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Contents |
March 2003 News 31st March 2003 brazilian
gp. preview. Jarno
Trulli - Race Driver
Jarno, you ran very competitively
last year in Brazil before retiring, and had a strong attacking race in
Malaysia. How competitive do you expect to be at Interlagos? I am feeling
very confident for the next race. Although I was disappointed by the end
result in Malaysia, we were very competitive all weekend and I had to work
very hard to finish where I did. The whole package is doing extremely well at
the moment, so I think for me, this could be a very good race. What are
the major challenges of the Interlagos circuit from your point of view?
For me, it is
a circuit that I enjoy driving on - to be honest, I like them all! It is
especially the most technical circuits that I find satisfying, and in Brazil,
we have a good mix of fast and slow corners as well as some other things that
make it quite complicated. That’s why I enjoy racing there. Before beginning the race
weekend, you will be visiting the Ayrton Senna factory in Curitiba. For you,
how important are these events: is it just promotional work, or perhaps
something more? I think these
events are important for all of us who are part of Renault, and for the
people we meet. The company is very international with factories throughout
the world, and we represent it every time we race: that’s a big
responsibility, but also something to be proud of. It is good for us to take
the time to meet the people who are supporting us each weekend, and to
appreciate the work and dedication of the Renault employees. From my point of
view, it is an important part of my job as an ambassador for Renault and,
this factory is particularly special because it is named after Ayrton Senna,
who was one of the drivers I most admired while I was growing up. Fernando
Alonso - Race Driver
What do you think of the
circuit in Interlagos? For me, the
circuit itself isn’t one I particularly enjoy from a driving point of view,
but Interlagos is one of the hardest physical races: that always makes it
interesting when we go there, because it is a big advantage to be very fit.
The bumps and the direction of the circuit means that after just a few laps,
your neck gets very tired and we have been working on that for the past three
or four weeks, training the left side of the neck a bit more in order to
cope. For the drivers, it is a good feeling to be able to prove your fitness
and to have to fight hard all the way through the race. Have you
fully recovered from your fever in Malaysia?
Yes, I have
recovered completely. I spent a few days with my family in Oviedo, and I feel
fine for Brazil now. Has the
reaction in Spain to your podium finish surprised you?
Yes - they
have gone a little over the top – The result in Malaysia had a big impact:
for two or three days, it was talked about more than the football! That’s
completely unheard of here, for football to come second to Formula 1, and it was definitely a nice
surprise. Having said that, it doesn’t mean it will always be this good but I
hope the interest will stay high. How
competitive do you expect to be in Brazil?
It’s always
difficult to say, because things change at every race, but I think we can be
at the same level as in Malaysia. We have a very strong package, and we have
had a definite advantage from the Friday morning session: we are ready to go
earlier than the other teams, and it gives us drivers the chance to get settled
into the race weekend sooner. Allan McNish - Test Driver
What
challenges does the Interlagos circuit present the drivers with?
In terms of
set-up, it is different to the first two circuits because we run less
downforce: where the first two circuits demand high wing levels, Interlagos
calls for a little less. We also have to take account of the bumpy track
surface in the car’s set-up, and the lower downforce can make the car
trickier to handle over the bumps. Otherwise, the main characteristic is that
the track runs anti-clockwise and, coming early in the season, it can be a
tough physical challenge, especially for any rookie drivers. All the quick
corners are left- handers, and that places a particular strain on the
drivers’ necks, especially coupled with the high ambient temperatures. Having
said that, the track is something of a known quantity now, and every driver’s
training takes it into account. The HANS system, newly introduced
for 2003, has caused a certain amount of controversy in recent weeks. Have
you suffered from any problems? In the first
two races, we have been running with a Renault-spec HANS system, which is
adapted to each of our drivers, and we are currently investigating the double
belt system. When you are driving on an oval, the HANS just isn’t an issue
because you can’t feel it at all. On a road circuit though, we are turning in
both directions, often in very quick succession, and this means we need
lateral movement for both our heads and also our shoulders. Because the belts
need to be so tight, this can mean that when the HANS is worn, the shoulder
movement becomes very restricted. As a result, because the system is so
rigid, it is the driver’s body that deforms under the loads, and that can
cause discomfort. That seems to have been the problem for the other guys, but
we haven’t experienced any problems at all. As other teams’ testing
programmes get into full swing, will your work on a Friday morning shift to a
more long-term focus? In Brazil, I
think we will continue working much as we have done in the first two races.
