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25th July 2004 Prior to the race, Jarno announced that he
will not be driving for Renault next year. Unfortunately, his race was
compromised by a chunk of Kimi Raikkonen’s rear wing lodging itself
underneath Jarno’s car. At the pit stop, ITV said it was silver and had West
written on it, so it must have been a good size! No wonder it slowed the car
down, with the aerodynamics compromised. They also changed the whole nose
cone at that stop. This was during Jarno’s second stint, after Kimi’s rear
wing failure, which took him out of the race. Until then, Kimi had been
chasing Michael Schumacher, hoping to take the race to him. The Ferrari had
kept the lead at the start, and Fernando had taken second place ahead of Raikkonen,
with Jarno up to fourth. Montoya had a bad start and dropped to 7th.
Barrichello hit the back of Coulthard’s McLaren and the Ferrari had to pit
for a new front wing. He never got back in the race and finished 12th
after a puncture on the last lap. Raikkonen’s
McLaren quickly passed Fernando’s Renault and was in a strong position when
the failure occurred. BAR used strategy to get Button up from 13th
to 6th after the first stops, the BAR staying out for 5 extra
laps. Soon Montoya made a mistake and Button was up to 4th.
Schumacher built up a good lead before the second stop. After his second
stop, Button moved up to third, beating DC’s McLaren down to 4th.
Button was pushing Alonso for second place and eventually made it by
overtaking him with 14 laps to go, despite Jenson having to hold his head on
down the straights (helmet strap problems). Da Matta retired on lap 40 with a
puncture and possibly more. Panis finished the race a lap down after stalling
dramas on the grid. Heidfeld was gone on lap 44. During the course of the
race, Jarno overtook Panis and Massa, but the cameras seem to have missed it.
But the debris problem cost him dear at an important time in the race and he
could only achieve 11th place by the end of the race. Top 8:
Schumacher, Button, Alonso, Coulthard, Montoya, Webber, Pizzonia, Sato. Renault F1 Team Press Release Fernando third and Jarno eleventh after a dramatic
German Grand Prix in Hockenheim. The Renault F1 Team experienced a dramatic race at today's
German Grand Prix. Fernando Alonso finished third, his second podium in three
races, while Jarno Trulli, delayed by changing his front wing at the second
stop, finished the race eleventh. Fernando Alonso made "one of the best starts of my
career" from fifth position on the grid, and exited the first corner
second. He lost a position early in the race to Raikkonen, regained after the
latter's accident, and then defended this placing until the final stint of
the race. The first three stints were notable for an intense battle with
Jenson Button, who he fended off until lap 52. However, after his third stop
the Spaniard experienced a serious problem at the front end of the car, and
lost a significant amount of grip: he was unable to prevent Button from passing
him, but fought off David Coulthard until lap 58 when he touched a kerb and
the handling suddenly corrected itself. From that point on, Fernando was
again lapping at the same speed as the leaders. At this stage, the team
believes that debris were lodged in the car, and between laps 52 and 58, the
aerodynamic balance of his car was 8% different from the ideal. As for Jarno Trulli, his car was the second Renault to
collect debris today. Following a very competitive first stint, the Italian
hit the debris from Raikkonen's accident, and part of the McLaren's rear wing
was caught on the front end of the R24. The team was unable to identify the
exact cause of the problem while the car was on the circuit, and therefore
changed the nose at the second pit-stop, costing him time and positions.
Jarno then battled through the field to finish eleventh. Fernando Alonso, 3rd position: Jarno Trulli, 11th position: Flavio Briatore, Managing Director: Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering: ITV Watch: It’s still the BAR show, but at least we got Sato’s qualifying
lap, moving on to Jenson’s ‘game plan’. Nice to see Allan McNish adding a bit
of quality to the ITV team! We wasted time on some nonsense about Ted and
Louise taking part in some team members’ game at Brand’s Hatch. Completely
pointless…..let’s have more driver interviews or something. We had the Barrichello interview on the
grid AGAIN! There really is something going on there! But now I have to give
Brundle some praise…..he was very supportive when Jarno obviously had a
problem during the race, and when Jarno was overtaken by Sato and Flavio
threw his arms in the air, Martin said “Come on, Flav, what’s he supposed to
do….he got passed in a straight line……give him some more power.” Jarno’s
problem was actually half of Kimi’s rear wing stuffed under his rear wing,
and it was so big Ted was able to identify the piece of silver carbon fibre
as it was removed. It practically had Kimi’s name on it! Not sure we
appreciated the many pictures of BAR playing with a Button helmet when they
were trying to work out what JB’s problem was as he hung on to his helmet in
the last stint. It wasn’t even under the ITV TV director’s control either,
although Ted could have slipped the German TV man a few quid. After the race,
Grim was quite excited by Jenson’s second place; in fact, the way he looked
at it was that it was almost first: “Second? First of the losers? Not in my
book this time!” You have to laugh. Mark Blundell thinks that Jarno will get
a spanking (is Mark kinky, or what? He loves that phrase!) for letting Sato
AND Webber by….. when he had a car problem don’t forget, so a little harsh,
don’t you think? Maybe Fernando should have a smack too, for letting Button
past. But they thought Jenson was absolutely wonderful, so maybe that doesn’t
count…. 24th July 2004 german gp. qualifying. The Ferraris were nowhere to be seen in the top
ten in first qualifying, finishing 11th and 12th.
