correct strategy in those
conditions. Jarno was unfortunate to have to make his pit stop just as the
race finished and this cost him positions. Overall our drivers did a very
professional job in very difficult conditions.” Denis
Chevrier, Engine Operations Manager, Renault F1 Team: “It was a
very difficult race. Our objective was to finish the race without any
incidents but unfortunately, Fernando had his accident at the end. From an
engine point of view, the race unfolded without any problems at all.” ITV Watch: The best part of the pre-race programme was seeing
Justin Wilson in action at Bedford Aerodrome, where he does his “day job”
showing the paying public how to drive rally cars and Caterhams. An
unnecessary resume of qualifying was followed by the ITV crew, cute in their
rain gear, trying to work out when the race would actually start. We got a
Trulli interview, with pictures!! Louise
was asking about the drivers trying to stop qualifying in the rain on Friday,
so Jarno was able to put her straight on that. She probably couldn’t find DC.
Brundle found him later though. No time for Ralph, whose car was moved to the
pitlane, or Jenson today, but ITV were short of time even though the race
start was delayed. In the commentary, James Allen made lots of mistakes,
confusing Wilson with Verstappen, Pizzonia with Webber. But generally they
were quite positive about all the drivers that actually finished without
making contact with the barriers, of which Jarno was one. It’s a good thing
for ITV that the race was cut short, because they were overrunning Coronation
St. as it was, because of all the safety car periods slowing the race down;
so the race programme finished with unnatural haste, barely showing the
podium, and several questions unanswered. The highlights programme managed
Kimi in the press conference and few other interviews, cut short because
Jardine had to have his say in the studio. They weren’t able to say how
Fernando was, as they didn’t know when they recorded it. 5th April 2003 brazilian
gp. saturday practice. After
yesterday’s “rivers of water all over the track”, as described by the
unfortunate Jenson Button, this day dawned bright and sunny and managed to
remain dry for today’s essential action on the track. This meant the times
were back into the 1:14s and at the end of the first practice session,
Barrichello was topping the time sheets, closely followed by Ralf, Montoya.
Michael Schumacher, Alonso and Raikkonen. Jarno finished this first session in
13th position. By the end of the second session, Jarno had
improved his time to 3rd, and the top 7 were in the 1:13s. The
only casualty of this session was da Matta, whose car had to be removed from
the track after a spin. The final top 6 order was Panis, M. Schumacher,
Trulli, Coulthard, Montoya, Raikkonen. Alonso was 10th. brazilian
gp. qualifying 2. Weather: sunny Temperature: Air: 26°C Track :
31 °C It’s not easy to make these
reports exciting at all now that the drivers qualify one at a time. It was still
dry and no one made any big mistakes, so they finished as fast as they could,
and presumably in the order that their fuel loads allow. No one will know who
did really well until tomorrow. Jenson went first after his little problem
yesterday and put in a fairly strong 1:14.504, which eventually saw him
finish 11th. We have to assume that the team mate who finished
ahead of the other, actually carried less fuel, but it’s hard to tell. Jarno
put in a good lap and stayed P1 for some time, before the Ferraris and
McLarens came out, McLaren seemingly determined not to have the Renaults
ahead of them on the grid this time. How dare those Renaults do that!
Surprisingly, Michael Schumacher (P7) will line up behind Jarno (P5), but
after the last race, forgive us for not celebrating too much. He wouldn’t
dare hit Jarno again, would he? Jarno is surrounded by Schumachers with Ralf
alongside. Mark Webber, obviously keen after his Friday success, threw in a
good lap at the end to start the race in P3. Cue the fuel speculation that
Renault got in Malaysia…..seems more likely Mark has little fuel this time
though as Mark’s team mate Pizzonia is down in P17..…slight performance
difference there. Fernando is pushed down to 10th place, alongside
Montoya. Was Barrichello allowed to run light to take pole in his home GP?
Top 6: Barrichello, Coulthard, Webber, Raikkonen, Trulli, Ralf Schumacher. Jarno Trulli R23-03 RS23 Spec A Fernando Alonso R23-02 RS23
Spec A Jarno Trulli 5th 1:13.953: “The team has done a very good
job these past two days in developing the car and the result is reflected in
my fifth place today. I am very happy with the car, since we found a good
compromise with the aero-package. Furthermore, I am confident with the race
strategy we have chosen and with the reliability of the car, so I really
think we should finish in the points tomorrow.” Fernando Alonso 10th 1:14.384: “Today in qualifying we were
able to work on a dry track, which had been impossible yesterday afternoon. I
am quite happy with my laptime because I didn’t make any mistakes and the car
felt good. I am in 10th position and, considering that I
believe we have a good strategy, I think that tomorrow we could bring home
some more points.” Pat Symonds, Executive
Engineering Director, Renault F1 Team: “A reasonably satisfactory
qualifying session for us. We are pleased with Jarno’s starting position
which is in line with the strategy we intend to employ. Although Fernando
didn’t get the best out of his lap, his starting position, in tenth place,
considering our strategy, should allow him to have a good race as well.” Denis Chevrier, Engine Operations
Manager, Renault F1 Team: “As it has always been the case
on this circuit, the lap times are very close, with 15 drivers in one second.