Firstly, the programme is still in its infancy, but also, our work in
Australia and Malaysia gave some very good results, so there’s no point in
trying to fix something that isn’t broken. However, as the season progresses,
we will certainly be venturing into some more long-term development during
the sessions as well as the usual tyre and set-up work. 22nd March 2003 malaysian
gp. race. Weather: Sunny Temperature: Air: 34°C Track :
39°C Drama on
the grid, when Villeneuve’s car failed to start, and although he ran for the
spare car, that one had a gearbox problem, so that was JV’s race over. After
the parade lap, Fisichella forgot that Jacques would be missing from the grid
and parked in his space. When he realised, he virtually did a 3 point turn to
get into position, but it was a waste of time, because he didn’t get away
either. The rest did, but with an all Renault front row, didn’t we just know
that something was going to go wrong? Enter Michael Schumacher, who managed
to hit Jarno at Turn 2, causing havoc behind. Too busy watching DC, MS forgot
the first rule of driving – watch where you’re going! Fortunately, Jarno was
able to get back on the track, but near the back of the field and his race
was spoiled. MS also continued, but deservedly had more damage and had to pit
for a new nose. Also damaged by the domino effect behind, was Montoya who
clashed with Pizzonia (the Jaguar driver’s fault), and the Williams driver
also had to pit. Verstappen also accrued some damage. Meanwhile. Alonso was
away at the front, chased by the Mclarens and Barrichello. On lap 3,
Coulthard came to a halt with engine problems and he was not best pleased.
Michael Schumacher was given a drive through penalty for his idiocy on the
first lap. Soon Panis was out with car problems. Heidfeld and Webber lost
time in the pits. After all the fuel load speculation, Alonso pitted first on
lap 14, and Trulli a few laps later. Raikkonen took over the lead, which was
relinquished to Barrichello when the McLaren pitstopped on lap 20. When
Barrichello stopped, Kimi took back the lead with Alonso in second place.
Ralph Firman had a problem engaging gear at his stop, but after being push
started, got back into the race. By this time, Jarno was running in sixth
place. Although, pushing hard, he was unable to pass Button, but soon had
another pit stop; this became a long one, after a problem engaging the
pitlane limiter, which affected the fuel cap. Webber had to retire with car
problems. Having a Ferrari, M. Schumacher was able to make his way through
the field and forced his way past Trulli and Button for fifth place, but the
Ferrari strategy was all over the shop, and MS had to pit again for more
fuel, which took him back to seventh. Pizzonia spun all on his own and ended
up in the gravel. Wilson had to retire exhausted, after a tough afternoon
without power steering on the car, and suffering from a trapped nerve in his
shoulder. Meanwhile, in an attempt to pass a stubborn Button, Jarno had an
uncharacteristic spin, but gathered it all back together in time to rejoin
the race in front of a threatening MS, and managed to fend him off for the
rest of the race. The two of them got past Button on the last lap as JB was
struggling with oversteer. Kimi Raikkonen won his first race, having been
comfortably in front since the second set of pit stops. Barrichello was
second, 39 seconds down and Fernando Alonso, who had run third for the second
half of the race, took his and the Renault F1 team’s first podium. Most
fortunate man of the day was Ralf Schumacher, who lucked into 4th
place, after benefiting from his brother’s accident and having an otherwise
uneventful afternoon. Top 8: Raikkonen, Barrichello, Alonso, R. Schumacher,
Trulli, M. Schumacher, Button, Heidfeld. Jarno Trulli R23-03 RS23 Spec A
Fernando Alonso R23-02
RS23 Spec A Fernando
Alonso, 3rd best time 1:37.078: “Today is the
best day of my life. It’s a great feeling to finish on the podium, especially
since halfway through the race I started to have problems with my gearbox and
I was forced to shift manually until the end. Frankly, I thought I wasn’t
going to finish and instead I got this great result! I am sorry for Jarno
because he could have had a podium finish as well but we both scored points
and that’s very good. A big thank you to everyone in the team to whom I
dedicate this first podium.” Jarno Trulli, 5th best time 1:37.484: “Honestly I
think we missed a good opportunity today. Everything was going smoothly but
then Michael pushed me out. He eventually apologized but at that point, my
race had been spoiled. I incurred other problems, such as a long pitstop and
I had to fight till the end to keep my position. Certainly my fifth place
brings some more points to myself and the team, however, I am disappointed
because I feel I could have done better.” Flavio
Briatore, Managing Director, Renault F1 Team: “This was an
excellent weekend for us. We proved that our choices in terms of strategy
were correct. It’s a shame for Jarno, who drove a very good race and, had it
not been for his collision caused by Michael Schumacher, we could have a had
a double-podium finish. Fernando drove a superb race and I am delighted of
the good points that both drivers brought to the team. It’s an important day
for Renault: it’s our first podium since the beginning of our re-entry
challenge in Formula One as a full-work team and we are all very proud and
happy.” Mike Gascoyne,
Technical Director, Renault F1 Team: “It’s a
fantastic result for the team. Jarno’s first lap was spoiled by Michael
Schumacher. He had also some problems in the pit-stop. Without this, I’m sure
he would have finished fourth. Fernando drove a fantastic race considering
that he had an electronic problem just before his last stop which meant that
he had to shift manually. We had a very strong, competitive weekend and I
hope we will achieve with the same good result again this season.” Denis Chevrier,
Engine Operations Manager, Renault F1 Team: “Both drivers
did a superb job even though they had few problems during the race. The
performance of both cars was excellent and it’s a very encouraging sign to
have scored valuable points in the first two races of the season.” ITV watch: Only a short programme (15 mins and two breaks) before
the actual race, so only time for a DC and a Jenson interview. Nice scenes
showing Renault’s celebrations yesterday. After his unfortunate demise,
Louise also interviewed DC during the race, showing him rather than
the track! Reasonable comments by Brundle and Allen with some praise for
Jarno ….”spectacular effort” (to get back into it) and no criticism, not even
for the spin at the end. Maybe they’re learning. Not Jardine though….he
thought Jarno was “overshadowed” by Fernando today. Nothing to do with being
punted off the track at the second corner apparently. Not much time for interviews afterwards,
just a pathetic effort by Louise at interviewing Michael Schumacher: she
didn’t ask him about the 2nd corner accident. Nuff said! But in
the re-run show….wonder of wonders…..a TRULLI INTERVIEW!!!! Short and sweet
and at the end, but an interview none the less: about the accident,
obviously, followed by a short Michael interview, where the ITV interviewer
suggested the Renault had slowed more than expected…..into a slow corner!