Montoya took pole in this seesion, with Williams stand in, Pizzonia in P2.
Fernando was 4th, Jarno 7th. Top 6: Montoya, Pizzonia,
Button, Alonso, Coulthard, Panis. It didn’t last, as Michael Schumacher took
pole position on the grid. Considering he hasn’t been on pole for the last
few races and still won them, it’s not looking good for a competitive race
tomorrow. Although Montoya is second, so who knows what could happen off the
line. But Williams sometimes start rather sluggishly, so pessimism still
reigns! Button qualified 3rd, but has to start 13th
because of the engine change penalty. That lifts Fernando to 5th
and Jarno to 6th place. Top 6 (without JB): Schumacher, Montoya,
Raikkonen, Coulthard, Alonso, Trulli. Renault F1 Team Press Release Fernando sixth and Jarno seventh, but they will
start from the third row after the demotion of Jenson Button. Free Practice 3 JT 1:16.334, 5 laps Practice mileage The Renault F1 Team will start tomorrow's German Grand
Prix from the third row of the grid, with Fernando Alonso ahead of Jarno
Trulli. This morning was spent scrubbing tyres for the race, and fine-tuning
chassis set-up, and both drivers had achieved a good balance by the end of
the free practice sessions. In qualifying, Fernando and Jarno completed
mistake-free laps, with Alonso performing particularly strongly in the second
sector, and Trulli in the third. The two drivers qualified sixth and seventh,
but will be promoted to fifth and sixth following the penalisation of Jenson
Button for changing an engine yesterday. Fernando Alonso, 6th position Jarno Trulli, 7th position Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering Denis Chevrier, Engine Operations Manager ITV Watch: ITV are with the BAR team this race. Are we going to notice any
difference from normal? But before that, we had Eddie Jordan complaining
about Williams’ efforts to ‘borrow’ his driver Nick Heidfeld to sub for Ralf.
He states that Jordan’s prime function is now to sell…..sorry, GET….their drivers
into top teams, ‘but not at our expense’. Perish the thought. But back to
BAR: Louise Goodman is back on the case, asking about Taku’s ‘big shunt’ in
practice. Taku denies that it a) was a big hit and b) there was major damage.
He had to say it twice and Lou still either a) didn’t listen to the first
answer or b) wouldn’t accept what he said. Later on we saw another particular
style in action, where the driver answers the question before she has asked
it, but she still asks it anyway! Sadly for ITV, Jenson has to drop 10 places
on the grid due to his engine change. Grim seems to have taken it quite well,
but he has had overnight to get used to the idea. Maybe Jense promised him
extra hours cleaning his motorhome this week. Jenson sounds depressed in his
interview (first of many, no doubt). Of course, ITV have ‘wonder boy’ Antony
Davidson to call on this weekend as well, so expect to see plenty of him.
Allan McNish seems to have passed the trial period, and is still
interviewing, and fortunately they trusted him with the Jarno interview about
the Silverstone crash, which JT describes as ‘cool’ and ‘impressive’! Jarno
is also able to reveal that it was a rear track rod that broke to cause the
accident, a fact that seems to have been kept quiet and has not previously
been reported anywhere else to my knowledge, so kudos to ITV for that one! I
couldn’t see the point of ITV pretending to be BAR pit crew, but I think some
younger viewers may have enjoyed it. During qualifying, Brundle and Allen
were so busy yakking about Jarno’s contract situation that they completely
failed to notice he was ahead of Michael Schumacher in the first split.
