31^st August 2002

belgian gp. qualifying.

Rumours of rain but it remained dry for qualifying. Raikkonen was Michael Schumacher’s main rival for pole. Schumacher has never been on pole in Spa, so he was quite keen to go for it, although Kimi gave him a good run for his money. Panis had an engine blow and Fisichella had to take the T-car after he spun into a gravel trap and whacked the tyre barrier. Trulli was best of the rest in 7^th with team mate Button in 10^th. Top 6: M.Schumacher, Raikkinen, Barrichello, R. Schumacher, Montoya, Coulthard.

Chassis R202-01 Spare car (JB)

R202-05 Jarno Trulli

R202-06 Jenson Button

Under cloudy skies, the Renault F1 Team completed a solid qualifying session for tomorrow’s Belgian Grand Prix on the Spa- Francorchamps circuit. In spite of several small problems for each driver during this crucial hour, they nonetheless managed to claim seventh and tenth positions. Jarno Trulli finished a strong seventh in qualifying, in spite of only completing three full runs following a delay prior to his final effort.

Jenson Button was slightly disappointed with his final placing of tenth. After changing the set-up of his car for the third run, this run was spoiled by Jacques Villeneuve’s spin during his timed lap. The decision was therefore taken to make no alterations for the final run, and on this timed lap, he found he lost enough time in the second sector to prevent him from improving his lap time significantly.

Jarno Trulli, 7 th position, 1:45.712:

“It was a very good performance today, even though I didn’t manage to complete my final run. Of course, it’s always possible to improve if you’re out on the circuit, so I don’t know what we could have done on that last lap. Nevertheless, I thought we were very competitive yesterday, so things look good for the race tomorrow.”

Jenson Button, 10 th position, 1:45.972:

“I’m a little disappointed to be tenth, especially as Jarno showed what the full potential of the car was. We made a mistake with the set-up, and took off too much downforce for the last two runs. This meant we lost out in the second sector. Having said that, we should still be able to do something from this part of the grid.”

Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering, Renault F1 Team:

“A reasonable session for Jarno and even though a problem meant he missed starting his final run by a couple of seconds, this probably didn’t affect the outcome for him. Jenson was unfortunate to have a car spin in front of him on his third run, and we maybe miscalculated the effect of the changes we had made, which with the closeness of the grid in this area certainly cost him a couple of places. However, we are in good shape for the race.”

Denis Chevrier, Head of Race Engineering (Engine), Renault F1 Team:

“A good qualifying performance for us. It is pleasing to see our leading car in a strong position between the top six and the following pack, especially since our top speeds were competitive. However, I think we could have quite realistically hoped to finish the session seventh and eighth. We experienced no technical problems, and we now must look to make as good a use of our package tomorrow as we did today.”

31^st August 2002

belgian gp. saturday practice.

No fog today, as hazy sunshine greeted drivers and fans for the first session, which saw the Ferraris back at the top of the time charts in the first session. Button was 9^th and Trulli 11^th for Renault. In the second session there was more of a mixed bag at the top, as the Michelin teams improved. Button was 10^th and Trulli 15^th. Top 6 overall: Raikkonen, M. Schumacher, Coulthard, Barrichello, Montoya, R. Schumacher.

30^th August 2002

belgian gp. friday practice.

The first session was delayed due to fog and then restricted to half an hour. By the end of session one, the Ferrari’s were P1 & P2 follwed by Coulthard and Trulli. Button’s second Renault was 8^th. The second session was the usual one hour in length and saw the McLarens take first and second positions followed by the Ferraris. Teams doing unusually well were Jaguar and Toyota. Button took 6^th for Renault, while Trulli was 12^th. Minardi’s Webber had gearbox problems in the second session. Barrichello had an off close to the end of the session, which finished his day slightly early. Top 6: Raikkonen, Coulthard, M. Schumacher, Barrichello, R. Schumacher, Button.

