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29th March 2004 bahrain
gp. driver preview. Jarno, when arriving at a circuit you have never
visited, how much preparation can you do? 25th March 2004 ricard
test. Franck Montagny, R23-05, 141 laps,
587 km Franck was seventh again, but
ahead of de la Rosa’s McLaren, as Button was fastest again. IRL star Scott
Dixon had a test for Williams today and was fourth quickest…..Ralfie must be
looking over his shoulder: there was only Davidson’s BAR between the 2
Williams! Tyre programme: Executive Director of Engineering Pat Symonds: 25th March 2004 ricard test. Franck Montagny, R23-05, 134 laps Jenson Button arrived to test
today, fresh from his podium triumph at the weekend, and carried on being the
superhero by topping the timesheets. The only other race driver to appear was
Ralf Schumacher, among all the test drivers. Franck Montagny was third from
last today, although he is still in the R23b. Executive Director of Engineering Pat Symonds: 24th March 2004 ricard
test. Franck Montagny,
R23-05, 113 laps, 545 km
Williams’ Pizzonia was the
fastest of 9 test drivers at the Le Castellet circuit today. BAR, Toyota and
McLaren were also present. Franck was 8th on the time sheets. Chassis programme Tyre programme Comment: Christian
Silk, Chief Test Engineer: 21st March 2004 malaysian gp. race. Michael Schumacher’s race: he started in
front, he drove in front, he made a stop, drove a bit more, made two more
stops. Did he have to overtake anyone? No. Did he have to withstand any
pressure? No. Did he win? Yes. Job done. His closest contender was Montoya,
who did come within 4 seconds of him, but not close enough. JPM looked
suitably unimpressed at the end. Barrichello was on different tyres from his
team mate, and it showed. Barrichello finished fourth. The most exciting time
of his race must have been Jarno diving in front of him to get out of the pit
lane ahead. Our man was in an aggressive mood today, very pleasing to watch.
Jarno was so keen at the start that he banged wheels with Jenson Button, but
spoiled it afterwards by apologising to JB. He’s such a sportsman, but no
need for that, Jarno! It didn’t hamper either driver and they went on to have
a ding dong battle throughout the next few laps. The team brought Jarno in
for his stop a little early, with the intention of him getting past the McLaren
of Raikkonen, but McLaren immediately responded with their own stop and it
didn’t gain anything for Jarno. Fernando started from the back after his
disastrous qualifying, complete with a new engine, for safety. I predicted he
would be up to 10th by the end of lap 2. He did it in lap 1. As is
usual with faster cars from the back, as long as they don’t hit anyone, they
slice through the field like a hot knife through butter. To get him out of
the pack of slower cars, Coulthard, Sato etc.,Renault converted him to a two
stopper later in the race, but the gamble didn’t gain him anything, as he
struggled with the high fuel load to start with. Nothing ventured, nothing
gained: sometimes it works, sometimes not. Jenson Button had a blinding day;
having shaken Jarno off somehow, he drove a solid race all the way to his
first podium. His team mate was not so lucky…..after an early spin, Sato
recovered to a point scoring place, but his engine blew just 3 laps from the
end, causing panic in the Button camp (and the ITV studios). Once again,
Coulthard was the McLaren driver who finished, and whose midfield tussle with
Alonso was probably the highlight of his day; that and his team mate’s
retirement for the second race running. Raikkonen’s car stopped on lap 25. He
must have felt it wasn’t his day when he spun on the parade lap! Kimi was not
a happy bunny and took it out on a poor marshal who only wanted to help him.
