31^st March 2002

brazilian gp. the race.

Another quick getaway for the Renault drivers, who found themselves in 3^rd and 4^th places after Montoya lost his front wing when he clipped the back of Michael Schumacher’s car and had to pit for a new one. Barrichello, obviously on a low fuel load, stormed his way through the field from 8^th but to no avail, when his engine failed. Fisichella had already retired with a blown engine. Then a big tussle between the Renaults and the McLarens, who seemed to be a match for each other. DC passed Jenson, but couldn’t pass Jarno, until the pitstops. The McLarens left it just that bit later and made up time on low fuel and just made it out in front of our boys. After that, while Ralf chased Michael for first, Jarno and Jenson were comfortable in 5^th and 6^th. 10 laps from the end, Jarno’s car emitted that familiar white smoke and Jarno’s race was over. Jenson continued and inherited Kimi’s 4^th place when he had to retire with mechanical problems. Ralf couldn’t quite catch Michael, although he had a good try, and was second, with DC third. Top 6: MS, Ralf, DC, Jenson, JPM (caught up!) and Salo.

Jarno Trulli, retired, lap 61:

“Obviously, I’m gutted. I had a great start, and was lying fourth at the end of the first lap. I kept up a good pace in front of

Coulthard, although both McLarens managed to get by during the pit-stops. After Raïkönnen retired, I was comfortable in fourth

place when the engine went. What can I say? A positive race; a negative result.”

Jenson Button, 4th place:

“A big thank-you to the team. It’s wonderful to finish in front of one of the Williams! The car was a little tricky during the first stint, so we took off some front wing during my stop, and put on old tyres. After that the set-up was perfect, and the changes meant I could hold Montoya off at the end.”

Flavio Briatore, Managing Director, Renault F1 Team:

“I’m very pleased with the result. Naturally, I’m sorry for Jarno, who drove an impressive race. But we know the team is still young –

these things happen. Having said that, Jenson drove fabulously. It’s a good day for the whole team.”

Denis Chevrier, Operations Manager, Renault F1 Team:

“We have a number of reasons to be pleased after this race – most particularly, the fact that we were able to compete with the

quickest teams, confirming our speed in qualifying under race conditions. We’re now in a position to take advantage of any

problems they might suffer. Until Jarno’s retirement, the race had been trouble-free. He experienced a sudden engine failure. It’s still too early to say exactly what happened.”

30^th March 2002

brazilian gp. qualifying.

The good day continued for the Renault boys in Brazil, when Jarno qualified 6^th (1:13.611) and Jenson 7^th (1:13.665). Jarno was still not satisfied (as always!) and knew he could have been quicker if he had hooked up all his fastest sector times together. If Kimi had not improved his time right at the end of the session, they would have been one place higher. Top 6: JPM, MS, Ralf, DC, Kimi, Jarno.

Jarno Trulli, 6 th position, 11 laps, 1:13.611:

“It’s great for the whole team! I must admit that I think we deserved more, but we had traffic on every run. We have been

competitive throughout the weekend, as our split-times show, but I didn’t manage to put it all together for a single lap during

qualifying. Most of all, I want to thank the whole team for giving me a very good car, which is getting better and better with every

race.”

Jenson Button, 7 th position, 12 laps, 1:13.665:

“A good session for me. The car was a little heavy at the start of the session, so we shifted some ballast for the later runs, but

managed to keep the balance. I’m pleased to be so close to the McLarens, and to be running so competitively.”

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

“What a difference a year makes! It was an excellent performance by the whole team. Clearly, our work yesterday

didn’t compromise our competitiveness for qualifying, which means we can be confident for the race. The next target must be

to improve a stage further in our pursuit of the top three teams.”

Denis Chevrier, Operations Manager, Renault F1 Team:

“We have a number of reasons to be happy, most of all our overall performance today. We qualified in the top six, and our sector

times show that we could have gone even faster without traffic. We had no problems during the session, and were competitive

with the leaders, both in terms of top speed and split times. It is particularly pleasing to have opened a gap from the other

chasing teams.”

30^th March 2002

brazilian gp. saturday practice.