Chassis R202-01 Spare car (JB)

R202-05 Jarno Trulli

R202-06 Jenson Button

The Renault F1 Team completed a satisfactory first day’s work today for Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps. Although the first practice session was shortened owing to foggy conditions, the team nevertheless managed to complete good mileage during the ninety minutes of free practice. In spite of some handling difficulties, Jenson Button finished sixth

while Jarno Trulli claimed a solid twelfth position.

Jenson Button, 6 th position, 27 laps, 1:48.778:

“To be honest, we didn’t have a great day. We haven’t found the right set-up and the car is just very low on grip all round, both at the front and the rear. The rear end is moving around a lot - it feels like the same problem we had in Hungary, but the circuit here is much less bumpy. I feel uncomfortable with the car at the moment, but we still have time to find the right balance.”

Jarno Trulli, 12 th position, 29 laps, 1:49.603:

“I had a very good first day, concentrating mainly on race set-up. The car is working very well, even though we still have some work to do to improve the balance. I’m confident there is more performance left to find in the package.”

Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering, Renault F1 Team:

“The reduced practice time put us under a little more pressure than normal but we got the fundamentals done and know where we stand for Sunday, assuming it remains dry. The tyres are working well but as usual, there is still work to be done to further improve the balance of the two cars.”

Denis Chevrier, Head of Race Engineering (Engine), Renault F1 Team:

“We tried to get as much done as possible today in spite of the late start this morning. Given that we only come to this circuit once a year, there is a lot of information to collect, and we managed to complete a typical Friday programme without any nasty surprises or problems.”

19^th August 2002

belgian gp, preview.

As Formula 1 returns to its grandest theatre, Renault F1 Team drivers Jarno Trulli and Jenson Button are eager to tackle the celebrated Spa-Francorchamps circuit at this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.

The last race in Hungary proved disappointing for both drivers, with the Team failing to score points. Since then, Button has spent two days training with members of the Renault F1 Human Performance Centre. Trulli has continued his personal training programme and also attended the Team’s annual summer party last Saturday at Enstone.

Each of them, however, has had one eye on this weekend’s challenge:

Jarno Trulli:

“Spa is just a very exciting circuit. It has every kind of corner, and it’s the kind of track where you can gain time everywhere, pushing yourself and the car to the limit. Obviously, Eau Rouge and the Raidillon are the highlights, but the whole lap is a real challenge.”

As ever, much attention will be focused on how the drivers negotiate this 190mph complex. Each driver has his own thoughts on the nature of the daunting sequence:

Jarno Trulli:

“I find it very difficult to explain. Eau Rouge is just different from any other corner during the whole season. Being able to take it flat is a question of confidence in the car. That is definitely the most important thing.”

In Button’s mind, however, the annual obsession about taking the corner without lifting is misplaced:

“I think the challenge is more in the heads of the media than the drivers. Sure, it is exciting and different, but it’s just one corner. You won’t win a race by only being quick through there!”

Instead, he judges other parts of the high-speed lap to be just as taxing:

“Blanchimont is a great corner - exciting and a little bit scary. The complex at the end of the straight (Les Combes) is important for a good lap time, and also the double fifth-gear left-hander at Pouhon.”

For 2002, the circuit has been lightly modified, with changes on the exits of Eau Rouge and the Bus Stop chicane. Although drivers in the recent 24-Hour race suggested that the modifications meant less precision was required on a fast lap, Button is reserving judgement until seeing the alterations for himself.

“I don’t know what it will be like to drive, but it’s definitely a lot safer now, and that’s a step forward.”

The track’s characteristics may be unique, with its steep gradients and switches between public roads and the purpose-built circuit, yet Button insists he will be looking for many of the same qualities in his set-up as at any other venue.

Jenson Button:

“Like pretty much everywhere else, the car will need to be well-balanced, and I’ll be looking for it to work well in the high-speed corners as well as having a good change of direction. It’s definitely my kind of circuit, and we should be competitive.”

After qualifying in the top eight at nine races so far this year, and having shared the front row in 2000, Trulli is confident that the Team can expect another strong performance in Belgium. “I think we can perform very well here in qualifying and the race,” says Trulli. “We are well prepared, but a lot will come down to the performance of the tyres. We need to wait and see how things stand on Friday.”