Thanks guys. This is not ITV’s fault (OR IS IT????), but why was Jenson in
the press conference if he’s dropping to 13th? But seeing as the
replacement driver would be Kimi, maybe it’s just as well….. 24th July 2004 german gp. saturday practice. There was a bit of a problem with bollards in
the first session when both Pantano then Baumgartner lost parts of their car on
the obstruction at turn 1, causing red flags as they crashed. It wasn’t
replaced…maybe ran out of them. The session was shortened as a result, losing
14 minutes practice time. Before the end, Sato also had a shunt, running wide
at turn 12 and crashing at turn 13. Michael Schumacher was fastest, from
Montoya. Jarno was 10th, Fernando 12th. Top 6:
Schumacher, Montoya, Barrichello, Raikkonen, Button, Panis. In the less eventful second session, Jenson Button was quickest from Montoya. Sato and Pantano both missed the session while repairs to their cars were carried out. Fernando was 5th, Jarno 8th. Top 6: Button, Montoya, Coulthard, Raikkonen, Alonso, Barrichello. 23rd July 2004 german gp. friday practice. Antony Davidson was
Mr Speedy this morning as he topped the times in the first session. But maybe
we shouldn’t get too excited as his team mates Button and Sato were 8th
and 16th respectively. There were two Toyotas in the top 6 with a
revised package although it was the test driver Zonta who was ahead. Renault
got off to their usual slow start
with Jarno 15th and Fernando 13th. Timo Glock caused a
red flag when he spread part of his front wing across the track following
some heavy kerb-bashing. Top 6: Davidson, Schumacher, Raikkonen, Zonta,
Fisichella, Panis. Michael Schumacher
took over at the top in the second session, just pipping Raikkonen to P1. DC
had a difficult day with a few offs and spins. Pantano lost part of his car
late in the session, and Button stopped on track late in the session. Alonso
was 8th and Jarno 14th. Top 6: Schumacher, Raikkonen,
Montoya, Button, Pizzonia, Davidson. Renault F1 Team Press Release Fernando eighth and Jarno fourteenth following the
first day of practice; a full programme concentrating on tyre selection. JT, R24-04 FA, R24-02 Spare,
R24-01 Spare chassis, R24-03 JT Free Practice 1: 1:17.487, 14 laps, P15 Free Practice 2:
1:16.660, 32 laps, P14 The Renault F1 Team concluded the opening day of practice
for the German Grand Prix with its two drivers in eighth and fourteenth
positions, Fernando Alonso ahead of team-mate Jarno Trulli. With circuit
temperatures exceeding 40°C, both drivers' days focused on tyre selection,
with each running a substantial programme. Jarno Trulli worked to correct a
nervous rear end on the R24 during much of the day, while Fernando Alonso
felt the car balance was acceptable, but that the team still needs to find
more grip and speed ahead of tomorrow's qualifying session. Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering: Denis Chevrier, Head of Engine Operations:
One week after the announcement of proposed changes to
the cars for 2005, what are the reactions of the men who will actually be
driving them? "As drivers, we have raised
the problem that the cars will soon become too fast, and the FIA and the
teams have responded," commented Jarno Trulli. "But this is not the time to be complaining about
changes: we have to wait and see until we drive them, and then we can see if
we have gone in the right direction. As racing drivers, though, we will deal
with the car we have." It has also been suggested that a move to smaller
capacity engines, and reducing speeds, will damage the 'essence' of Formula
1. Fernando Alonso does not agree: "I don't think it will change
anything for the drivers. We will still be on the limit, driving to the
maximum of the car. But even so, speeds must not come down too far. We want a
safe Formula 1, but also an exciting show." The proposed changes are intended to reduce downforce by
around 25%. What consequences will that have for driving the cars?
"Lower levels of downforce will make the car more difficult to drive,
because there will be less grip. That means the chances of making a mistake,
or going off the circuit are higher," explains Fernando. His team-mate
concurs: "We will be going slower, but I
don't think the car will feel much different," explains Trulli. "However, we expect to be carrying heavier fuel
loads, which will mean longer braking distances: that may help overtaking." Finally, the nature of a Grand Prix is likely to undergo some changes as well - rather than the series of short sprints we have seen in the past two years, it is expected that the races will feature fewer pit-stops, owing to the new tyre regulations. To an aggressive driver like Alonso, this prospect holds less appeal: "For me personally, it is better to always push - I prefer an attacking style of racing to something more conservative. I think the fans watching on TV enjoy pit-stops, and like seeing the whole team working to change tyres and fuel the car in just 4 or 5 seconds. We cannot lose all of that, because it would lose what the fans find exciting. But as I said earlier, we will be pushing hard whatever the situation: our job will still be to find the limit and stay there." 19th July 2004 german gp. driver preview. Jarno, Hockenheim holds good memories for you: are
you looking forward to racing there? Are there any after-effects from your Silverstone
crash? How optimistic do you feel ahead of the race? 16th July 2004 jerez
test. Williams Pizzonia was fastest again, quicker
than Schumacher who was second quickest. Kovalainen was 7th
quickest, faster than Montagny who was 11th and last. Montagny and
Kovalainen in action for the team, conducting aero and engine work and plenty
of long runs... Franck Montagny, R24-05, 104 laps,
460 km Chassis programme: Heikki continued doing set-up work with the car, and
indeed his programme was increased during the day to include specific set-up
work for Hockenheim. Engine programme: Other information: Christian Silk, Chief Test Engineer: Renault F1 Team 15th July 2004 jerez
test. Pizzonia was
fastest, very closely followed by Button, with Michael Schumacher third.
