29^th September 2002

u.s.g.p. race.

A warm sunny day at Indianapolis…just how the Michelin clad Renault F1 Team likes it! After the lights went green, while MSchu drove away and stayed in front until 0.01 secs from the end (read on, dear reader), behind him Jarno made his own fine start, gaining 2 places through the first corner, as did Jenson further back. After the Williams team mates’ altercation at turn 1 in the second lap, where Ralf appeared to spin, taking out his team mate Montoya (oops!), Jarno moved up to P4. Ralf had to pit for a new rear wing, while Montoya managed to continue, apparently unscathed, but back in 7^th place. However, he made up speed and after all the stops, he finished 4^th. Barrichello stayed second and Coulthard third throughout the race. Raikkonen appeared to be struggling a bit compared to DC, but his engine failure on lap 52 eventually rendered that irrelevant. Only 4 cars retired, all through mechanical failure: Raikkonen, Webber, Yoong (big big engine blow) and de la Rosa. Pedro had a bit of a shock when he climbed over the barrier to find a steep drop into a river. Apparently the marshals told him to jump! Villeneuve had a strong race in his BAR, eventually passing Jarno on lap 34 after a tussle. But Jacques was two-stopping while Jarno had already made his one stop. Renault had the commentators guessing again as to whether they would have to stop once more in the race, especially as the fuel guesstimate had them short for the end of the race. They haven’t realized yet that Renault’s car is good on fuel. The strategy enabled Jarno to finish 5^th and Jenson 8^th. Panis was 12^th for BAR. Jordan finished 2 cars, Fisichella in 7^th and Sato in 11^th. Toyota also finished 2 cars, but they were just ahead of Ralf, who was 16^th and last. Frentzen, in his one and only race for Sauber this year, finished second after he’d handicapped himself with the car’s race set up, due to inexperience in the car. But team mate Heidfeld was only 9^th. Irvine was 10^th for Jaguar after a fairly anonymous race. Lord Ferrari Schumacher seemed to have the race sewn up, with Rubens Barrichello an obedient second, until the last few hundred yards of the race when the number 1 Ferrari slowed down, allowing the number 2 Ferrari to come alongside. It was supposed to be a tie, apparently, but Rubens was just a teensy bit too enthusiastic and came through just 0.01 ahead. Top 6: Barrichello by a whisker, M.Schumacher, Coulthard, Montoya, Trulli, Villeneuve.

Chassis R202-01 Spare car (JT)

R202-05 Jarno Trulli

R202-06 Jenson Button

The Renault F1 Team scored two additional points to further reinforce their fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship during today’s US Grand Prix in Indianapolis. In perfect sunny conditions at the Speedway, Jarno Trulli and Jenson Button finished fifth and eighth respectively after starting from eighth and fourteenth on the grid. Jarno Trulli secured fifth position after a faultless race. After gaining two positions at the start, he took advantage of the collision between the two Williams drivers to climb into fourth. His single stop came on lap 29. After this, he made steady progress up the field as competitors’ pit-stop strategies played out and ended the race keeping Jacques Villeneuve (6th) comfortably at bay. Jenson Button drove a solid race to eighth, finishing six places ahead of his grid position in a race notable for its low retirement rate. Running the same strategy as his team-mate, stopping on lap 30, he continued to push until the very end of the race, with his fastest lap of 1:14.265 coming on lap 72.

Jarno Trulli, 5th position:

“I am very happy with the result, and especially to score two more points for the Team. The car set-up was perfect for the race: although the car was a little loose towards the end of the first stint, the tyres and set-up came in well for the much longer second run. Thanks to the work of my engineers and Pat (Symonds), we chose the right strategy, which played a big part in the result.

Experience is the key at any Team, and I think my recent results demonstrate how well we are all gelling. Having said that, we saw today that we still have some way to go before we can really compete with the top teams.”

Jenson Button, 8th position:

“Eighth isn’t really best ever. Giancarlo (Fisichella) pushed me onto the grass at Turn 2 and I didn’t have much luck at my stop, coming back out in the middle of a big group of cars. We raced with less wing than some of the others, but although I was quicker down the straights, I was losing too much time on the exit of the corner before the straight (Turn 11). I pushed all the way but when

there are so few retirements, it’s hard to do much better!”