The Renault drivers demonstrate the two different approaches to Eau Rouge. Some drivers see Eau Rouge as a challenge and are proud to take it flat. The opposite camp says that being able to go flat through Eau Rouge can compromise the rest of the lap…..or is that just an excuse to avoid having to do it? You decide.

18^th August 2002

hungarian gp. race.

A typically processional Hungarian GP, with the first 3 finishing the same as in qualifying, with no incidents of any kind for the 2 Ferraris and Ralf Schumacher. There was always the impression that Michael Schumacher wasn’t pushing too hard behind his team mate, but the result means anyway, that Ferrari have won the Constructors Championship and Barrichello is now second in the Driver’s Championship. Montoya was squeezed out at the first corner, as was Jarno, as Jenson came round the outside, swapping positions for the Renaults. Montoya lost out further in a tussle with Raikkonen, losing bits off the car and destroying the balance with a slight off track excursion. In the early part of the race, Jenson was pressured by Raikkonen and Jarno by Coulthard; Jenson spun into the gravel trap eventually, and the McLarens overtook Jarno, Fisichella and Massa in the pitstops to finish in the points. Anthony Davidson, in his first GP, made it to lap 61 before spinning out of the race. Only two other retirements with mechanical problems, Villeneuve and Irvine. Barrichello won the race, followed by Schumacher senior and junior, Raikkonen, Coulthard, Fisichella.

Chassis R202-01 Spare car (JT)

R202-05 Jarno Trulli

R202-06 Jenson Button

In hot conditions under a strong summer sun, the Renault F1 Team obtained a disappointing eighth place finish in the Hungarian Grand Prix. Nevertheless, with the gap to the closest rivals in the Constructors’ Championship remaining stable, the Team’s fourth position has been reinforced with only four races remaining this season.

Jarno Trulli drove a solid race to finish eighth. On a two-stop strategy, he found himself squeezed out at the first corners, losing three places as a result. Afterwards, he lapped at the same pace as his direct competitors until experiencing understeer on his third set of tyres. Although the problem subsequently disappeared, it nevertheless cost him around two seconds a lap during his third stint.

Jenson Button made a successful start, and after a tough battle with his team-mate and Montoya, climbed to sixth place at the end of the first lap. However, the decision to start on used tyres meant he quickly began suffering from oversteer, and an error whilst fighting this problem saw him spin into retirement at turn 13 on lap 31.

Jarno Trulli, 8th position:

“I made a bad start on the dirty side of the track and then was hit by several cars at the first corner, which cost me two places. The same thing happened at the second corner, and I lost another position. By then, I was following the other cars but of course it was impossible to overtake. The car balance was OK on the first two sets of tyres but during the third stint, I experienced a loss of grip at the front left which cost me a lot of time. Things improved by the end of the race, but I couldn’t make up the time I had lost.”

Jenson Button, retired:

“I’ve had a tough weekend here. We made the decision to start on used tyres because we were worried about blistering in the hot conditions. The start was pretty good and I went round the outside at the first corner, which meant I had the inside line for the left-hander. I touched Montoya on the exit, but it didn’t damage the car. Then I just started gradually losing grip, and I had a lot of oversteer. Just before my first pitstop, Davidson went off in front of me and after avoiding the incident, I put the right-rear wheel on the kerb as I was braking for the corner. It was simply my mistake.”

Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering, Renault F1 Team:

“This is an extremely disappointing result from promising grid positions at a circuit where we should have performed better. Jenson made a good start and was running well before making a mistake which saw him spin. He was subsequently unable to restart. Jarno experienced a very traumatic first few corners through which it seemed that every bit of track he wanted was already occupied. This dropped him down the order, but he was able to maintain position until his final stint, where he encountered a lot of understeer and consequently lost competitiveness.”