Hello????? To his credit, MS would have none of it and said “no, purely my
mistake.” We finally got the Ralph Firman interview, but as Justin Wilson was
carted off to hospital, they had to settle for Paul Stoddart (live show) and
his manager Jonathan Palmer (recorded show). Where was Allan today? Poor guy
will feel rejected! 21st March 2003 malaysian
gp. qualifying 2. A bit
of a shake up on the ol’ grid, with an all Renault front row. It was even a
slight surprise to the Team, who never set out to get pole, just do the best
time for the strategy. None of the drivers made any big mistakes, just small
ones to change their positions. Of course, no one knows the fuel loads, so
even though team mates are in different positions, it could be down to team
strategy. Ralf Schumacher was probably still surprised to be 17th
though, when Montoya was 8th. In BAR wars, Jenson (9th)
will start ahead of Jacques (12th). Fernando Alonso is the
youngest driver(21) to ever get pole and the first all Renault package to be
No 1 since Patrick Tambay in 1984. Top 6:
Alonso, Trulli, M.Schumacher, Coulthard, Barrichello, Heidfeld. Weather: sunny Temperature: Air: 36°C Track :
48°C Jarno Trulli R23-03 RS23 Spec A Fernando Alonso R23-02 RS23
Spec A Fernando Alonso, 1st 1:37.044: “First of all, a big thank you
to the whole team for helping Jarno and myself to get this fantastic first
and second positions on the grid. I have still not completely realised that
today I have my first pole position, just at the second race of the season. I
am simply delighted and very confident that tomorrow we can finish well this
special weekend, scoring more points for the team.” Jarno Trulli, 2nd 1:37.127: “I am extremely happy for this
excellent result today for me and Fernando. It’s a pleasant surprise to see
how well our car performed today. It feels great to be in front of the top
teams: this means that we have taken the right direction, improving day by
day and that we are finally getting good results for all our efforts and the
team’s hard work.” Mike Gascoyne, Technical
Director, Renault F1 Team: “We had an excellent qualifying
session. It was very exciting for the whole team. Both drivers were
absolutely perfect on their flying laps. We expected our car to be more
competitive here than two weeks ago in Melbourne, but honestly we didn’t go
out thinking of getting the pole. We are very pleased and confident for
tomorrow.” Denis Chevrier, Engine Operations
Manager, Renault F1 Team: “We are more than satisfied to
have placed both cars on the first row of the starting grid. This result
confirms the good level of our performance and the quality of our drivers and
the excellent job the team has done in recent weeks. We didn’t have any
mechanical problems today and we are very optimistic for the race.” Mike Gascoyne, speaking to
Reuters, said: "We're on
the right strategy. We didn't go out to be on the front row, we fuelled our
car for the best strategy and sort of surprised ourselves by where we've
ended up. I think both drivers did perfect laps. We probably expected to be
on the third row or something and our drivers got it right and others got it
wrong. The easiest strategy to do is the one from the front row, because you
can then do your strategy and you don't get held up by everyone. That's not a
false result. That is a genuine result on race fuel. There is a small
difference between them (the drivers) because obviously they can't both stop
at the same time and that is probably exactly reflected by their qualifying." Drivers
Press Conference on the Members page. ITV watch: ITV haven’t shown anything live so far. They
eventually showed Friday qualifying after midnight on Friday. Missed the
beginning but it was straightforward commentary on the single laps, followed
by the Jenson and DC interviews.
Saturday qualifying was shown at 2pm Saturday afternoon. They
interviewed Jenson (twice) DC (twice), Justin Wilson (twice), Ralph Firman
and Allan McNish, who must be on a contract! No other drivers interviews, but
they did show the first part of the press conference. Brundle and Allen were
bemused by the Renaults being on the front row and obviously expected them to
be kicked off when Montoya and the Ferraris came out. The studio pundits were
stunned and confused as well, but Rosenthal and Blundell were happy because
they had predicted last race that Alonso would be a star. None of them expect
Renault to be that good in the race though and think they have minimal fuel.