Flavio Briatore, Managing Director, Renault F1 Team:

“We once again got two cars to the finish and this allowed us to score the points we needed to secure fourth place in the Championship. Everything worked well today: car, engine and drivers. It is another good result for the Team.”

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

“Today we saw all the Michelin cars were able to run with just one pit-stop whereas all our competitors, with a sole exception, made two. This kind of situation doesn’t leave much room for a strategic advantage and we therefore had a conservative race. However, our pace in race trim was very pleasing and it is good to add to our points score on a circuit that we generally find difficult.

Once more, the reliability of our package helped us to this result.”

28^th September 2002

u.s.g.p. qualifying.

Ferrari swept the board again in qualifying, with M.Schumacher on pole and Barrichello second. The Williams’ boys were unable to do anything about the red team, finishing 4^th and 5^th . Coulthard leapt into 3^rd place at the very end, while his McLaren team mate was 6^th. Villeneuve put in a solid performance for 7^th, with his BAR team mate, Panis, in 12^th. Trulli forced his underpowered Renault into a creditable 8^th place, with Button in 14^th. Yoong had a little crash into the tyre barriers with his Minardi after a few laps, but he had managed to qualify. Several drivers had spins and went off track during the middle part of qualifying, but all survived. Top 6: M.Schumacher, Barrichello, Coulthard, Montoya, R. Schumacher, Raikkonen.

Chassis R202-01 Spare car (JB)

R202-05 Jarno Trulli

R202-06 Jenson Button

The Renault F1 Team experienced a mixed day during qualifying for the US Grand Prix. Jarno Trulli and Jenson Button qualified eighth and fourteenth respectively under sunny skies in Indianapolis, with track temperatures rising to a maximum of 35°C, the highest of the weekend so far.

Jarno Trulli finished the session in eighth position. After finishing free practice in fifteenth, he made significant progress with his engineers before qualifying and was able to make the most of this package during the crucial hour.

Jenson Button will start tomorrow’s race from fourteenth, having been unable to find a consistent balance over a whole lap during qualifying.

Jarno Trulli, 8th position, 1:11.888:

“I’m pleased with this position and happy for the team. I wasn’t happy with the balance this morning and I worked hard with my engineers to improve it. I really think I got 100% out of the car in qualifying. Everything is going very well at the moment and I’m getting on very well within the team. Eighth is definitely a promising result because I think we will be competitive tomorrow in race conditions.”

Jenson Button, 14th position, 1:12.401:

“I’m not at all pleased with fourteenth. I couldn’t find the right set-up on the car: first it would understeer, then get oversteery towards the end of the lap. It feels like I’ve lost grip with the higher temperatures - I had the same problem yesterday. It’s going to be a tough day tomorrow.”

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

“As we have seen in the past, qualifying times in Indy are quite close and a small difference can mean a lot of grid places. This is in fact what we have experienced today, with Jarno achieving a satisfactory position in a car that was working well while Jenson struggled to find the balance he required, which is reflected in his position. However it is a hard race and our car is good on fuel: there is no reason not to achieve a good result tomorrow.”

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

“The week-end is continuing to be productive: we have had no problems and after correctly anticipating the effect of the change in conditions from this morning, we managed to perform roughly according to our expectations. It is disappointing to see such a gap between the drivers, but that just goes to show how difficult it is to fine-tune the set-up here. We go into tomorrow’s race with the real hope of being competitive.”

28^th September 2002

u.s.g.p. saturday practice.

Problems for Jordan and Takuma Sato as his Honda engine blew after just one minute of practice at Indianapolis today. He managed to get out again half way through the second session, and still finished faster than Jenson Button! Things were a little better for the Renault drivers in the first session. Jarno explored several gravel traps on his way to setting 9^th fastest time, while Jenson was 12^th. They struggled to improve in the second session though, with Jarno in 15^th overall, and Jenson 17^th, split by Sato! Mark Webber missed most of the second session when his Minardi stopped with mechanical problems. Ferrari took over the top positions and stayed there, followed by a jumble of McLarens and Williams in the first session. There were more mixed results in the second session with Eddie Irvine continuing Jaguar’s strong showing in third. Top 6 overall: M.Schumacher, Barrichello, Irvine, R.Schumacher, Coulthard, Heidfeld.

27^th September 2002

u.s.g.p. friday practice.