Another guy who had a bad day was Mark Webber: after the euphoria of his
front row slot, the glory quickly turned to dust when he couldn’t get going
at the start and got swamped by the other runners. He was soon dicing with
Alonso, who came from the back. Then Ralf Schumacher managed to clip his rear
tyre, which caused a puncture. Following his extremely early pit stop to
change tyres and re-fuel, Mark then had to serve a drive through penalty for
speeding in the pit lane. Just to finish his day off nicely, he spun, or
rather slid, into the oblivion of the gravel trap on lap 26. The demise of
Ralf’s Williams came soon afterwards on lap 28……looking suspiciously like an
engine failure. The only other retiree was Heidfeld (again), while the second
Jordan of Pantano, the spare car, managed to trundle around to the end, 2
laps down. Massa somehow got one point for Sauber, after a little cross
country action, three places ahead of team mate Fisichella, who apparently
had gearbox problems. Fisi was even behind Klien’s Jaguar, which again
finished the race. Toyota had a strange day…..both cars finished, but some
kind of problem caused Panis to show his displeasure to the team as he passed
the pitwall from the pitlane as he just drove through. Then he had to drive
through again, as he got a penalty for speeding. Da Matta was ninth, and
Panis 12th after 5 visits to the pitlane! And Minardi were
reliability personified, as both cars made it to the end….3 and 4 laps down.
Top 8: M. Schumacher, Montoya, Button, Barrichello, Trulli, Coulthard,
Alonso, Massa. Renault F1 Team Press Release The Renault F1 Team lies third in the constructors'
championship after the Malaysian Grand Prix. The Renault F1 Team departs Malaysia in third place in
the Constructors' Championship, with a total of fourteen points. A difficult
race saw drivers Jarno Trulli and Fernando Alonso finish fifth and seventh
respectively, a respectable result after starting from eighth and nineteenth
on the grid. Jarno Trulli finished fifth after a dramatic race. A good
start saw him climb to fifth position, and he then battled with Jenson Button
and Rubens Barrichello during the first stint. He ran strongly during the
second stint, and was fourth when he made his second stop, but the car had
already begun to suffer from understeer. This worsened during the rest of the
race, leaving him to claim fifth place. Fernando Alonso started in the penultimate position on
the grid, but had climbed to tenth by the end of the opening lap. Surrounded
by slower cars, he was switched to a two-stop strategy in order to allow him
to climb even higher. However, the gamble didn't pay off and he finished
seventh. Jarno Trulli, 5th: Fernando Alonso, 7th: Flavio Briatore, Managing Director Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering ITV Watch: ITV started their programme just 15 minutes from the start of
the race, so no grid walk or any of the other usual bits. When the race
started, of course they raved about Fernando’s drive from the back, even
though that always happens with a faster car and Jarno did the same at Monza
2002 and Suzuka 2003. Luckily there were the TV pictures to show it as Bernie
TV is still in charge. We saw a fair bit of Jarno dicing with Jenson Button
at the start and during the race the start and everyone agreed it was good racing.
ITV’s dreams came true when JB made the podium. They almost had a cow when
Sato’s engine blew 3 laps from the end, and for a moment they couldn’t be
sure it wasn’t JB. Great relief when Takuma’s name came up on screen. After
the race, ITV were more excited than the BAR team. Grim Rosenthal actually
left his cooling fan and rushed down to the BAR garage in search of Jenson in
a very undignified way! Sadly, he couldn’t find Jenson anywhere (maybe that
boy’s not daft, after all!), so instead we had to settle for an interview
with John Button, Jenson’s dad. Rosenthal was so overcome, he could hardly
get the words out. No doubt they’ll fix it for us to see the definitive JB
interview in the recorded show later……. Update from recorded show: Yes, as expected, there was that Jenson interview, but
Louise got to do it. There’s no hiding place, Jense! He gets to do next
week’s Speed Sunday as well! Oh, and where did that grid walk come
from???? It wasn’t there this morning!! The miracles of television!!! 20th March 2004 malaysian
gp. saturday qualifying. First qualifying
was very successful for the Renault drivers as they claimed first (FA) and
second place. Raikkonen jumped into third place at the end of the session,
his DNF in the last race establishing his starting position in this session.
This pushed Michael Schumacher into fourth place. Mark Webber was fifth, and
the second Ferrari sixth. Coulthard managed seventh. Pantano did not set a
time as the Jordan mechanics worked on his car’s gearbox, but he came out for
the second session in the spare car. It will be difficult to move 10 places
back though, as he’s already at the back. Top 6: Alonso, Trulli, Raikkonen, M.