Fernando was fifth quickest and Montagny seventh quickest. Franck and Fernando in action, with engine and
tyre testing on the programme. Franck Montagny, R24-05, 105 laps,
465 km Chassis programme: Franck conducted performance runs as he continued tyre
testing from yesterday. Engine programme: Other information: Christian Silk, Chief Test Engineer: Renault F1 Team 14th July 2004 jerez
test. Fastest at Jerez
was Barrichello’s Ferrari with 7 teams present. Franck Montagny was 4th
quickest and Kovalienen was not surprisingly 13th and last. Franck Montagny and RDD member Heikki KOvalainen
in action for Renault today in Jerez. Franck Montagny, R24-05, 117 laps,
517 km Chassis programme: Montagny conducted tyre testing for Hockenheim and Hungary,
looking at compounds. The Frenchman also completed a ride programme, making
small improvements. Other information: Christian Silk, Chief Test Engineer: "Franck spent the main part of his day tyre testing
for the next races, but also continued looking at the ride of the car. We
made some small improvements in this area, and Franck will pursue this
further tomorrow." Renault F1 team 11th July 2004 british
gp. race. Raikkonen stormed
into the lead but not for long. Michael Schumacher was on a heavier fuel load
than his rivals and his late first pit stop was enough for him to take the
lead, where he stayed. Kimi hung on for second but Barrichello, who had
started second on the grid, was only good enough for third. Jenson Button
finished where he started, in fourth place. Panis had to retire when his fire
extinguisher went off in the cockpit, covering his helmet. Baumgartner’s
Minardi smoked to a stop, and the other Minardi was involved in a pit box
incident when Bruni tried to take his fuel man with him. The Renaults could
not keep up today: Fernando did make up a few places during the race but
could only finish tenth. Jarno’s race finished in a hail of dust and car
parts, when his suspension failed coming out of Bridge: the car bounced off
the wall a few times, before rolling over and over in a dramatic crash. Jarno
immediately raised his visor and gave the thumbs up to the marshals to say he
was OK. The accident brought out the safety car, which circulated for 6 laps
while the debris was cleared up. At the re-start, Schumacher zoomed away to
his 80th win, leaving Raikkonen to deal with a couple of back
markers. The final retirement was the Jordan of Pantano, spinning into the
gravel trap. Top 8: Schumacher, Raikkonen, Barrichello, Button, Montoya,
Fisichella, Coulthard, Webber. Renault F1 Team Press Release. Fernando finishes a disappointed tenth while Jarno
escapes unhurt from a violent accident. A disappointing but nonetheless reassuring result for the
Mild Seven Renault F1 Team at the British Grand Prix this afternoon. Fernando
Alonso finished tenth after a tough race, while Jarno Trulli escaped unharmed
from a violent crash. Fernando Alonso started the race from sixteenth position,
on a three-stop strategy. Unfortunately, the Spaniard had a difficult race
and was delayed by traffic in every stint, which prevented him from running
at his true pace. Disadvantaged by the appearance of the Safety Car following
Jarno's accident, he finished tenth on a day when he could have scored
points. Jarno Trulli suffered a violent accident on lap 40 on the
exit of Turn 13, Bridge. The Italian escaped from the car unharmed following
the accident, which may have been caused by a rear suspension failure. He was
taken to the medical centre as a precaution. Fernando Alonso, 10th position: Jarno Trulli, retired (accident): Flavio Briatore, Managing Director: Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering: ITV Watch: Well done for slamming the ridiculous Q1
yesterday, and featuring the caustic comments of Mike Gascoyne on the same
subject. But back to normal……there was far too much of Martin Brundle driving
the Jaguar in London, and too many ‘celebrity’ interviews. We saw Mark
Webbers second qualifying lap today, along with about a trillion MW
interviews over the course of the day. We had the customary Barrichello
interview on the grid, then a vomit-inducing encounter between Brundle and
the Ecclestones, where they smarmed over each other, despite Slavica
apparently thinking Martin’s grid walks are boring! Maybe she’s got more
taste than we thought. Eddie Jordan’s daughter Mickey was a grid girl, which
Martin seemed to find amusing. Grim’s enormously long and sleep-inducing
interview with Ross Brawn at the end was something to behold…..has Grim been
promoted? It was nice to see Jarno’s race engineer Alan Permane interviewed