Half way through the first session, something wheel-wise appeared to break on Barrichello’s car and he slammed into the wall on the pit straight, causing the session to be red-flagged for 20 minutes. No one else crashed in session 1, although there were several spins on the green and slippery track, not helped by surface water at the beginning. In the second session, Sato crashed into a tyre barrier and at the end of the session, Button’s Renault stopped with a gear box problem. Barrichello had not set a time when he crashed and did not get out in session 2, so he was not classified. Renault had 2 good sessions, even though both drivers had excursions across the grass, finishing with Trulli in 8^th and Button 13^th. Heinz-Harald Frentzen is driving in place of Massa for Sauber this weekend, and was ahead of team mate Heidfeld (9^th) in this first practice. Top 6 overall: M. Schumacher, Irvine, Coulthard, Raikkonen, Villeneuve, Frentzen.

Chassis R202-01 Spare car (JB)

R202-05 Jarno Trulli

R202-06 Jenson Button

The Renault F1 Team completed a satisfactory first day’s practice for the US Grand Prix at Indianapolis. In spite of a slippery‚’green’ circuit that saw a number of cars spin throughout the two sessions, both drivers succeeded in completing a significant number of laps as part of their usual Friday programme. Jenson Button stopped out on the circuit at the end of the second session after the Team’s telemetry indicated a potential gearbox problem and he was instructed to switch the car off.

Jarno Trulli, 8th position, 41 laps, 1:15.256:

“A good first day. As usual, we spent our Friday concentrating on race set-up and I was able to lap without any problems. Having said that, I’m still not happy with the balance and we have some work to do before tomorrow. As for the track, it is still very green but I have to admit I was encouraged to see so many people here today - I enjoy competing in front of the American fans!”

Jenson Button, 13th position, 40 laps, 1:15.841:

“Although I started the day well, I didn’t manage to make as much progress as I had wanted to during the two sessions. The balance is not quite there yet and we obviously need to improve further. At the end, the team told me to pull off in order to look after the car.”

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

“An interesting session during which we achieved our major objective of tyre selection but have not fully got on top of the balance we require from the cars. Of course, as always on Friday, there were certainly different fuel loads amongst our competitors but the times are nevertheless very close, and we will need to fine-tune the balance for tomorrow.”

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

“Having completed a total of eighty-one laps, we can call this a pleasantly uneventful day. We had no problems with the cars and were able to concentrate on long runs in preparation for Sunday. Given how close the times are, it would be unrealistic to predict any kind of order after today’s session but it is fair to say that we have no reason to be worried.”

23^rd September 2002

u.s.g.p. preview

After scoring a double points finish for the first time this year at the Italian Grand Prix, Renault F1 Team drivers Jarno Trulli and Jenson Button head to the final two fly-away races determined to end the season on a high, looking to score points in the interests of both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships.

Jarno Trulli:

“Monza was a very nice surprise for all of us. We knew our package would be good, but there were some question marks as to whether it would last a race distance. I think we managed to finish because the engineers did such a good job working to solve our problems from the week before. It was a great result and a big boost for everybody.”

Jenson Button agrees:

”It was a bit of a surprise wasn’t it? We weren’t really the quickest cars in Monza, but we made the right decisions on strategy and drove a good race.”

Both drivers will be making their third visit to the world-famous Brickyard and each appreciates the special atmosphere the spectacle of Indianapolis brings:

Jenson Button:

“It’s a fun event. We don’t get to go to the USA that often and it’s pretty cool. I enjoy the whole weekend and the crowd means that the atmosphere is always special.”

Jarno Trulli:

“I think it’s great that we go to Indy. Even when I was young, I knew it was a great race and a great event. I enjoy being part of the myth of Indianapolis. The history of the track counts for lot and it’s always good to see some different supporters!”

As for the circuit itself, the Italian knows which factors will be the keys to a strong performance, but will be looking to hone the car in order to find exactly the right compromise for qualifying and race:

“Obviously, you need very good top speed for the long straight and then good grip in the low-speed corners. These are definitely the two main things I will be looking for to go quickly, but they can make getting the exact set-up is a bit of a calculated gamble.”

Trulli approaches the final races of the season adamant that he will continue performing at the level of the past two races:

“We obviously have high expectations and want to end the season strongly. We need to wait and see how the car will react - we can’t tell that until we get to the track - but I am very motivated and just as determined as ever to score more points for the Team.”