The first session passed fairly normally with Jenson 7^th fastest, (1:15.014) and Jarno 11^th (1:15.340). Top 6: MS, Kimi, Rubens, Ralf, DC, JPM. Then almost at the end of the second session, up popped Jenson in P1, closely followed by Jarno in P2. In fact, Jarno was fastest overall in sector 2. They were outrun right at the end by Ralf and DC, but a good showing for the team. Final top 6: Ralf, DC, Jenson, Jarno, MS, Kimi.

29^th March 2002

brazilian gp. friday practice.

A miserable Friday practice for Jarno, when he was only able to complete 22 laps mostly in the first session. About 4 laps in from the start of the second session, his car stopped at the end of the pitlane and that was that. Jenson had a more successful day, completing 37 laps and finishing 8^th fastest overall. In the first session, Jenson was 7^th and Jarno 12^th, fairly normal for the first session of the first day, where the drivers are working through a particular programme. Jarno’s lack of laps in the second session threw him back to 21^st place by the end, just ahead of Alex Yoong. Top 6 in session 1: MS (1:15.627), RS, Fisichella, Heidfeld, Massa, Bernoldi. Top 6 after session 2: DC (1:15.075), JPM, McNish, RS, MS, Kimi.

Jarno Trulli (1:17.979):

“I spoiled my day when I made a mistake arming the launch control at the start of the second session, and the car stalled at

the end of the pit-lane. Before that, the car was feeling very good, and I now need to make the most of a good car tomorrow.”

Jenson Button (1:16.054):

“I’m quite happy with the car, and managed to find a good balance for the race. Even so, I think there’s more speed to be

found in the car, and we now need to work on set-up for qualifying tomorrow morning.”

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

“Jenson had a productive day, working on the balance of the car for the race and evaluating the two tyre compounds.

Unfortunately, Jarno lost valuable time with his problem in the second session, but we are nevertheless confident that we have

found a good set-up for the race on Sunday.”

25^th March 2002

brazilian gp. preview.

Jarno Trulli failed to finish at Sepang due to an engine problem, but he has already put the difficult weekend in Malaysia behind him and is looking forward to an improved showing at Interlagos, one of his favourite circuits.

Jarno Trulli: “I am hoping to continue the team’s strong performances in the last two races, and to get as close as possible to the top three teams. I am confident we will be competitive in Brazil and looking forward to the race. I like the circuit a lot. It is a technical circuit with many different types of high and low speed corners. It is very good for overtaking because the first corner follows a long straight where we can slipstream, and there is another heavy braking zone at the end of the back straight.”

Both Renault drivers will have to cope with temperatures similar to those in Malaysia, but the most significant challenge for the drivers at this race will be the anticlockwise nature of the Interlagos circuit.

However, the intensive training that the pair have been put through as part of the Renault F1 Team’s Performance

programme will have prepared them well for the gruelling race.

Mike Gascoyne:

“We need more speed to challenge the top three teams on merit but we are definitely moving in the right direction. We have every reason to be optimistic.Our aim is to give the drivers a car that will allow them to finish on what is traditionally a tough circuit in terms of reliability. I expect to be qualifying behind the top six, and hope to score points to confirm our

fourth place in the pecking order.”

Button came within one lap of securing a podium finish at the last race, in Malaysia, but right-rear suspension failure dropped him down to fourth place. Trulli struggled with the car’s handling on the Sepang circuit, and retired from the race because of a problem with the engine lubrication system, but Gascoyne is confident the problems have been solved for Brazil. “We have identified and confirmed the handling problems that Jarno had and we believe that the engine problems we experienced have been solved,” said Gascoyne. “The drivers think that the car’s good balance and handling should help on the bumpy circuit.”

Once again, the R202 has new modifications for the coming Grand Prix, with minor aerodynamic developments introduced as part of the ongoing programme at the team’s UK base in Enstone.

The Brazilian circuit will present an interesting and difficult challenge for the engineers at the track, and the mechanics will have plenty of work to do in Interlagos to prepare the R202 for the unusual conditions.