They kept mentioning that Alonso has flu, which isn’t what he said. A fever
yes, flu no, and it didn’t affect him too much on the single lap (probably
can’t tell the difference in the heat!) 21st March 2003 malaysian
gp. saturday practice & warm up. The first
practice session saw a spin for Michael Schumacher, who bounced into a gravel
trap.He was able tp drive out, but it finished his session. The Renaults ran
strongly again with Trulli and Alonso finishing second and third. Top 6:
Coulthard, Trulli, Alonso, Montoa, Fisichella, Panis. The
second session saw a Coulthard spin towards the end. Panis’ Toyota engine
blew and Justin Wilson lost some time because one of his wheels fell off. Top
6: Raikkonen, Coulthard, Alonso, M. Schumacher, da Matta, Trulli. In the
warm up, the Renaults maintained their top 6 position. Michael Schumacher had
a gearbox problem after 3 laps. No other dramas. Top 6: Raikkonen, Coulthard,
Barrichello, Alonso, Panis, Trulli. 21st March 2003 malaysian
gp. qualifying 1. Weather: sunny Temperature: Air: 35°C
Track : 46 °C Taking to the track in
their championship order, Coulthard was the first to set a time in Friday
qualifying. It wasn’t long before Michael Schumacher set a blistering time
(1:34.980), over a second quicker, that wasn’t beaten for the rest of the
session. Team mate Barrichello was able to post the second fastest time,
ensuring that the Ferraris run last tomorrow. Jarno was fastest of the
Renaults, finishing a creditable 6th, with Fernando in 10th.
Pizzonia was unable to set a time as he car wouldn’t start, so will start
first on Saturday. Top 6: M.Schumacher, Barrichello, Montoya, Raikkonen,
Coulthard, Trulli. Jarno Trulli
R23-03 RS23 Spec A Fernando
Alonso R23-02 RS23 Spec A Jarno Trulli 6th 1:36.301: “ It was a good Friday session.
This morning we had a productive test and free practice session, trying
different set-ups and tyres in preparation for the race. This afternoon the
car was very well balanced and our times are close to those of the top teams,
so everything is looking good at the moment, for tomorrow’s qualifying.” Fernando Alonso 10th 1:36.693: “I think it was a good day for
us overall. This morning we ran on a damp track, which allowed us to test a
couple of things in case of rain in Sunday’s race. This afternoon, our lap
times look quite competitive and I am confident we can move up in tomorrow’s
qualifying.” Pat Symonds, Executive
Engineering Director, Renault F1 Team: “It was a pretty
straightforward session and we are reasonably satisfied. Jarno’s sixth place
is quite encouraging, it reflects where we expected to be. Fernando could
have done better on his lap, but with these new regulations, drivers have to
get used to new driving techniques, which come with experience. But with the
amount of work accomplished since this morning, we feel very confident for
Sunday’s race.” Denis Chevrier, Engine Operations
Manager, Renault F1 Team: “A very good job from the Team
this morning, which resulted in a very good 6 th place with Jarno, positioned amongst the top teams, which reveals the
potential of the car. From the engine point of view, we are very pleased to
have run a trouble free full day.” 21st March 2003 malaysian
gp.friday practice. In the
Friday practice session, Renault once again showed the benefits of Friday
practice whenAlonso and Trulli finished second and third, just behind
Coulthard who pipped Alonso at the end.
Mark Webber had a spin whch left him in the gravel trap. Top 6:
Coulthard, Alonso, Trulli, Montoya, Ralf Schumacher, Button. 21st March 2003 malaysian
gp. friday test. Jarno Trulli
R23-03 RS23 Spec A Fernando
Alonso R23-02 RS23 Spec A Allan McNish
R23-01 RS23 Spec A The Renault F1 team had a productive test session
at Sepang, with Fernando Alonso finishing fastest by the end of the two
hours. Jarno Trulli was third quickest and Allan McNish fourth. They finished
in the following order: Alonso,
Fisichella, Trulli, McNish, Firman, Pizzonia, Verstappen, Wilson, Webber.
Pat Symonds, Executive Director
of Engineering, Renault F1Team: “This was a difficult session
for us, with a lot of things to get through and with very poor track
conditions to star with. However, with a good deal of team organisation, we
managed to make the most of this test and, like in Australia, I believe we
have gained some advantage on our competitors before the first official
practice session of the weekend.” Allan McNish, Renault F1 Team
test driver: “We had a good test session. We
ran a similar programme to the one run in Melbourne’s Friday session,
focusing mainly on tyre work and we believe we are now going in the right
direction. From the car point of view, there is still some work to do but I
think that our objectives on tyre development have been completely achieved.” Denis Chevrier, Engine Operations
Manager, Renault F1 Team: “We are satisfied with this
test which allowed us to run again the three cars and to do a significant
amount of mileage. Due to the changing track conditions, we couldn’t make a
lot of comparisons. We tested some engine set-ups and engine equipment.