Schumacher, Webber, Barrichello. In second
qualifying, Michael Schumacher wiped the floor with everyone with a blinding
lap for pole. Mark Webber also had a fantastic result, finishing in second
place, ahead of Barrichello. Sato spun off during his flying lap so did not
set a time: he starts from the back….accompanied by Fernando Alonso, who also
left the track and got stuck in the gravel trap at turn 14. Jarno’s time was
only good enough for eighth. Coulthard is behind Jarno again. Top 6: M.
Schumacher, Webber, Barrichello, Monotoya, Raikkonen, Button. Renault F1 Team Press Release: Free Practice 3: J
Trulli 14 laps 1:34.482,
P6 Malaysian Grand Prix qualifying proved disappointing for
the Renault F1 Team, with Jarno Trulli placing eighth after a lap which did
not demonstrate the full potential of the package. Fernando Alonso will start
last tomorrow, having spun after a mistake under braking for Turn 14. Jarno Trulli, 8th Fernando Alonso, 20th Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering Denis Chevrier, Engine Operations Manager ITV Watch: ITV were ‘unable’ to show qualifying live because the time
clashes with GMTV who own the airtime at 6am. (However, they do pay to take
their time for the race.) Hence, we got an abbreviated recorded and
edited qualy programme. We knew it was abbreviated because it was only two
hours long and both qualy sessions took longer than that, never mind the
nattering the ITV boys like to do. Worryingly, when commenting on the
proposed small change to qualy from the next GP, which makes the Q2 start
time 14.00 local time, Rosenthal told us that this “allows TV to focus on
what really matters.” Call me cynical, but this sounds like they may forget
about Q1, which is not ‘real’ according to Grim, and only show Q2. I’d rather
see Q1, the best moments of man and car of the whole weekend! The pictures
from Sepang were top class today, often a double screen of cockpit shot at
the same time as we watched the car on track……..but of course, this is Bernie
TV and nothing to do with ITV. We did however get a short Trulli interview
with Louise Goodman…..they said they really wanted Alonso, but he had done a
bunk after sadly beaching his car in the gravel. But we finished with an
amusing moment in the Tony and Jim Outside Show (didn’t used to bother with
Malaysia, so guess that’s progress!)…….the two desperadoes were sitting in
front of a fan (the blowy kind) which made it look like they were in the
middle of a sandstorm! 20th March 2004 malaysian
gp. saturday practice. Michael Schumacher continued to show the way
at Sepang, with the fastest time in the first session. But second was
Renault’s Fernando Alonso, ahead of Ralf and Barrichello. Coulthard finished
fifth with Jarno completing the top 6. Raikkonen failed to set a time and
both da Matta and Pantano spun, da Matta coming to rest in the gravel trap.
Top 6: M. Schumacher, Alonso, R. Schumacher, Barrichello, Coulthard, Trulli. The second session saw a change in the
drivers directly behind Ferrari’s Schumacher. The two Williams boys slotted
in just ahead of Jarno, who was ahead of Barrichello and Button. Alonso was
ninth. Both Renaults left the track while pushing, turn 11 being the most
common culprit. That turn also claimed da Matta, but he also was able to
continue. Top 6: M. Schumacher, Montoya, R. Schumacher, Trulli, Barrichello,
Button. 19th March 2004 malaysian
gp. friday practice. Ferrari took up from where they left off in
the first practice session, with both cars at the top. Third was a test
driver, Anthony Davidson of BAR, a guy who doesn’t have to worry about his
engine. Fourth was a test driver as well, Toyota’s Ricardo Zonta, then back
to the usual suspects. For Renault, Alonso was 10th and Trulli 13th.