Technical Director Mike Gascoyne:

“Jarno’s qualifying position was a reflection of what we were capable of on Saturday (at Monza) and it is a shame he had to race from the back. Otherwise, I think we could have scored a podium finish.”

Indianapolis is an unusual circuit, combining a very high-speed oval section with an infield comprised of tight corners. The result is one of the most contrasting circuits in Formula 1.

The engine is a full throttle for over twenty-two seconds through the banked corner, both in race trim with full fuel loads and in qualifying. The particular way in which the engine is used at this circuit has led the Renault F1 Team to conduct endurance testing simulating not only Monza, but also taking account of the long straight at Indianapolis. The top speeds reached (which are the second-highest after Monza) are around 340 km/h. The straight also encourages slipstreaming, which increases maximum speeds and can lead to over-revving: to avoid this, sixth gear is lengthened.

The engine needs to be powerful in order to achieve high top speeds, reliable in order to withstand such long periods at full throttle, as well as possessing good levels of torque and driveability in the slow part of the circuit. It is worth noting that the average engine speed at Indianapolis is the second-highest of the season, yet that the engine is only at full throttle for 50% of the lap. Owing to its unique characteristics, it could be said that Indianapolis combines the characteristics of the high-speed old Hockenheim and Monaco.

17^th – 19^th September 2002

silverstone test.

Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso are testing for Renault this week until 19^th September, while Jarno visits the Renault factories in France and England. Today Jenson conducted a tyre development programme while Fernando completed general set up work and damper development work in the afternoon. Sauber were also present with Felipe Massa driving. The following day, with Jenson having to stop testing because of dizziness, the Team called in former British F3 Champion Oliver Gavin, to take Jenson’s place. he also tested on 19^th alongside Alonso. Jordan also took part in the test with Fisichella. Heidfeld took Massa’s place on Wednesday and on Thursday, Sauber put Frentzen in the car. He finished his test with a bang when he crashed at Stowe while avoiding a rabbit, but will be driving for Sauber at the U.S.G.P. because of Massa’s penalty for banging into de la Rosa during the last race.

15^th September 2002

italian gp. race.

Oh happy day! Renault got both cars to the end of the race and both were in the points! That was in spite of Jarno Trulli having gear problems at the start of the parade lap. He managed to get the car going but it was too late to prevent himself having to begin the race at the back. This didn’t prove to be too much of a handicap actually, as he was up to 12^th after 2 laps. With Jenson Button also making up some places the two Renaults ran as a Trulli/Button combo until the pit stops. Jarno pitted on lap 22 and after Jenson’s stop on lap 24, it became a Button/Trulli train. But after a while, Jarno was ahead of Jenson again and pulling away so that they finished about 10 seconds apart in 4^th and 5^th. Everyone was expecting the Renaults to make a second stop but they never did. Brilliant strategy from Renault! Jarno finished only about 4 seconds from Irvine in 3^rd place, so for a man who started at the back he had a very good race. So good, in fact, that Martin Brundle on ITV had to make Jarno his “driver of the day”……which must have hurt Martin! What’s that I hear you cry? What of the other drivers? Montoya was a little slow away and found that it was his team mate Ralf who arrived at the first corner beside him. Unfortunately, they didn’t take it in turns through the first chicane and Ralf ended up cutting the corner to come out ahead. A few laps later they were asked to change places by the FIA, but by that time Ralf’s engine had decided to expire. The Ferraris bided their time, and soon passed Montoya. Coulthard had lost a few bits of bodywork in some jousting on the way to the first corner and had to pit for a new nosecone, which took him to the back of the field. McNish had technical problems which caused him to retire in the garage and Webber retired at the side of the track. Alex Yoong did at least finish, even though he was 6 laps down. Salo acquired a drive-through penalty for crossing the white line at the end of the pitlane. Massa and de la Rosa had an unnecessary collision during an overtaking move, which caused them both to retire. De la Rosa did have reason to complain. (Massa was later penalised by the stewards and will drop 10 places on his qualifying position for the next race). Montoya’s front suspension collapsed and he retired on lap 34. Raikkonen’s engine decided it had had enough on lap 40. Villeneuve had an anonymous afternoon, while Panis ran well from 16^th position, being involved in a few exciting battles to finish 6^th. Fisichella’s afternoon was also a bit boring, although both Jordans finished (Fisi in 8^th and Sato 12^th) and we did find out they have a big fuel tank. The Ferraris co-ordinated their strategies to come home in a one/two formation. Top 6: Barrichello, M. Schumacher, Irvine, Trulli, Button, Panis.