Executive Director of Engineering, Pat Symonds, explained: “The circuit is a little bit bumpy: that means there is an emphasis on ride height and we will actually run the car a little bit higher than normal here. There is generally a lower level of downforce than at the first two tracks and there is also a bit of an altitude affect, which will mean engine power and aerodynamic forces will be down by about 7 to 8 percent. However, I still believe the track will suit the R202 as well as the previous two circuits.”

22^nd March 2002

barcelona testing.

With Jarno leaving the testing to Jenson today, having resolved the steering problem which affected the car yesterday, the team spent the morning testing systems on the newly-rebuilt chassis. Jenson Button then concentrated on setup work in the afternoon, setting competitive times, although the quickest overall laps of the day came during the morning session.

Technical Director Mike Gascoyne.

“After a difficult start, we had a much more useful day’s running. Although the track was quicker this morning, Jenson nevertheless gathered some useful data on chassis set-up.”

The Renault F1 Team will complete testing at Barcelona tomorrow, Saturday, 23 March. Jenson Button will once again drive chassis

R202-04.

Jenson Button 11th fastest 1:20.082

Fastest time of the day:

Rubens Barrichello Ferrari: 1:18.262

21^st March 2002

barcelona testing.

It was sunny in Barcelona but a frustrating day again for RenaultF1.

Jarno Trulli R202-04 No timed laps (7 completed)

The Renault F1 Team experienced further difficulties today during testing at the Barcelona circuit in Spain. Although the team conducted important systems development during single-lap runs, a problem at the front of chassis 04 delayed the progress of the planned programme.

Commenting on the day’s work, Technical Director Mike Gascoyne stated:

“A frustrating day for the whole team. A problem at the front of the car, which we didn’t manage to fully identify, meant Jarno couldn’t complete his programme. The car will be completely rebuilt tonight in order that Jenson can take over tomorrow.”

The many other teams present mostly had a better day, with M. Schumacher, Barrichello and Wurz first second and third fastest.

20^th March 2002

barcelona testing.

Following Fernando Alonso’s day’s testing yesterday, Jarno took over today. As he wasn’t originally scheduled, according to Renault, he probably asked to do it!

Jarno Trulli R202-04 28 laps 132km

The Renault F1 Team endured a difficult day’s testing at Barcelona today. Jarno Trulli suffered from a misfire that restricted the team’s running in the morning, although he was subsequently able to complete 26 laps, and conducted a small tyre development programme for Michelin. He finished 4^th fastest, behind Wurz in the McLaren and Barrichello and Badoer in the Ferraris.

Evaluating the day’s work, Mike Gascoyne, Technical Director of Renault F1 Team UK, commented:

“It was a slightly frustrating day for the team, with the misfire restricting our running. Once we had solved the problem, Jarno was very pleased with the car from his first run onwards, and managed to complete a short tyre programme for Michelin, evaluating constructions for the race in Brazil.”

The Renault F1 Team will continue testing tomorrow at the Barcelona circuit with Jarno Trulli, owing to his restricted running today.

18^th March 2002

update.

After the qualifying session on Saturday, the RenaultF1 Team found a small hidden problem on Jarno’s car that was affecting the setup which probably explains why it was so difficult for him to find a good setup in practice. Consequently, the Sunday warm up was Jarno’s best session of the weekend, when he finished 4^th quickest. In retrospect, Jarno felt that he should have used the T-car for at least one run in qualifying, as Jenson did so well with it.

17^th March 2002

malaysian gp race.