A few off track moments involved Baumgartner, Massa, Montoya, Sato and
Pantano. Top 6: M. Schumacher, Barrichello, Davidson, Zonta, R. Schumacher,
Raikkonen. Second practice was a different story, with
Raikkonsn’s McLaren on top for once, closely followed by Ralf Schumacher’s
Williams. Mark Webber pushed Michael Schumacher into fourth place, with the
other Ferrari down in 10th. Montoya was fifth and Trulli sixth,
with the second Renault in eighth, behind Massa. Jordan look in trouble, with
only Heidfeld ahead of the Minardi race drivers and their test driver Glock
ahead of their second driver Pantano, who doesn’t know the track. The only
guy behind him was Minardi’s test driver Leinders, the proud new owner of a
superlicence. Top 6: Raikkonen, R. Schumacher, Webber, M. Schumacher,
Montoya, Trulli. Renault F1 Team Press Release: Jarno
Trulli
R24-03
Spare car R24-01 Spare chassis R24-04 Jarno Trulli, 30 laps Fernando Alonso, 33 laps Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering Denis Chevrier, Engine Operations Manager 17th March: Party in Kuala Lumpur
Wednesday evening saw the
Renault F1 Team drivers renew a fun tradition on behalf of title sponsor Mild
Seven, when they attended the Mild Seven Malaysia GP Party in downtown Kuala
Lumpur. Within sight of the famous
Petronas Towers, and right in the heart of KL, the drivers visited the Zouk
nightclub to meet fans and sign autographs ahead of this weekend's big race,
as well as being guests of honour at a fashion show of futuristic F1 outfits. "It is basically a
big party down in the city centre," explains Italian driver Jarno Trulli
"We get to meet lots of fans, signing autographs and generally show
people what F1 is all about. We had the opportunity to meet some fans in
Australia with the open autograph session, and Renault always likes for us to
meet the fans away from the paddock. It is something I believe is very
important, and there is always plenty of interest here in Malaysia. We have a
great time!" 15th March 2004 malaysian
gp. driver preview. Jarno, you are reputed to be one of the fittest
drivers in F1: can you explain a little of the physical challenges of Sepang? What is your perspective on the circuit itself? Finally, how do you expect to perform in the
Malaysian GP? 12th March 2004 valencia
test. Franck Montagny, R23-05, 113 laps, 453 km Fourth place for Franck today, as the Ferrari’s go home
and the only Williams (Pizzonia) was fastest. Davidson had a bad day when he
aquaplaned, spun and damaged the car, only completing 5 laps. Press Release: The members of the RF1 Team, and all other
teams present at Valencia today, observed a five minute silence at 13:05 in
memory of the victims of yesterday's bombings in Madrid. Comment: Christian
Silk, Chief Test Engineer: 11th March 2004 valencia
test. Franck Montagny, R23-05, 135 laps, 541 km Franck was fifth fastest, as de la Rosa got a McLaren to
the top of the timesheets, and it was the new car as well! Nice to see a
Ferrari slowest, but it was Badoer in the old car. Interesting to see that
Barrichello has also made the trek back to Europe and was third in the F2004,
behind Gene’s Williams. Press Release: The team conducted some suspension work
prior to Malaysia, with good results. Testing with the new power steering
system also continued, although windy conditions made accurate comparison
difficult. The tyre programme focused on testing both
compounds and constructions for the European season. Christian Silk, Chief Test Engineer: 10th March 2004 valencia
test. Franck Montagny, R23-05, 54 laps, 217 km Renault F1 was testing in Valencia alongside BAR,
Ferrari, Williams, Toyota and McLaren. The weather was poor with difficult
wet conditions. Fastest was Davidson, testing the BAR. Montagny was fifth. Press Release: Montagny conducted a successful shake-down
of power steering developments, but limited dry running meant performance
testing was impossible. He also conducted software development. The prevailing conditions provided the opportunity
to validate the wet tyres which were taken to Melbourne. The damp weather throughout the day meant
it was impossible to conduct any dry tyre testing, and the team concluded
running early having completed its work in the wet. Christian Silk, Chief
Test Engineer: "We had a problem-free day. The
conditions were difficult, and Franck coped very well, conducting some useful
programmes and producing consistent, quick times in the R23." 7th March 2004 australian
gp. race. The first race start since launch control was
banned and Renault still has the edge. Both drivers made a fantastic start,
Alonso up to third and Trulli up to fifth after the first corner. Ironically,
Fernando compromised Jarno’s run to the first corner by veering straight in
front of him, causing Jarno to brake more heavily than usual, with the result
that Sato drove into the back of Jarno’s car, damaging the diffuser.