Overall we had a very productive test session.” 17th March 2003 malaysian
gp. preview. Jarno Trulli - Race
Driver: Jarno, how pleased were you with the performance in Melbourne?
“We had a
lot of challenges to cope with in Melbourne, but while I think the new rules
have certainly changed our approach to race preparation, I think we managed
them very well with a good strategy. There was also the extra Friday session:
I think that gave us good data to work on, and we had lots of time to try out
set-up and strategy options. It definitely helped us for the race.” Melbourne was your first
opportunity to drive the full-specification R23 in anger. How did you find
it? “We have a
very good car aerodynamically, mechanically it’s reliable and the engine’s
low centre of gravity gives us very good traction. Basically it’s easier to
drive and better-balanced than last year’s car, and in the race it was very
predictable and consistent throughout.” And what do you expect to be the big challenges in Melbourne?
“Malaysia is
a very hard race for drivers because of the extremely humid conditions: we
need to train in similar conditions and do lots of aerobic exercise, which is
what I have been doing since Australia. The circuit is one I enjoy very much
because it is so technical. There is a wide variety of high, medium and low
speed corners: you could pick out almost any of them as being a big
challenge.” Fernando Alonso - Race
Driver Fernando, Melbourne saw you score
your first points in Formula 1 - what’s the next objective? “I am very,
very pleased to have scored my first points in Melbourne – we were very
competitive all weekend, and it was a good result for everybody. In terms of
the next step, I think we will need to wait a little bit to see how we
perform: we were among the top six last weekend, and we need to see if we can
continue that through the season.” You ran an aggressive race strategy
and took a gamble to start the race on dry tyres: how did it feel to actually
be back racing after eighteen months off? “It was a
fantastic feeling - the Team’s strategy was excellent and the decision to
start on dry tyres was a big advantage. I was really able to fight and race
properly: after not competing for so long, it was a new experience for me in
Formula 1. And a good one–! With Formula 1 not visiting Spa
this season, is Malaysia perhaps one of the best driver’s circuits of the
year now? I enjoy
Sepang because it is one of the most technical circuits - now that there is
no more Spa, I think that it is one of the three most challenging tracks,
with Suzuka and Monaco. The whole lap is very complicated, very technical and
demands absolute concentration. A good lap time is always very difficult
because there is no one corner that is more important than the others: you
can gain, and lose, time everywhere.” 12th March 2003 break
between races. Jarno
is training in the Maldive Islands between races. For news of an interview
about the Australian GP and the new rules, visit the Members page. 9th March 2003 australian
gp. race. Jarno has points!!!! Jarno Trulli was 5th in this
race, winning 4 points under the new scoring system. A great start and the
first time Jarno has ever scored points in the first race of the season.
Congratulations Jarno!!!! That’s the most important thing out of the way, so
on to the story of the race: There
was a lot of tension on the starting grid, since, apart from the cars being
impounded over night when some work needed to be done on them (in Jarno’s
case, there was an electrics problem that was fixed), and the drivers only
having one lap going to the grid to check them out, the weather had turned
nasty during the morning. Heavy rain and accidents in the support races had
left the track slippery and covered in debris. A late rule allowance for
“change of climactic conditions” allowed the teams to change brake ducts and
radiator exit ducts. As start time approached, and with a drying track, the
teams and drivers had to make a decision on tyres…..wets (or intermediates in
Bridgestone’s case) or dries? Jarno chose dry and it was a good decision. The
grid was evenly split between tyre choices, and it was soon clear that
drivers on dries were doing better then those whose wet tyres soon
deteriorated. At the beginning of the race, Verstappen had a problem and
elected to start from the pitlane. And so did Raikkonen! After the warm up
lap, originally 15th on the grid, Kimi was called in for
refuelling and a change from wet to dry tyres. But when the lights went out,
it was 2002 revisited as the two Ferraris headed into a 10 second lead. After
a few laps, those cars struggling on wet tyres began to pit. Barrichello
apparently couldn’t face the drive through penalty he was awarded for jumping
the start, so managed to crash on lap 6 and put himself out of the race,
leaving mud and debris all over the place. Shortly afterwards, Ralph Firman
thought what’s good enough for Rubens is good enough for me, and did exactly
the same thing in the same place, but was already on dry tyres so couldn’t
use that as an excuse. The safety car was deployed to recover the cars and
clear away the debris, which bunched up the field again. The ITV commentators
couldn’t understand why Alonso pitted during this period….how about for fuel,
boys? Remember the no re-fuelling rule? Jarno had a little more fuel so was
able to complete a few more laps before his turn. The BARs messed up their
strategy completely when both cars came in together for a fuel and tyre stop.