The rain never came but it was an eventful race. Montoya decided to make a point at the first corner when he squeezed Michael Schumacher into the first corner, causing a collision which Michael was unusually magnanimous about afterwards (probably thinking about his future moves), especially as he had to pit for a new front wing which forced him to the back of the field. Montoya was later penalised for the move with a drive through penalty which set him back for a while. But these guys are driving fast cars and still managed to get results, which is depressing for the rest of the field. Ralf and Rubens were left to fight it out up front while the others tried to catch up, before Rubens had a rare engine failure (why is it always him when it happens?). After that Ralf had it all his own way. The McLarens had looked in a good position after the first corner incident, but first DC had to retire with engine failure, followed by an engine blow-up for Kimi. The two Jordan drivers had a coming together when Sato drove into the back of, and nearly over the top of Fisichella. Would love to hear the consequent conversation in the garage. Jarno made a great start,, making up 5 places, but had a problem with engine temperature by the end of the first lap. He stopped so the team could have a go at clearing the fault, but they failed and Jarno retired on lap 9. Jenson, however, was having a great race. With outside events, he found himself running in the top 6 in various positions for most of the race; at one time he was up to 2^nd. For the last few laps he was running a strong 3^rd, with Michael Schumacher in 4^th a way behind. Sadly, 2 laps from the end, Jenson developed a suspension problem and had to give way to Michael. But 4^th place was a good result and a good 3 points for the Renault team. For Jarno, a weekend to forget.

Jarno Trulli, retired, 9 laps:

“I had a good start, and gained a lot of positions during the first lap, including overtaking Fisichella under braking. I was following Jenson when the engine lost power and started overheating at the end of lap one. The problem kept on getting worse, so I brought the car into the pits as the race was over for me.”

Jenson Button, 4 th position:

“An excellent race for me, in spite of the problem at the end. I drove very consistently, pushing hard all the way through, although the Williams and Ferraris were clearly quicker than us. After Montoya’s second stop, I decided it was safer to let him past as his straightline speed was much better and Michael was a long way behind. After that, everything was looking good until I felt a problem with the suspension two laps from the end, and the car began running on three wheels. Obviously, I’m disappointed for myself and the team not to get our first podium, but it’s still a good result.”

Flavio Briatore, Managing Director, Renault F1 Team UK:

“Jenson’s performance is a good result for everybody involved: for the team, for the driver, and for Renault. Too bad we didn’t manage to get Jarno’s car to the finish as well.”

Denis Chevrier, Operations Manager, Renault F1 Team France:

“In terms of engine performance, Jenson had a completely normal race, without any problems at all. Jarno was forced to stop by overheating and a loss of engine power which meant that he was unable to defend his position, so we brought him into the pits before any more damage was done. In spite of the disappointment of Jenson’s problem in the last laps, we performed at the level we were expecting under full race conditions, confirming the speed we have shown so far.”

16^th March 2002

malaysian gp. qualifying.

Jarno’s setup problems continued throughout his qualifying session while Jenson breezed through his.

Trulli R202-02 RS22 Spec B

Button R202-03 R202-01 RS22 Spec

Jarno Trulli, 12 th position, 1:37.920, 11 laps:

“A very difficult session. I couldn’t find a good balance on the car this morning during practice, and unfortunately it didn’t improve for qualifying. Overall, it hasn’t been a good weekend for me so far.”

Jenson Button, 8 th position, 1:37.245, 9 laps:

“I was pleased with my first run, even though I didn’t push too hard, and happy with the setup of the car. We didn’t make any changes for the next run, but I had to abort after the engine lost power. The problem meant I had to make my final

run in the T-car, so it was good to improve my time and overall, I’m happy with what we achieved today.”

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

“Mixed feelings after qualifying, as I feel we missed our target of getting both cars in the top 10. Jarno had a problematic session, suffering from traffic during his runs and failing to achieve the balance he was looking for. Jenson experienced a

problem that forced him to take the spare car for his final run. The fact he then managed to improve his time is a measure of the capability of both driver and team.”

Denis Chevrier, Operations Manager, Renault F1 Team France:

“Today, we saw the car’s potential confirmed as we find ourselves in the same position as in Melbourne. Following an engine problem, Jenson was forced to make his final run in the spare car, which only endorses his performance. On the

engine side, Jarno’s session was less difficult, and he didn’t encounter any problems. For tomorrow, we must work to close the gap between our two cars in order to reinforce our position behind the top three teams.”

16^th March 2002

malaysian gp. saturday practice.

The first session saw the Ferrari’s top the time sheets again, while the second session was more mixed. Top 6: JPM (!:36.55), Kimi, Ralf, Rubens, DC, MS. Jenson was 5^th (1:37.829) in the first session and 7^th (1:37.609)in the second. Jarno struggled with the balance of the car and was 12^th (1:40.295) and 15^th (1:38.796).