Therefore Jarno drove the rest of the race with a damaged car, finishing
seventh. Fernando meanwhile, maintained his third place behind the two
Ferraris, who drove off into the distance, leaving Fernando a lonely and
uneventful run to the end. Jarno had a far busier race, managing to keep the
poor starting Montoya behind him for far longer than Juan dreamed was possible,
only getting by on lap 25. JPM had a dodgy start, with Fernando taking to the
grass to overtake; then after a bit of weaving about by the Renault, Fernando
was again alongside and forcing the Williams across to the dirty side of the
track. A bit phased by this, misjudging the grip or whatever, JPM out-braked
himself and took to the grass on the other side of the first corner, dropping
him back to behind Jarno and his own team mate Ralf Schumacher. Ralf himself
had a steady race, Williams managing to beat Renault at the first pit stops,
enabling Ralf to get ahead of Jarno, and also team mate Montoya, who had a
couple of problem stops. Button had a steady race, dicing with both Williams,
and also being passed by Montoya……Jenson having to visit the grass in order
to stay safe! McLaren had a sad day: Raikkonen’s engine failed on lap 10 to
his disgust, although he had predicted he would not finish the race.
Coulthard, the only one of the top 8 to choose a two stop strategy, got to
the end in eighth place after a quiet race. Felipe Massa visited parts of the
track that other drivers avoided, in his first rally….sorry, F1 race….since
he last drove for Sauber. He managed a good spin and several bumpy excursions
before a complete mechanical failure, which panicked Ferrari who have the
same engines. Team mate Fisichella had a tussle or two with Heidfeld’s
Jordan, on his way to 10th place, behind Sato’s BAR, who had a few
wild moments too. Mark Webber was doing well until his retirement on lap 32,
while his rookie team mate, Christian Klien, got to the end of his first race
for Jaguar in 11th place. The Toyotas languished in 12th
(da Matta) and 13th (Panis) places. Heidfeld had an incident in
the pits, knocking into two of his pit crew due to a clutch problem, which
also cost him a race finish. But Jordan’s rookie Giorgio Pantano got to the
end, even if it was 14th, the last classified place. Both Minardis
were forced to retire earlier. Top 8: M.Schumacher, Barrichello, Alonso, R.
Schumacher, Montoya, Button, Trulli, Coulthard. Renault F1 Team Press Release
The Renault F1 Team scored a satisfying result in the
first race of the 2004 championship, with Fernando Alonso finishing third and
Jarno Trulli seventh. The team currently lies third in the Constructors
Championship, behind Ferrari and Williams. Alonso jumped into third place at the start, in spite of
taking to the grass to avoid Montoya's Williams. He then drove a faultless
race to finish in the same position, a little over twenty seconds ahead of
Ralf Schumacher. Conversely, Jarno Trulli experienced a troubled race. An
excellent start saw him climb to fifth at the start of the race, but the rear
of the car was damaged in a collision at the first corner. The car
subsequently lacked grip, and Trulli lost two positions during the race to
finish seventh. Fernando Alonso, 3rd position: Jarno Trulli, 7th position: Flavio Briatore, Managing Director: Pat Symonds, Executive Director of
Engineering: ITV
Watch: Those of us who had seen both qualifying
programmes (live and recorded) could have skipped the first half hour of the
race programme, as it was the same old, same old. If people haven’t seen it
by now, then tough, they must be casual fans, who probably don’t give a stuff
about that part of it anyway. They continued to mention Jenson at every
opportunity, even using fiancée Louise’s song over the end credits….wonder if
that’s a permanent fixture? However, they did redeem themselves by showing a
Jarno interview at the very end of the live show, where he was able to
explain that Sato had hit his car and damaged it at the start. No one had
spotted that incident at all. Unfortunately, ITV managed to cut that out of
the recorded show in the afternoon, so some viewers will never know! From the highlights programme, Mark
Blundell: “ Fernando…..involved in a little bit of a screw up at the first
corner, getting his team mate into a little bit of trouble….caused some
damage….” 6th March 2004 australian
gp. qualifying 1 and 2. Our first experience of the new qualifying
format and what a marathon it was! Can’t imagine how interesting it is for
fans at the track, watching just one car on track at a time for nearly two
hours, depending how efficient their PA system is for those without radio or
TVs! First impressions are it’s too long for one session. It’s also going to
be interesting to see how ITV condense their early morning two and a half
hour programme into two hours this afternoon. But, to the action: the drivers
took to the track in the finishing order of the last race….in Suzuka. It’s
almost worth not winning, because if you do, you get to go out first in
qualifying! Of course, it was the same last year when they went out in
championship order, and Michael Schmacher had to go out first many times.