Denis Chevrier, Head of Race Engineering (Engine), Renault F1 Team:

“From a technical point of view, we experienced no problems with the engine throughout the race, and had no nasty surprises. Even though this is undoubtedly positive, we must also note that the level of reliability was high throughout the field. Quite simply, we must recognise that we were beaten by cars that were much quicker than us today. We need to work hard before the next race in Belgium.”

17^th August 2002

hungarian gp. qualifying.

Saturday practice saw the Renault boys finish 10^th (Trulli) and 16^th( Button). Button had a spin and shunt at the end of the first session. Top 6: M.Schumacher, Barrichello, Raikkonen, Montoya, Massa, Panis.

Half of qualifying went by before a car took to the track, then Minardi gave in and sent out Davidson, who qualified comfortably today. Things hotted up after that, with pole changing hands between the usual suspects, apart from Montoya who wasn’t quite on it today. He still finished 4^th though, alongside Ralf. The Jordans, on their Bridgestones, have looked strong all weekend and Fisichella managed his best qualifying of the season in 5^th. The McLarens were an unhappy 10^th and 11^th. After a spin on his first run, Jenson Button came out 9^th on the grid, while Jarno managed a good 6^th place. Top 6: Barrichello, M. Schumacher, R. Schumacher, Montoya, Fisichella, Trulli.

Chassis R202-01 Spare car (JT)

R202-05 Jarno Trulli

R202-06 Jenson Button

Following assiduous preparations throughout this morning’s free practice sessions, the Renault F1 Team achieved a satisfying result in qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix, claiming sixth and ninth positions for tomorrow’s race. In the hottest conditions of the weekend, with track temperatures close to 40°C, the Renault R202 demonstrated a reassuring level of competitiveness on the tight Hungaroring circuit.

Jarno Trulli set the sixth fastest time of the afternoon on his penultimate run, after steadily improving the balance of his car throughout the day.

Although a spin in morning practice slightly disrupted his preparations, Jenson Button set his fastest time on his first complete run. As track temperatures rose, he noted a general loss of grip which prevented him from improving on his initial effort.

Jarno Trulli, 6th position, 1:14.980:

“I’m pretty happy with the result, and I especially have to thank my engineers who have worked really well since the start of the day. Basically, we improved the car step by step and achieved a good position, in front of the McLarens and close to Williams. Of course, the improved engine helped as well - I could feel more power and that always helps, even here in Hungary!”

Jenson Button, 9th position, 1:15.214:

“Ninth is OK, and Jarno did a great job to finish sixth. I did my best lap on the first run, and I’m not quite sure why the other two weren’t as quick. Obviously, I was pushing hard – that’s why I spun on the first run - but maybe the set-up wasn’t quite as good in the hot conditions. Even though I’m starting ninth, I think we can do something from there.”

Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering, Renault F1 Team:

“On a circuit where qualifying is so important, this is a good team result and it puts us in a position from which we should score points tomorrow. I am equally happy with our race preparation and although tomorrow’s race will be very hard, I am confident that the team can achieve a good result.”

Denis Chevrier, Head of Race Engineering (Engine), Renault F1 Team:

“Today saw the team continue from where we left off in practice yesterday afternoon. Our performance improved throughout the day and the final positions demonstrate how well we worked to optimise both chassis and engine. Sixth and ninth positions have given us a strong platform for tomorrow: if we can make good starts, we should look to score points at the end of the race.”

16^th August 2002

hungarian gp. friday practice.

A fairly straightforward practice, with no major problems for anyone. The only crashes came from the 2 Sauber drivers in the second session, the other incidents were mainly spins. Anthony Davidson, driving for Minardi in place of Alex Yoong, managed to be faster than his team mate Mark Webber. The Ferraris came out on top as usual, in both sessions, on this dusty, slippery circuit. The Renaults finished next to each other in mid table, with Button just ahead. Top 6 overall: M.Schumacher, Barrichello, R. Schumacher, Raikkonen, Fisichella, Sato.