15^th March 2002

malaysian gp. friday practice.

The first session was dominated by Ferrari, but McLaren got their act together for the second and Kimi was fastest (1:37.399)with DC second. The Renault drivers finished 5^th (Button 1:41.265) and 8^th (Trulli 1:41.543) in the first session, after Trulli was not able to complete a timed lap for over half an hour. He also had problems in the second session but finished 9^th quickest overall (1:39.774)with Button 8^th (1:39.714).

Jarno Trulli, 9 th position 23 laps32 1:39.774:

“Quite a difficult day for us with set-up, and we worked all day to get the balance of the car right. We also worked on tyre choice, but a problem with my car during the afternoon session meant that we didn’t get as much work done as we wanted to. The car felt good out on the track, but we need to continue working on the balance tomorrow.”

Jenson Button, 8 th position 32 laps, 1:39.714:

“We had a good day overall, and completed the programme we had planned. In comparison to the other teams, we are where we thought we would be, and now we hope to do a good job tomorrow in qualifying trim.”

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

“A useful day’s work for both cars, although some of the results didn’t turn out quite as we had expected. Unfortunately, a small problem on Jarno’s car meant he didn’t complete his programme, but we nevertheless gathered all the information we needed.”

Denis Chevrier, Operations Manager, Renault F1 Team France:

“The A-spec engine includes some developments compared to the unit we used in Melbourne, and our aim today was to validate them in the high temperatures, as well as assessing the impact of the different cooling solutions and conducting our usual programme of engine optimisation. While Jenson managed a trouble-free day, Jarno experienced an engine problem during the afternoon which we must now investigate in order to assess its potential impact over the weekend.”

12^th March 2002

malaysian gp. preview.

Jarno Trulli:

"I hope we will perform as we did in qualifying in Australia. That was pretty representative of where we are. I do not expect a podium in Malaysia, but I am sure reliability will count in the race. I was encouraged by running up front in Melbourne, but it was as much due to circumstances as pure performance and it is important to take each race as it comes. I am still working to get used to the team and build relationships. Let's see how we do in qualifying."

Jenson Button:

"We know from testing that the car is reliable, even though we didn't manage to complete a full race distance in Melbourne. I'm confident our position relative to the rest of the grid will not change, and hope to have a trouble-free qualifying session before a good result in the race."

The hot and steamy conditions in Malaysia can prove difficult for the drivers and they can actually feel the stifling humid air flowing into their race helmets as they drive down the straights on the Sepang circuit.

The Renault F1 Team drivers are, however, well prepared for the challenge. Both declared themselves fitter than ever after a pre-season training programme that included a fitness camp in Kenya, and Trulli knows that Malaysia will be a place where he can reap the benefits of all that winter work. “Our training programme ensures I'm in peak condition for every race," said Trulli. "That includes the high humidity and heat in Malaysia, and the time we spent in Kenya has given me some useful experience of the conditions we will be working in this weekend."

Jarno Trulli's lap of Sepang

I approach Turn 1 at around 295kmh in top gear and the first couple of corners actually make up quite a difficult complex. I will hold second gear through both the right-hand and the left-hand corners, with the first bit slightly slower at just over 70kmh, and the left-hand part which follows apexed at around 80kmh.

I have to be very careful with the throttle as I come out of there and it is a tricky exit which leads into a long right-hand corner which I can accelerate through flat out, creating significant g-force loadings.

A short straight will take me up to around 290kmh in top gear before dropping down to second gear and braking to 100kmh for the next right-hand corner.

After this we have a couple of interesting fast fifth-gear corners. The first one is taken at around 225kmh without braking then the short straight allows me to just get to full throttle before entering the right-hand corner at around 220kmh.They were quite difficult corners in the past, but this year I think developments to the car and tyres mean they will be a little easier.

I then get up to sixth gear on the short straight which comes next, heading into the following right-hand corner at around 275 kmh before dropping down to fifth and apexing at around 165kmh.

Again, another short straight allows me to get up to sixth gear and I reach 275kmh before dropping down to the very tight left-hand corner which I take at just over 70kmh in second gear.