though…..even though he couldn’t yet throw any light on to the cause of
Jarno’s crash! 10th July 2004 british gp. qualifying. The first session turned into a complete
farce as rain clouds appeared in the distance. Most teams panicked that their
drivers would be out in the rain without an umbrella…..sorry, out late in the
session when it might rain and mess up their chances of a good grid
position…..so they began to go as slowly as possible. Why didn’t they just
get out and push, that would have done it! The crowd cheered when Schumacher
spun, but it appears it was deliberate…..he wanted to slow himself down in an
exciting way. A couple of drivers gave up and failed to set a time at
all….Fisichella with an engine change and Heidfeld. The only drivers to do a
normal lap were the Renault boys, Button, Massa, Panis, Pantano and the
Minardi boys. Top 6: Button, Massa, Panis, Alonso, Pantano, Trulli. Second qualifying threw up a different pole winner…..Kimi Raikkonen! And it didn’t rain! Jarno was 5th quickest and Fernando 6th, but he has to drop ten places to 16th because of the engine change. Top 6: Raikkonen, Barrichello, Button, Schumacher, Trulli, Alonso. Renault F1 Team Press Release. Jarno fifth and Fernando sixth in qualifying,
although the Spaniard will lose ten positions for tomorrow's race. Free Practice 3: JT 1:19.966, P6, 15 laps Practice mileage The Renault F1 Team placed its two cars fifth and sixth
in qualifying today for the British Grand Prix. Unfortunately, following an engine
failure this morning that required the unit to be replaced, Fernando Alonso's
R24 will lose ten grid positions. His team-mate Jarno Trulli will start
fifth. Jarno Trulli, 5th: Fernando Alonso, 6th: Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering: "Both drivers did excellent qualifying laps with no
major problems. However, as is usual for Silverstone, the variable wind kept
the drivers on their toes throughout. It is unfortunate Fernando must drop
ten spots after his problem this morning, but we know he will race strongly
from wherever he is on the grid." Denis Chevrier, Engine Operations Manager: ITV Watch: The ‘pit crew’ featured the Jaguar team, and
we actually saw someone’s first qualifying lap…Mark Webber’s! Are they
short of material or is it just ‘cos we are at Silverstone? The re-vamped
McLaren means that DC is a ‘contender’ once more, so ITV is a bit more
interested than usual. So DC gets the chance to do his selling himself spot,
‘I will be on the grid next year…’ Maybe he’ll be in next year’s Jag feature!
Allan McNish has already passed his job interview….it’s good to see him
change sides and interview the drivers. Maybe DC could do that if he doesn’t
get a drive….. Jenson also gets the
obligatory interview and Grim is still banging on about Jenson having a
chance of winning the race at the end of the show. Watching a Williams
qualifying, James Allen proclaims that Mark Webber will be driving that car
next year. Mark will be driving this year’s Williams in next year’s
races? Interesting. I know we take the mickey out of Louise
Goodman usually, but we can’t go without sending her condolences on the death
of her partner John Walton, who was Minardi’s sporting director. 10th July 2004 british gp. saturday
practice. In the first session, more improvement for
Renault with a 6th place for Jarno and 9th for
Fernando. Fastest again was Raikkonen, then Button and Schumacher, who spun
at Brooklands near the end of the practice. Minardi’s technical director John
Walton has died, and the team paid its respects by not taking part in the
first session. Top 6: Raikkonen, Button, Schumacher, Barrichello, Montoya,
Trulli. The second session kept the same leader, Kimi
Raikkonen again! What IS going on? Jarno managed P4, Fernando ninth. The
crowd enjoyed Michael Schumacher making another mistake (or was he practising
for later!), spinning at Priory; after a few quick repairs, he was back on
the road for the last few minutes, but was only 8th quickest at
the end. Top 6: Raikkonen, Button, Barrichello, Trulli, Gene, Montoya. Fernando Alonso will lose ten grid positions after
qualifying this afternoon following an engine failure in the fourth free
practice session, which will require the engine to be changed. It is
currently too early to diagnose the exact cause of the problem. Alonso will
continue to use his race car, with the engine from the T-car being
transferred into chassis R24-02. 9th July 2004 british gp.friday practice. Another Friday practice, another Ferrari one
two! Barrichello took the honours, closely followed by his team leader. It’s
not Renault’s circuit, the two drivers down in 15th (JT) and 16th.