Chassis R202-01 Spare car (JT)

R202-05 Jarno Trulli

R202-06 Jenson Button

The Renault F1 Team achieved a double points-scoring finish for the first time this season in today’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza. The result is all the more pleasing because qualifying proved disappointing, meaning both drivers started the race in the bottom half of the field. Jarno Trulli then dropped to the back of the grid after a problem at the beginning of the formation lap. Excellent drives from both Trulli and Jenson Button, coupled with a change in strategy which saw the pit-stops brought forward in order to optimise track position, allowed the Team to claim five valuable points, which consolidate fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship.

Jarno Trulli, 4th position:

“I thought I’d lost everything at the start - first gear didn’t engage properly when I went through the launch process, so I had to start from the back. After that, finishing fourth was pretty unexpected! Salo was holding me up during the first part of the race, so we decided to modify our strategy and stop earlier than planned. Clearly, it was the right choice and it meant we were able to score some points. I want to thank the whole team and especially Jenson, who let me past so that I could try and catch Irvine after the stops. I should also mention all the engine guys: we had some problems with reliability in testing last week, and now both cars have now finished the race. I am not just happy for Jenson and myself, but also proud to have achieved this result for the Team.”

Jenson Button, 5th position:

“Not a bad race and a pretty unexpected result! To be honest, the race wasn’t that exciting: after the start, I had to get into a rhythm and look after the car, avoiding over-revving and just driving very precisely. We changed strategy, which paid off when we were able to jump in front of Salo. The car wasn’t perfect during the race: I had some oversteer in the first part, which became

fairly major understeer after my pit-stop, but I managed to speed up in order to keep Panis at bay. This result reminds me a bit of Hockenheim last year, when we got both cars into the points on a circuit which didn’t really suit us on paper.”

Flavio Briatore, Managing Director, Renault F1 Team:

“A very good result after a difficult weekend. We took a risk on the strategy, but it paid off, helped by Jarno and Jenson who both drove fantastic races. It’s good to add a few points to our total.”

Jean-Jacques His, Managing Director, Renault F1 Team France:

“This result is a good reward for the Team and the drivers. Although it is reassuring to see both cars finish this difficult race, we haven’t forgotten that we still have a long way to go. Nevertheless, I think we can view it as proof of a well-founded project.”

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

“A fantastic result for the whole Team on a circuit that is not easy for us. We changed our strategy during the race, and in fact almost reversed what we had planned to do. This helped us to show the true potential of our cars and drivers. It is also excellent to see such good reliability throughout the weekend.”

14^th September 2002

italian gp. qualifying.

An exciting qualifying session, with Williams fighting strongly with Ferrari for pole. In the course of the session, Montoya set the fastest ever lap in F1 with an average speed of 259.370kmh. Jaguar were amazing, with Irvine setting the 6^th fastest time with de la Rosa 8^th. Coulthard was only 7^th; his team mate Raikkonen had done well for 5^th, but late in the session had an accident with Sato, which was later investigated by the stewards. They decided Raikkonen was at fault and stripped him of his quickest time, dropping him one place to 6^th. Irvine moved up to 5^th. Renault had the bad day they were expecting, but Trulli made it a bit more respectable by managing 11^th place on his last run. Button was 17^th.

Chassis R202-01 Spare car (JT) R202-01 Spare car (JT)

R202-05 Jarno Trulli

R202-06 Jenson Button

The Renault F1 Team qualified eleventh and seventeenth for tomorrow’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza. While the results are undoubtedly disappointing, the feeling is mitigated by the Team’s realistic expectations.

Jarno Trulli ended the session eleventh after setting his fastest time on his final run. Making the most of the slipstream provided by his team-mate in the first two sectors, and setting some of the fastest top speeds as a result, he improved his time by two tenths in spite of losing out in the final sector as he was following Button too closely.

Jenson Button qualified seventeenth. After a challenging morning during which he lost most of the second practice session after spinning, he failed to find a set-up which would have enabled him to get the most out of his package.

Jarno Trulli, 11th position, 1:22.383:

“Actually, that was a good session for me. We improved the car throughout qualifying and the slipstream from Jenson just added a little more on the last lap. The tow definitely helped me but the flip side was that I was then too close going into the Parabolica, which cost me a couple of tenths. Overall, I don’t think we could have done better today. We now need to improve the package in order to be competitive.”