Button had to queue behind Villeneuve. Apparently Jacques’ radio was faulty
and the team were trying to tell him to come in earlier but he came in on
Jenson’s allotted lap. Hmmm……what a coincidence. Williams also had both
drivers in together at one point, but the strategy worked better for
them….and for Jarno, as he and Ralf pitted at the same time when Jarno was
just ahead of Ralf, and Ralf was behind Montoya in the queue. Ralf also had a
strange spin just after the pitlane exit; in fact Ralf had a torrid
afternoon, as Heidfeld almost hit him when spinning after a suspension
failure. The safety car was out again while marshals recovered Webber’s sick
Jaguar(suspension failure). The other Jaguar later stopped in a lay-by at the
side of the track. Wilson’s Minardi had to retire after a stone made a hole
in the radiator, although the team tried hard to gethim back out and
Verstappen made it to the end in 11th . Fisichella had to retire
with a problem. Panis got a drive through penalty for crossing the line at
the pit lane exit, and later retired. Toyota team mate da Matta had already
spun off earlier in the race. Raikkonen also got a penalty for speeding in
the pitlane, which adjusted again the race at the front between himself, DC,
Montoya and Michael Schumacher. Something very unusual happened……bits began
to fall off Michael’s Ferrari. He lost both barge boards and other odd bits.
He is instructed by race control to report to the pits but was going to
refuel anyway. The Ferrari does make it to the end of the race but in 4th
place……no Ferrari driver on the podium, the first time for 53 races. Kimi
Raikkonen is 3rd, in spite of his adventures this afternoon,
including a tussle with Michael, which Kimi won. Montoya had an unnecessary
spin close to the end which gave DC the lead but he was still 2nd.
And DC won the race, proving that with a good fast car, a driver can start
from 11th and still win. A good day for McLaren, and for Renault,
who have 2 drivers in the points to take the team ahead of Ferrari in the
Constructor’s Championship! Top 8: Coulthard, Montoya, Raikkonen, M.
Schumacher, Trulli, Frentzen, Alonso, R. Schumacher. P.S.
Let’s hope the new rules don’t get the credit for an interesting race. The
new rules left Ferrari on the front row and streaking into the distance when
everyone had different fuel loads. What made the difference was the weather
taking a hand and Ferrari making the wrong tyre choice. This contributed to
Rubens crashing and the safety car being deployed while his car was removed.
Bits falling off Michael’s car also helped, plus other teams messing up their
pit stop strategies and McLaren getting theirs right (and having a good
car!). team quotes: Weather: Cloudy Temperature: Air: 17°C Track : 18°CJarno Trulli R23-03 RS23 Spec A
Fernando Alonso R23-02 RS23
Spec A Jarno Trulli, 5th,
best time 1:28.638: “I feel great! We chose the
right strategy from the beginning and the car felt very good. I feel
encouraged especially because it seems that we have now managed to achieve
the reliability we were lacking and to score points with both cars at this
first race is a fantastic start of the season. A big thank you to the whole
Renault F1 Team who has been working
very hard to get to this”. Fernando Alonso, 7th,
best time 1:28.170: “This is the best result I
could expect from my first race of this season. The car was good and
competitive throughout the race and we were constant and reliable from the
beginning. These first points are a great achievement for me personally and
also for the team who has done a great job”. Mike Gascoyne, Technical
Director, Renault F1 Team: “A very good finish to a positive
weekend. The team has done an excellent job. Unfortunately the first safety
car meant we couldn’t exploit the right tyre choice but both drivers were
very strong in the first part of the race and they drove very well through
the rest of the race, bringing both cars to a good points scoring finish”. Denis Chevrier, Engine Operations
Manager, Renault F1 Team: “We can be quite satisfied from
this first race, which ran very smoothly on the engine side. We showed a
level of competitiveness which confirms us as the fourth team. It’s a very
encouraging start”. Flavio Briatore, Managing
Director, Renalt F1 Team: “I am simply delighted with our
result in this first race of the season. My best congratulations go first to
the whole team which has done a fantastic job throughout the weekend. As for
the drivers, they have both done a great job. Jarno driving an impeccable
race and scoring four points and young Fernando showing already all his
talent with his 2-points finish. I’m also pleasantly surprised by our lap times,
much more competitive than I expected”. ITV watch: yet another round of interviews with every single
British driver, including McNish again, who is Renault’s TEST driver!! There
was a short interview with Fernando Alonso (Jim Rosenthal’s fave), which was
cut short because Louise had timed it wrong and FA was supposed to be in the
car. He was actually tapped on the shoulder by a team member and others were
looking at their watches! So with McNish and Alonso, will we go the whole
season without a Trulli interview???? On the plus side, JT did get some
credit for driving a “solid race”, so maybe Brundle took our complaints on
board and read our newsletter after all! 8th March 2003 australian
gp. saturday practice & qualifying 2. The
first session of Saturday practice was marked by Michael Schumacher and Kimi
Raikkonen both crashing and damaging their cars. Lucky Michael (as usual) was
able to return to the garage on 3 wheels, while Kimi was disadvantaged by
having no car for the rest of practice. Minardi’s Verstappen only managed 2
untimed laps. Fastest was Button for BAR., Jarno was 5th, Alonso 8th.