We have done a good job throughout the weekend so far, without incurring in
any problem and I see no reason for the team not to have a good result in
tomorrow’s race.” ITV Watch: In ITV’s recorded Friday programme, we had to ask
“where is Allan? Has he got the sack from ITV?” But no, he was back on Saturday, dragged out of the garage to
talk to Louise. She also haunted Fernando on Saturday, interfering in a
Renault data session. He seemed to wonder who she was. Or maybe Jarno has
warned him about ITV and he was a bit wary. We had the usual DC, RF, JW,
interviews, usually two of them. Thought they’d forgotten Jense on Saturday,
but there he was at the end. There was also a Trulli interview on Saturday,
after he had done his lap; no pictures though, as someone else was out
(didn’t stop them at other times), and a rather enigmatic statement that they
didn’t give Lou enough time to clarify. 4th April 2003 brazilian
gp. friday practice and qualifying 1. The heavens
opened during Friday practice and 4 drivers failed to set a time. One was
Fernando Alonso who collided with the barriers after sliding off the track on
his first foray. Raikonnen had an early spin and thereafter stayed in the
pits, Pizzonia damaged his Jaguar by bouncing off both sides of the track and
Wilson failed to set a time in the Minardi. Quickest was Michael Schumacher,
followed by Coulthard, Button, Trulli, Montoya and Barrichello. The
prospect of first qualifying on a very wet track plus the tyre factor (the
only wet tyre available this weekend is an intermediate for both Bridgestone
and Michelin runners) caused the GPDA to lobby to cancel this qualifying
session. However, they didn’t get round to every driver in time, and the rain
eased, so they had to get on with it. The rain was stopped for the first 5 or
so runners, then it rained again while Jarno was out, then stopped and the
track began to dry out a bit. Michael Schumacher spun on his outlap, but
completed his timed lap finishing 5th. Montoya had a spin on his
flying lap, leaving him 17th. Button had a huge spin, destroying a
few marker boards and causing his rear wing to flop over, leaving him without
a timed lap and the session red-flagged. As the track began to dry, Pizzonia,
Villeneuve, Panis and da Matta benefited. Webber actually went first, because
the track was drying when he went out.
Alonso finished ninth, Trulli twelfth, surprisingly close considering
the differing conditions. Top 6: Webber, Barrichello, Raikkonen, Coulthard,
M. Schumacher, Panis. Jarno
Trulli R23-03 RS23 Spec A Fernando
Alonso R23-02 RS23 Spec A T-car
R23-01 RS23 Spec A Fernando Alonso 9th 1:26.203: “I am quite satisfied with
today’s work. This morning we were able to do some work in view of the race,
especially on set ups and tyres and this afternoon I was happy with my
laptime. However, the track kept changing and it’s difficult to say where
everybody is. I am very optimistic for tomorrow’s qualifying and Sunday’s
race.” Jarno Trulli 12th 1:26.557: “I am very happy with the way
my car feels both on dry and wet conditions. Unfortunately during this
afternoon’s qualifying my run was done under extremely wet conditions, but I
still managed to set a reasonable lap time. The team has done a very good job
all day and I am sure I will improve my position in tomorrow’s qualifying.” Pat Symonds, Executive Engineering Director, Renault
F1 Team: “I am pleased that we were able
to run this afternoon because before qualifying the weather conditions were quite
bad. As far as the session is concerned, we knew that under the new
regulations there is an amount of luck involved and we have to accept it.
Jarno’s laps were run on an extremely wet track and that resulted in a poor
placement for him. But I am sure that tomorrow we will be able to reflect in
qualifying our real potential.” Denis Chevrier, Engine Operations Manager, Renault
F1 Team: “On the engine side we had a
trouble free afternoon session, which was of some use because we were able to
gather some data in wet conditions. However, due to the variable conditions,
this cannot be considered a qualifying session but rather a continuation of
this morning’s testing.” 4th April 2003 brazilian
gp. friday testing. Jarno Trulli
was fastest in Friday testing at Interlagos, completing 41 laps with a
fastest time of 1:14.262, followed by the Jaguars of Pizzonia and Webber and
then team mate Alonso. Renault test driver Allan McNish was 6th
quickest after gear box problems. It began to rain towards the end of the
session, which messed up the end of their programmes. Top times: Trulli,
Pizzonia, Webber, Alonso, Fisichella, McNish, Verstappen, Firman, Wilson. Jarno Trulli R23-03 RS23 Spec A
Fernando
Alonso R23-02 RS23 Spec A Allan McNish
R23-01 RS23 Spec A Pat Symonds,
Executive Director of Engineering, Renault F1 Team:
“It was a very difficult test
session today. The track conditions kept changing considerably: at the
beginning, the track was very dirty so the information on tyres was
conflicting. Early in the session we lost Allan’s car due to a gearbox
failure. Then the rain started, with the track conditions changing very
rapidly, which meant we couldn’t run as much as we had planned. We definitely
didn’t have a very productive test session, but maybe this will be the best
dry running of the weekend.” |