Maybe names out of a hat on Fridays would be fairer. As it is, then,
Barrichello went out first and Jarno ran fifth. It wasn’t the greatest lap he
has ever done and was only good enough for 15th, which in this
case only means he had to be fifth driver out in the second session. Fernando
had a little more success, finishing in 7th place, just ahead of
Barrichello. No dramas, and the usual suspects, even the McLaren drivers,
occupied the top 5 places, with Jenson coming 6th. Top 6: Montoya,
M. Schumacher, R. Schumacher, Raikkonen, Coulthard, Button. Q2 saw a few more problems for some drivers:
The quick turnaround didn’t help Minardi sort out Bruni’s car which suddenly
had a problem getting into gear and he missed his slot. Still, he probably
won’t notice much difference in position. Next driver with a problem was
Jaguar’s Klien, who did a bit of rallying across the grass in his warm up
lap, due to a steering problem, so diving into the pit lane was his best
option. Problems for the second Jaguar again, already. The other driver to
suffer from a technical problem was Olivier Panis, who’s car stalled with a
throttle problem. All 3 go to the back of the grid. The only driver to make a
real mistake in qualifiying was David Coulthard, a surprise, I know. But he
did survive it and was only two places behind team mate Raikkonen in the end.
Jarno made no mistakes, but only achieved P9, while Alonso was P5. Maybe it
did make a difference running later. However, JT is ahead of the two Macs and
just behind Ralf Schumacher. We have an all Ferrari front row, with Jenson
Button up there in P4. Top 6: M.Schumacher, Barrichello, Montoya, Button,
Alonso, Webber. Until last year, Jarno had historically had
bad results in Melbourne, with a succession of retirements. But last year he
started 12th and finished 5th, so fingers crossed. Renault F1 Team Press Release for Saturday Free Practice 3: JT 14
laps 1:26.817, P9 The Renault F1 Team completed a promising qualifying
session for the Australian Grand Prix this afternoon at Melbourne's Albert
Park circuit. Fernando Alonso finished fifth, while team-mate Jarno Trulli
will start from ninth on the grid tomorrow. Although these positions are
slightly below expectations, successful preparation during free practice
leaves both drivers and the team with hopes of a competitive race. Fernando Alonso, 5th, 1:25.699 Jarno Trulli, 9th, 1:26.290 Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering Denis Chevrier, Engine Operations Manager ITV
Watch: Those of us who suspected that this ITV
season is going to be a bit of a Jenson Button love-fest have not had our
fears allayed in this first programme! Handicapped by a lack of British race drivers
(and Allan McNish) this year, ITV attempted to fill the gap (and the
interview slots) with the Jenson Button show, plus a little David Coulthard.
We had a Jenson and Louise (his fiancée, not Goodman) item (recording studio,
singing etc), the JB and Louise interview, Jenson at the track, and news on
what Jenson was doing every ten minutes. Luckily they didn’t follow him
everywhere, although I’m sure his trips to the loo were being monitored and
they’ll let us know if there’s a problem. Naturally ITV were ecstatic when JB
achieved a great grid slot, but found themselves making excuses for DC in
qualy (again)…..it was the “cross winds” apparently. Oh, and Rosenthal and Jardine looked
ridiculous in their dancers’ microphones. Maybe we’ll see their dance routine
tomorrow. 6th March 2004 australian
gp. saturday practice. In the first free practice
session at Albert Park, Ferrari continued their domination of the time
sheets, Michael Schumacher again fastest, followed by Barrichello. Williams
found their speed at last to be next, with Coulthard and Alonso behind them.