Top 6: Button, Barrichello, Ralf Schumacher, Michael Schumacher, Trulli,
Coulthard. The second session was less eventful, except that Jarno was
fastest overall and Alonso was 3rd. Top 6: Trulli, Button, Alonso,
Michael Schumacher, Barrichello, Montoya. The
race warm up took place for 15 minutes before second qualifying. Top 6:
Barrichello, M. Schumacher, Alonso, Trulli, Coulthard, Villeneuve. qualifying
2 This
the first time for this qualifying format when the fastest driver from Friday
qualifying goes last. As fuel loads are unknown, because the cars cannot be
refuelled before the race, it is difficult to gauge who was really quickest.
The biggest excitement came at the beginning, when both Minardis returned to
the pits during their flying lap, releasing them from having their cars
impounded after this session until the race tomorrow. This means that while
all the other cars are in parc ferme and unable to be touched apart from
safety checks, Minardi can work on their cars all they want and presumably
refuel them. They are inside the 107% rule through previous practice times,
if the stewards allow them into the race.
Could this be a strategy for the future if a team are having problems?
Are you watching Mr Mosley? The only other problem is for Kimi Raikkonen who
completes his lap after a time-consuming mistake but finishes with a puncture
in a rear tyre. We end up with an all Ferrari front row. No change there
then. Are you still watching Max? Top 6:
M. Schumacher, Barrichello, Montoya, Frentzen, Panis, Villeneuve. Jarno Trulli R23-03 RS23 Spec A Fernando Alonso R23-02 RS23 Spec A Fernando Alonso, 10th 1.28:928 “Overall I am satisfied with my
very first qualifying session. We do not know what fuel load the other teams
had but we are quite happy with our choice of strategy. I am sure we will
have an interesting race tomorrow and I
am looking forward to it”. Jarno Trulli, 12th 1.29:136 “This was a strange qualifying
for me since the car, which had been very well balanced all weekend, in this
session had huge understeering. Too bad, I expected a better result today but
nevertheless I am optimistic for tomorrow, because the team has done a good
job and I think we have taken the right decisions in terms of race strategy”. Mike Gascoyne, Technical
Director, Renault F1 Team: “A very disappointing
qualifying session today after our drivers made mistakes on their laps,
costing us what should have been a possible second row position for both of
them on the starting grid. Despite of that, we have been very quick all
weekend, we believe we have a good strategy and I am confident we will be
competitive for tomorrow’s race”. Denis Chevrier, Engine Operations
Manager, Renault F1 Team: “A trouble free qualifying
session from the engine point of view, however we are rather disappointed
that neither car could finish a bit higher on the grid. I guess it’s a frustration
which stems from this ‘single-lap’ new format, which is something we will
have to get used to. Anyway, after a very competitive weekend so far, we
remain hopeful for tomorrow’s race”. ITV watch: Now that
there is no more Sky F1 Digital, in the UK we are stuck with ITV’s coverage
which has not been the best in the past. To be fair, as the Australian events
take place in the middle of the night, they have devoted enough time to F1
for once; but ITV tend to forget there are other drivers on the
grid besides British ones, and so far they have run true to form. Two days
running we have had interviews with Jenson Button (a particular fave), David
Coulthard, Ralph Firman Justin Wilson and Allan McNish both days, even though
Allan is not a race driver this year! As Allan is test driver for Renault, at
least they get their colours on screen! Jarno was fastest in Saturday
practice, but for Jim Rosenthal, it was far more important that Jenson was
SECOND! He did say that JB was sandwiched by 2 Renaults, Trulli ……and Alonso,
“WHO I EXPECT TO HAVE A REALLY GOOD SEASON” !!! James Allen
later commented “Alonso……the man who stole Button’s seat at Renault” ! During
qualifying, Brundle said that Trulli had “truly blown it, by getting all out
of shape in the first sector” but he was expecting Alonso to “be the surprise
of the afternoon”. Unfortunately Fernando had “a big slide” (not that big)
which cost him time but “he was still two tenths quicker than Trulli”.
Brundle and Allen seemed to forget that this was not qualifying as we have
known it, and that fuel loads could play a big part, until some way into the
commentary. Incidentally, ITV’s opening graphics DO include a couple of
Renault shots (must like the colours), and right at the beginning (if you
don’t blink!), there is a glimpse of Jarno slumping forward as only he could,
after one of last year’s failures! 7th March 2003 australian
gp. friday testing. Jarno Trulli
R23-03 RS23 Spec A Fernando
Alonso R23-02 RS23 Spec A Allan McNish
R23-01 RS23 Spec A In the first Friday testing
session, Jarno Trulli finished on top of the time tables. Alonso was 4th and McNish 6th. Pat Symonds, Executive Director
of Engineering, Renault F1Team: “This new private testing
session, with 3 cars running, requires a lot of organization from the team.
We ran a very good programme, gathering valuable information. We were able to
track the circuit conditions and also to analyse some tyre work I think the
team adapted very well to this new session, working smoothly and in perfect
coordination and I am very pleased with this morning’s results.” Allan McNish, Renault F1 Team
test driver: “Overall, I think we
accomplished most of our programme, which focused mainly on tyre durability. Obviously,
the circuit conditions gradually changed from the beginning to the end of the
session. However, we had a reliable session and good balance on the car. I
believe we have managed to achieve to objectives of the Friday morning 2-hour
extra testing.” Denis Chevrier, Engine Operations
Manager, Renault F1 Team: “We had an interesting session.