Fernando suffered a mechanical failure close to the end of the session. Fisichella
also had to park his Sauber before the end of the first session. Top 6:
Barrichello, Schumacher, Montoya, Gene, Davidson, Coulthard. A new name at the top in the second session,
Kimi Raikkonen. Another surprise in P2 was Fisichella for Sauber. The
Renaults improved a little, with Jarno 8th and Fernando 12th.
Timo Glock, Jordan’s test driver, finished the session early when one of his
wheel fell off, and Heidfeld and Klien also had off track excursions. Top 6:
Raikkonen, Fisichella, Schumacher, Coulthard, Button, Barrichello. Renault F1 Team Press Release A solid
start for Renault at Silverstone, and a Friday Focus on on-going technical
discussions. Jarno Trulli, R24-03
Fernando Alonso, R24-02 Spare, R24-01
Spare chassis, R24-04 JT Free Practice 1: 1:21.792, 13 laps, P15 JT Free Practice
2: 1:19.601, 21 laps, P8
FA Free Practice 2: 1:19.874, 30 laps, P12 The Renault F1 Team made a solid start to the British
Grand Prix weekend at Silverstone. Underneath heavy skies and in cool
conditions, the team conducted tyre evaluations and set-up work on the R24.
Fernando Alonso experienced a throttle problem during the morning that saw
his car stop out on circuit, but managed to make up the time lost during the
afternoon. Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering: Denis Chevrier, Head of Engine Operations: 7th July 2004 british
gp. preview. Jarno Trulli The R24 was very competitive with Ferrari
last weekend in Magny-Cours, and we hope to be able to continue that in
Silverstone. Personally, I will obviously be looking to get over my
disappointment from France. Looking back at the last lap, I was quite wide on
the entry to the penultimate corner, which gave Rubens the opportunity to
make his manoeuvre. Once he had done that, though, I had two options: either
I could try and close the door and risk a collision and not finishing, or I
could accept I had made a mistake. I was really dejected after the race, but
that's reality in Formula 1: you cannot afford even the tiniest mistake. It
was a hard lesson to learn, but I am determined to come back stronger this
weekend in Silverstone. I was on the front row there last year - after our
performance in Magny-Cours, we have to be looking for podium finishes once
again. Silverstone is another technical circuit, and very demanding for the cars: it has every type of corner, so it is not easy to find the right set-up and set a good lap. When we are working in practice, we need to make the car responsive through the fast and slow corners, and find the confidence to push right to the limit: there are a number of corners where you need to be very committed to get a quick lap-time, like Copse or Bridge. In terms of enjoyment, Becketts is definitely the best section of the circuit, but every part is challenging. 4th July 2004 french gp. race. A bitter sweet end to the race for the
Renault team. The team took the race to Ferrari today, but the red menaces
proved to be too fast and too clever. Fernando kept the lead at the start but
was immediately under pressure from Michael Schumacher, who surprisingly
pitted before the Renault. That meant Fernando kept the lead a bit longer,
but Ferrari employed an extraordinary strategy of 4 stops for Michael, which
won him the race. By the end of the race, Fernando was still second and it
looked like Renault were on for a double podium. Jarno, who had jumped Button
and Coulthard at the start was running in third place for much of the race
then fell victim to Barrichello, whose strategy had lifted him from 10th
to 4th, at the last corner but one. Rubens did brake unexpectedly
late for that corner and when Jarno realised, it was too late for him to
close the door. Jarno had to settle for fourth, and if I know Jarno, he is
mighty upset tonight. Jarno had resisted first the attentions of Jenson
Button, and then Barrichello, on his gearbox the whole race, and managed to
stay ahead of them through the pit stops, so it is a shame. Button finished
fifth, with both McLarens behind him, and Montoya, who had spun earlier in
the race, took the last championship point. Mark Gene in the second Williams
was in 10th place, behind Mark Webber. There were only 2
retirements today….Sato’s usual blown engine on lap 16, just after a pit stop
(again) and Baumgartner, who spun himself out on lap 32. Top 8: Schumacher,
Alonso, Barrichello (sob!), Trulli, Button, Coulthard, Raikkonen,
Montoya. Renault F1 Team Press
Release
Fernando second and Jarno fourth to score
Renault's best result of the season at its home race! The Renault F1 Team scored its best result of the year
this afternoon at the French Grand Prix. In front of an enthusiastic home
crowd, Fernando Alonso and Jarno Trulli finished second and fourth
respectively, thus scoring thirteen points to strengthen the team's second
place in the constructors' championship. Alonso scored Renault's fourth
podium finish of the season. However, the result is also tinged with slight
disappointment, after Jarno Trulli came within a few metres of a podium
finish. However, the Italian lost third position to Rubens Barrichello's
Ferrari following a long battle during the final twenty laps. Fernando Alonso, 2nd position: Jarno Trulli 4th position: Flavio Briatore, Managing Director: Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering: ITV Watch: ITV are trying to do their bit to get DC a
new job. At the beginning and end of the programme they made sure they talked
him up at every opportunity: “David hasn’t lost it!” was the verdict of Mark
Blundell. I wasn’t going to mention Ferrari again, but we did see a hell of a
lot of them this weekend. Ross and Jean must have decided they may as well
get it out of the way. What was remarkable was that they gave Michael
Schumacher the microphone to interview members of his team, and he did a
better job than Louise and Ted! Well, maybe NOT that remarkable, come to
think of it. Maybe he can get a job with ITV when he retires? Who gave Grim
the Michael Schumacher interview? But then, looking at the competition…..who
else was there? No Brundle grid walk, was there? The on-the-grid interviews
were easy though….Fernando, Jenson and DC. Not far to walk between them.