Chassis R202-01 Spare car (JT)

R202-05 Jarno Trulli

R202-06 Jenson Button

A day of mixed results for the Renault F1 Team after the first free practice sessions for the Hungarian Grand Prix. Threatening weather forecasts led the Team to slightly modify their normal Friday programme, a choice which was reinforced by the twisty nature of the Hungaroring circuit, where the difficulty in overtaking places an even greater premium than usual on a strong qualifying performance. Both drivers feel there is still progress to be made in order to optimise the balance of the car, identifying a general lack of grip on the slippery circuit.

Jenson Button, 10th position, 35 laps:

“To be honest, I’m a bit disappointed to finish tenth today. I thought we seemed pretty competitive this morning, but we didn’t manage to keep that level of performance. The car lacks all-round grip - we didn’t really find the right answers today, and need to work hard before tomorrow morning.”

Jarno Trulli, 11th position, 34 laps:

“It was a useful day which allowed us to learn a lot about the tyres and car set-up. We definitely need to work harder to improve the balance of the car before tomorrow morning. It’s up to us to improve our level performance in order to get the best out of the package.”

Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering, Renault F1 Team:

“A reasonable day where we had one eye on the performance of the cars, and the other on the weather. This led us to alter our normal programme slightly and while we are not yet completely happy with the balance of the car, we nevertheless managed to collect some useful information for the race as well as a little of what might apply in qualifying.”

Denis Chevrier, Head of Race Engineering (Engine), Renault F1 Team:

“We completed our normal Friday preparations without any problems. Overall, I think we had a positive day, in that our work wasn’t disrupted during two sessions which saw a significant number of cars leave the circuit for various reasons. Our positions leave us amongst the teams who will be our main competitors, and we now need to prepare to go looking for outright performance tomorrow morning.”

12^th August 2002

hungarian gp. preview.

Following the mid-summer break between the German and Hungarian Grands Prix, Renault F1 Team drivers Jarno Trulli and Jenson Button are looking forward to re-establishing their level of competitiveness at the Hungaroring this weekend.

Both drivers have made the most of their time away from the paddock, Trulli spending time with his family in his hometown of Pescara while Button relaxed with friends in the sunshine of Mallorca. Refreshed after spending time away from the paddock, the Italian has certainly appreciated the benefit of the extra week:

Jarno Trulli:

"It has been very good for me to take a step back from driving and reflect on the season so far. When I get out on the track, I will be even more motivated and stronger than before."

Meanwhile Button, in spite of a disappointing weekend at Hockenheim, is simply looking forward to the challenge of the tight Hungaroring circuit:

Jenson Button:

“The result from Germany is not a problem. We didn’t have a great weekend, but these things happen in racing. From my point of view, it’s not hard to put it behind me, but I must say we haven’t had a weekend like that for a while! I am looking forward to the race in Hungary – it’s a good circuit for the drivers. The race is hard and very tiring - there are so many corners, and no real straights to relax on. Physically it’s tough, but that’s something I enjoy. Having said that, I’d like to see a few more fast corners!”

Trulli echoes his team-mate’s sentiments, labelling the 77-lap race one of the most challenging of the year:

“It is one of the toughest races of the season. The track is always slippery, and the corners follow quickly one after the other. This is definitely a hard race for the drivers, and the high temperatures mean we need to be well prepared physically. I’ve been training a lot since the last race, and I feel in good shape for the weekend.”

Having achieved his best result of the season so far in Monaco, where he finished fourth, Trulli is confident that the R202 will perform well in the high-downforce configuration needed for the Hungarian race. "I think our car will suit the circuit. The package has been strong everywhere this year and I feel that we are going to Hungary with a big chance of being competitive."

Button is no less optimistic about his chances in Budapest, and feels the Team can expect to be in contention for points at the chequered flag. “The car will definitely suit the circuit. We have been competitive pretty much everywhere this year and we expect to run stronger than in Germany. I'm looking forward to competing with the McLarens and Saubers.”

Immediately following Sunday’s race, the Team drivers and Flavio Briatore will fly to Bucharest to conduct promotional work on behalf of Renault Romania.