First of all, the air temperature was good and, with only few cars taking
part in this private testing, we did not experience any of the traffic delays
or various incidents usually occurring in free practice. Our programme this
morning concentrated on long runs and various set-up evaluation rather than
performance and we were able to complete it satisfactorily.” australian
gp. friday testing & qualifying 1. Jarno Trulli
R23-03 RS23 Spec A Fernando
Alonso R23-02 RS23 Spec A In the one hour Friday
practice before the first qualifying session, Raikkonen
was fastest for McLaren, followed
by Coulthard and Trulli.
Alonso was 7th. In the new Friday
qualifying session, where Barrichello for Ferrari was fastest, Alonso
was 7th and Trulli 9th. Fernando Alonso, 7th 1.27,255:
“I cannot describe the great
feeling I had today coming back to proper racing, after 18 months! This first
day went extremely well, I feel confident in the potential of the car and
very satisfied with the way the team has been working with me.” Jarno Trulli, 9th 1.27.411 “Overall a positive Friday
session for me. This afternoon, as the track conditions improved, the cars’
positions kept changing. As far as I am concerned, my placement is what was
expected and I am confident I can improve tomorrow, when it really matters.” Pat Symonds, Executive Director
of Engineering, Renault F1 Team: “Our free practice time this
morning was quite short due to the fact that we had also to perform a
scheduled engine change, which made everything quite difficult. However, this
afternoon we got out and managed to make some decisions on tyres, as the
track temperature increased. Qualifying went very smoothly under the new
procedures and our position is about where we expected to be in terms of
competitiveness.” Denis Chevrier, Engine Operations
Manager, Renault F1 Team: “From the engine side, a very encouraging
first day here at Melbourne, with everything running according to schedule.” 3rd March 2003 australian
gp. preview. Interview with Jarno Trulli - Race Driver Jarno, your first race with the
Mild Seven Renault F1 Team came twelve months ago in Melbourne. On the eve of
the first round of the 2003 season, what are the key differences for you
compared to last year? A lot has changed since last
year: I understand more about the car, I am totally integrated into the team,
and most importantly I know my engineers a lot better, and how to work with
them. I feel very confident for this season: understanding everything about
the car gives me more confidence to push it to the limit, and find the last
tenths of a second. Everything is looking much, much better than at the start
of 2002. Since you last raced at Suzuka in
October, major changes have been introduced to the sport. What do you think
is going to be the biggest challenge during the Melbourne weekend? Everything! It has been all
change over the winter, and it is all still unknown territory for us: Friday
morning testing, the new-style qualifying. Also, the weather at the last test
in Barcelona (17-20 February) means I still haven’t had a chance to evaluate
the new aero package properly, because we ran on the short (National) circuit
at Silverstone last week, so I will only feel the difference from that on
Friday in Melbourne as well! What impact do you think that
Friday morning testing will have on your race weekend? For me, it is just a question
of preparation: the extra running will mean we can prepare ourselves much
better than the other teams. We have worked hard over the winter, and we know
what needs to be done to make the most of the changes. I think it should be a
good advantage for us. What are the biggest challenges of the Melbourne circuit?
The circuit itself is nothing
special. From my point of view, the biggest challenge will be to get to the
flag since I didn’t finish last year. But whatever happens, I will have fun
over the weekend: it may be a long journey, but I like Australia as a
country, and always enjoy the race in Melbourne. Technical Preview,
Australia 2003 Mike Gascoyne -
Technical Director Mike, how pleased are you with
the progress the Mild Seven Renault F1 Team has made over the winter? I am satisfied with the
progress we have made on the chassis side, but we had hoped for more from the
engine. We had the mechanical aspects of the car running as early as
November, and have managed to put a lot of miles on that package. That was
already a good step, and the new bodywork, which is an optimisation of the
car’s aerodynamics from the front
wing backwards, represents another very significant update. Now that we have
our aerodynamic programme running at full speed, though, we can expect more
updates soon, coming through even faster. What benefit do you think the
Friday morning session will bring the Team at Melbourne? Obviously, we’ve
signed up for the Friday morning session because we believe the increased
running will bring us a significant advantage on race weekends. This will be
particularly true in the opening races, and as the season develops, we will
have to ensure we maximise the value of this extra time. It should be a
particular asset for Friday qualifying, because a
good position, running late in the order on Saturday and observing the other
teams, will give us a better idea of what our competitors are doing in terms
of race strategy. And finally, what are your targets for the Team in Melbourne?
We finished last year’s
championship in fourth position, and now need to look to get closer to the
teams in front. Even if there are a lot of unknowns, we have to look to the
teams above us and not worry about those behind. Our testing times indicate
that we are competitive, but we will have to wait and see what happens in
Australia. |