Jenson seemed distracted though…maybe he was looking out for his other ITV
stalkers. Louise asked what it was like to be near DC on the grid again….JB
pointed out that last time they were close together on the grid they crashed!
A few inaccuracies crept into the commentary, most notably…..17.800rpm is NOT
18,000, James Allen! James also liked Fernando today: “See how calm he is!”
You what? The romantic old fool.…how can you tell, when all you can see is a
helmet and hands on a steering wheel? They saved the best for the end of the
race…..Grim actually APOLOGISED that we didn’t see more of Jenson and David.
This was because the French director ‘seemed obsessed with the Renaults.”
Maybe that was because one led for half the race and the other was involved
in battles all through the race! Personally, I thought we saw too much of
Michael out on his own at the end, but there you go. But never fear, ITV
watchers, Grim vows that “we’ll put that right next week at Silverstone.” I’m
sure we will! One more big gripe….I actually like football, but not in the
middle of your F1 programme please ITV! Where did that come from? 20 spare
minutes at the end of the F1 programme and what do we get? More in depth
analysis (as deep as it gets at ITV anyway)? Driver interviews? You look away
from the screen briefly and this is what happens……we get, completely
unadvertised, Sir Bobby Robson, Terry Venables, and two ex-footballers
discussing where the England football team went wrong in Euro 2004 and who’s
going to win the final!!!!! What are they going to talk about on the
pre-final programme tonight then? This is disgraceful and more proof, if
needed, that football comes first with ITV. Then Coronation St. F1 must be
somewhere about 15th. 3rd July 2004 french gp. qualifying. After being nowhere in practice, as has often
happened this season, a Williams came out fastest in two sectors and taking
provisional pole away from Michael Schumacher. The new McLaren seem to be an
improvement as Coulthard and Raikkonen are third and fourth. Fernando is 5th
and Jarno 7th. Barrichello missed the session with hydraulic
problems.Top 6: Montoya, Schumacher, Coulthard, Raikkonen, Alonso, Button. Fernando Alonso took pole in the second session for the grid, a great result for Renault in France. Jarno was fifth, but just one tenth away from P2. Barrichello was out first after missing the previous session and held P1 for the first part of this one, before ending up 10th. Top 6: Alonso, Schumacher, Coulthard, Button, Trulli, Montoya. Renault F1 Team Press Release
Pole for Fernando, the third of his career, and
fifth for Jarno in front of strong home support at Magny-Cours. Free Practice 3 JT
1:15.423, 11 laps Practice mileage The two Renaults will start from first and fifth
positions for tomorrow's French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours. In spite of a
rain-interrupted opening day, the team worked well this morning and this
afternoon's qualifying performance met the objectives yesterday's running
allowed the team to establish. Fernando Alonso will start from pole position,
the third of his career and his best qualifying performance of the season,
while team-mate Jarno Trulli will start fifth. However, the Italian was just
one tenth of a second away from second place! Fernando Alonso, Pole Position: Jarno Trulli, 5th position: Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering: Denis Chevrier, Engine Operations Manager: ITV Watch: I was so looking forward to the show that I missed the first 10
minutes, because the TV was on the wrong channel. Switching to ITV I found
that we are ‘meeting’ team Ferrari this time, and that’s all I am going to
say about that, apart from the fact that Loiuse Goodman was wearing the same
strange beige raincoat as at Goodwood. Paul Stoddart explained that the
reason they have dumped the plan to change qualifying to a more exciting
format from the next race was because Max Mosley wanted to re-introduce the
107% rule and neither Minardi nor Jordan were having that. Meddling Max
strikes again. James Allen predicted that this would be one of the most
exciting sessions!!!!!! No, James, it’s never that exciting. James was
enthusiastic about a lot of things today…..he reckoned Jenson has shown a lot
of promise in practice. Remembering that Friday’s practice was mostly wet,
Jenson was second in one of the Saturday sessions but tenth in the other.