Jarno was ninth but just two tenths off Fernando’s time, separated from him
by Raikkonen and Webber. Top 6: M. Schumacher, Barrichello, Montoya, Ralf
Schumacher, Coulthard, Alonso. A few more off track
incidents in the second session saw a few drivers running wide at turn 12,
and Michael Schumacher has probably seen more grass than anyone in the
practice sessions. Although Michael Schumacher maintained his top place,
close behind was Montoya and Ralf Schumacher, separating Barrichello from his
master. Alonso was 5th and Jarno 7th, with da Matta in
between them. Top 6: M. Schumacher, Montoya, Ralf Schumacher, Barrichello,
Alonso, da Matta. 5th March 2004 australian
gp. friday practice. Jarno Trulli
R24-03 Fastest: 1:25.757, 33 laps Ferrari threw down the gauntlet to the rest
of the teams in the first practice session of the new season, by finishing
first (Schumacher) and second in the timesheets. Schumacher only completed 4
laps as some teams apparently conserved their engines for the rest of the
weekend, knowing that an engine failure will see them retreat 10 places on
the grid for the race. Third fastest, but 1.898 second behind Michael, was
our own Jarno Trulli, who did 10 laps. His team mate, Fernando Alonso was
fifth quickest after 14 laps, just behind Coulthard’s McLaren. The two
Williams were sixth (JPM) and seventh. Toyota, Jaguar and Jordan and BAR all
ran a third testing car. The only driver unable to set a time was Massa, who
stopped on his first lap with a technical problem and did not reappear. Top
6: Schumacher, Barrichello, Trulli, Coulthard, Alonso, Montoya. Michael Schumacher had a few dodgy moments in
the second session, bouncing around off track and almost hitting the
wall……later he blamed wind. But he was still fastest again in the session and
Barrichello was again second and Jarno was again third, a whole second off
Schumacher’s pace. Replacing Coulthard at number 4, a new entry….Jenson
Button in the BAR. Fernando held on to his 5th place. Williams and
McLaren, and a wild card entry at 9, Mark Webber for Jaguar, completed the Top
Ten. Jordan’s third driver Timo Glock seemed to have an engine failure during
the second session……probably gave him an old engine to finish off. Have the
teams cut down the revs to preserve their engines? We will find out tomorrow.
Top 6: Schumacher, Barrichello, Trulli, Button, Alonso, Schumacher. Renault F1 Press Release The Renault F1 Team completed a satisfying first day of
practice at Melbourne's Albert Park circuit. In spite of the challenges
imposed by the new engine regulations, both drivers completed their planned
programme, working on car set-up and tyre selection. In terms of performance,
results were encouraging, with the drivers finishing in the top five in both
practice sessions. Jarno Trulli, 3rd position (sessions 1+2) Fernando Alonso, 5th position (sessions 1+2) Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering Denis Chevrier, Engine Operations Manager 1st March 2004 australian
gp. jarno’s preview. Q. Jarno, you have been coming to Melbourne
for six years now. What are your best memories from the city? JT: Melbourne is
always a special race because it marks the start of a new season, and we all
arrive with big hopes for the year ahead. We also arrive early to adjust to
the time difference relative to Europe,meaning we get to spend time in the
city, and do some training outdoors. The atmosphere is fantastic too: the
organisers do a great job welcoming us. Personally, I will be attending a
karting event with the Australian Trulli Karting Drivers in Geelong on
Tuesday: it is always fun meeting young drivers, and seeing their enthusiasm.
Q. The team has announced ambitious targets
for 2004: does that bring you added pressure? JT: Not at all. The
team management decide our objectives, and they didn't get them wrong in the
past two years. But from a driver's point of view, we push no matter what:
unless we are giving maximum effort, there is no point being there. The
objectives for the year don't change that in any way. Q. And what about your objectives for
Melbourne? JT: Talking about
performance before getting to Melbourne is pointless: we don't know exactly
how fast our rivals are and, until we do, how can we say? So far, we know
that the R24 is quick in all circumstances, and the engine is performing
well. I enjoy the circuit at Albert Park, especially the quick chicane at
Turns 11 and 12, and the car will be good there. Every driver dreams of
starting the season with a win, and maybe this time, we will be closer than
ever before. But like everybody else, I'm looking forward to Sunday and
finding out for sure! Jarno and Fernando will be playing tennis with John Alexander and John Fitzgerald (Australian Davis Cup captain) on Wednesday. |
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