This leads into a very interesting long right-hand section that I take in fourth gear at around 230kmh with just a small lift, which again I hope we can take flat out this year.

The corner then tightens a little bit. I will have to drop down to third gear as I drive through it, and by the time I complete that part of the complex I will be at around 145kmh.

Next up is a fast left-hand corner, about 250kmh in fifth gear, and just a small lift will steady the car for that corner. I stay in fifth as I head up to the next long right-hander, which I take at around 270kmh, before braking down to second gear and 110kmh as I exit onto the final straight and begin accelerating back up through the gears.

Depending on the exit speed from that corner, I will reach a speed of up to 310kmh in sixth gear before dropping down to 80kmh in second gear for the final left-hand hairpin that leads back onto the start-finish straight.

8^th March 2002

RenaultF1’s Mike Gascoyne today slammed Michael Schumacher for his comments in the Australian GP winners press conference. After the race Schumacher described Trulli's driving as "fair, but not appropriate", saying the Italian had been "closing the door everywhere in a car that was slower". However, Gascoyne defended his driver, pointing out that Trulli had every right to fight for his position, even if his car was not as quick as Schumacher's Ferrari.

"Everyone wants to see racing and there were two guys racing for position," Gascoyne told the BBC. "Michael had the better car and it's up to him to pass. His comments about Jarno defending his position were pathetic and inappropriate."

Gascoyne also said that Trulli only hit the oil - ironically dropped by Renault team-mate Jenson Button - because he was taking a defensive line to fend off Schumacher.

"We went and watched it from Michael's in-car camera, and you can see the oil every lap," he said. "It's just that Jarno hit it that lap because he was slightly off line.

"He was getting off line racing with Michael, so his line through the first chicane was variable because he was having to take different lines into the corner to defend his position.

"It's very unfortunate, but you can't blame him."

3^rd March 2002

australian gp. race.

Circuit: Albert Park, Melbourne

Weather: Sunny

Temperature: Air: 19°C Track: 22°C

We’ve heard of a flying lap but this was something else! Maybe Ralf Schumacher forgot to put his contact lenses in, when Rubens Barrichello moved across to take the corner, or maybe Ralf has been taking flying lessons and decided to practice taking off using Rubens as a ramp. He needs a bit of landing practice though. This accident just before the first corner took the first and third qualifiers out of the race. And just like rubber-neckers on a motorway, some of the drivers in the midfield were so busy watching Ralf fly through the air that they forgot to look where they were going. Nick Heidfeld took a different route from everyone else and bashed into Fisichella, which led to further accidents for Massa, Panis, McNish and Button. Rather than stop the race, the safety car came out to lead DC, Jarno, Michael and Montoya in that order. With only 12 cars left in, the back markers suddenly found themselves in a stronger position. Michael was desperate to get past Jarno, but Jarno did a great job defending his position until he inexplicably spun coming out of a corner on lap 50, (suspected oil on the track), causing him to retire. As the race continued, Eddie Irvine couldn’t believe his luck as he found himself in the points and amazingly, so did Minardi’s Mark Webber. Mika Salo, in Toyota’s first GP couldn’t get past Webber, but also finished with a point. Both Arrows managed to get themselves disqualified, Frentzen for going though the pitlane red light, and Bernoldi for taking the T-car after the race had started. Michael and Montoya had a few tussles on the track, but in the end a walk in the park for Michael. Here we go again. That man has the luck of the devil….qualified 2^nd which left him in the right position to avoid the trouble at the start, while his pole-sitter team mate got hit up the rear. Wonder if Ralf would have braked if it had been Michael? We’ll never know………

Top 6: MS, JPM, Kimi, Irvine, Webber, Salo.

Jarno Trulli R202-02 RS22 Spec A 8 laps

Jenson Button R202-03 RS22 Spec A 0 laps

Jarno Trulli, 14 th position, retired after 8 laps:

“I had a good start, and was running well in second, holding off Michael. Everything seemed fine until I suddenly lost control of the car on the exit of turn 1, possibly because of oil on the circuit. A disappoi