James also thought the Renaults had been ‘blindingly quick’. Where did he get
that from? I watch the Renaults quite closely, obviously, and at no time so
far this weekend would I have said they were ‘blindingly’ quick. Competitive,
yes: Jarno was 2nd in a wet/dry session on Friday, and the Renault
boys were 3rd and 4th this morning, but not extremely
and exceptionally quick. Rubens
did another interview, fulfilling whatever ‘contract’ he has with ITV. Plus
there was the obligatory Jenson one at the end. Suddenly DC was also in the
spotlight when they realised that the new McLaren had pulled him up the grid,
and there was more excitement when Grim realised that there is an all Brit
second row. ITV bliss! 3rd July 2004 french
gp. saturday practice. Dry weather at Magny Cours saw a more
productive session for the teams this morning. Fastest in the first session
was Michael Schumacher, but P2 was more of a surprise….David Coulthard, who
has not been used to these dizzy heights this season. Jarno was third
quickest, closely followed by Fernando. Raikkonen had to sit out the session
while his mechanics worked on his car. Top 6: Schumacher, Coulthard, Trulli,
Alonso, Panis, Barrichello. Making up for his earlier problems, Kimi Raikkonen took P1 in the second session. Jenson Button was second, pushing Michael Schumacher down to third place. Jarno was 9th, Fernando 10th. Fisichella’s Sauber ended up in the barriers after suspension failure from hitting the kerbs too hard. Bruni also had a shortened session with a mechanical failure. Top 6: Raikkonen, Button, Schumacher, Sato, Barrichello, Panis. 2nd July 2004 french
gp. friday practice. A few problems for the boys today, with heavy
rain curtailing the first session. The two Ferraris set a time in the dry
before the heavens opened, so they were fastest. Marc Gene is replacing the
injured Ralf Schumacher at Magny Cours and was third quickest. Montoya had a
big accident half way through the session, flying into the barriers at high
speed. Jarno did only 4 laps and was slowest of the timed drivers. Fernando
was one of the 7 drivers who failed to set a time at all. All 3 Jordans were
out at the right time, hence this order: Top 6: Barrichello, Schumacher,
Gene, Glock, Pantano, Heidfeld. The second session was also partly affected
by rain, but times were set as the track dried. Both sessions were declared
wet, so the teams don’t have to decide on their tyre choice until after
Saturday morning practice. Fastest was Cristiano da Matta for Toyota,
although Panis in the other car was only 11th. Jarno was second
quickest, Fernando sixth. Top 6: Da Matta, Trulli, Davidson, Button,
Schumacher, Alonso. Renault F1 Team Press Release Jarno Trulli R24-03 Session 1 1:39.392, 4 laps Session 2 1:39.392, 4 laps Fernando Alonso R24-02 Session 1 No time, 3 laps Session 2 1:16.454, 10 laps, P6 Spare car R24-01 Spare chassis R24-06 Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering: Denis Chevrier, Head of Engine Operations: F1 SAFETY CHANGES FOR 2005 How big a step would this reduction represent? Trulli
continues: "Right now, we are gaining one
and a half, maybe two seconds each winter. For next year, I think we should
be slowing lap times by four seconds." Symonds elaborates:
"Tyres and chassis are the areas to look at for 2005 and engines after
that. In the medium term, the 2.4 litre V8 would reduce spending once initial
development costs have been absorbed, and represents a backward step in
power. The only practical thing to do to the engines for 2005 would be to
extend their life, but this it not an effective brake on performance. For
periods such as qualifying, we would still see the same power outputs as we
have this year, and that does not help safety." What about the other current objectives of cost-cutting
and improving the show? Symonds concludes: "We need careful thought to
ensure that the next moves do not conflict with our objective of improving
the show. We are at a watershed in Formula 1, and while the emphasis is always
on safety, we must also focus on improving show. With all the talk of cost
savings, it must be remembered that generating income, by providing the
public with spectacular racing, is just as important." RENAULT DRIVERS UNANIMOUS FOR EURO 2004 FINAL |