Jenson Button, 17th position, 1:22.714:

“There’s really not much to say - even if we knew the circuit wouldn’t suit us, I was looking for more than seventeenth. We didn’t manage to find the compromise that we need here in order to be quick. Of course, it’s never easy when you’re trying to make up for lost time, but it is still hard to be satisfied with seventeenth.”

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

“We are disappointed but not surprised to be out of the top ten. We were running the car with very little wing as this is the compromise we have to use. The last few minutes of the session were hectic but Jarno got a good tow from Jenson. We are however happy with our set-ups for tomorrow.”

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

“The difference between a good performance and disappointment is never great: today, the gap between our drivers was unusually large and we should recognise that had their performance been as close as it is usually, we would have been pretty satisfied with the session. As it is, we must face facts, and the times show that our direct competitors in the championship are struggling much as we are. Tomorrow, we must look to reach a level of performance which will allow us to defend this position.”

14^th September 2002

italian gp. saturday practice.

These sessions didn’t go so well for the Renault F1 Team. The first session saw Trulli finish 11^th and Button 15^th. The McLarens were strong with M.Schumacher and Montoya fighting it out for fastest. Barrichello’s engine blew, uncharacteristically for Ferrari. His team managed to change the engine and still get him out to set 3^rd fastest time in session 2. During the second session, Button spun at Parabolica and was unable to continue, finishing 18^th. Rather more disturbingly, Trulli was unable to improve his best time from the first session and was 17^th just ahead of Button, who had also been unable to improve. Top 6: Montoya, M. Schumacher, Barrichello, R. Schumacher, Raikkonen, Coulthard.

13^th September 2002

italian gp. friday practice.

First practice at a revamped Monza, particularly in the pitlane and garages, saw the Renault F1 Team do better than expected. Jarno Trulli finished 5^th fastest with Button in 11^th. M. Schumacher was P1 in the time tables, but it wasn’t the usual Ferrari “redwash” as Barrichello sat out most of the session with a brake problem. A bit more incident in the second session saw Coulthard spin off 5 minutes into the session, while Alex Yoong also finished his session halfway through, after a spin. Jaguar had a good day and Toyota’s Salo was 6^th. Trulli and Button were 9^th and 10^th respectively. Overall top 6: M. Schumacher, Barrichello, Raikkonen, Irvine, Montoya, Salo.

Chassis R202-01 Spare car (JB)

R202-05 Jarno Trulli

R202-06 Jenson Button

The Renault F1 Team ended a positive first day of practice at Monza with drivers Jarno Trulli and Jenson Button ninth and tenth respectively in an extremely closely-matched field. Both drivers concentrated on race set-up work throughout the two sessions and completed a total of 86 laps (with Trulli’s total of 44 the highest of the day) as they worked through options for Sunday.

Jarno Trulli, 9th position, 44 laps, 1:24.358:

“We had a good day and managed to get a lot of work done on set-up and the tyres. The car balance is very good and I’m confident for tomorrow. Overall, we made progress today.”

Jenson Button, 10th position, 42 laps, 1:24.396:

“A pretty good day from my point of view. We managed to get lots of set-up work done, although it’s still only Friday and we can’t really be sure where we stand overall. Having said that, I’m definitely higher up than I expected to be at the start of the day.”

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

“Two very good practice sessions for the Team, and it was encouraging to find that the car’s behaviour was similar to our recent test. This meant we could therefore carry on with some of the things interrupted by the weather last time. In general, both cars seem well balanced and the tyre behaviour is very consistent. Even though this type of circuit doesn’t suit us perfectly, we have seen that we can be competitive on Sunday.”

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

“We might term this a studious day’s work. Concentrating on tyre comparisons and long runs in race configuration, we managed to complete the most number of laps of any team today without any technical problems. Our level of performance is respectable, and I feel we can legitimately challenge for places among the top ten tomorrow.”

ITALIAN GP THURSDAY PRESS CONFERENCE – 12^th September 2002

Extract….full transcript of questions addressed to Jarno, and his answers, are on the members’ page.

DRIVERS: Rubens BARRICHELLO (FERRARI), Giancarlo FISICHELLA (JORDAN), Jarno TRULLI (RENAULT) and Alex YOONG (MINARDI)

Q: To both Italians, neither of you have very good records here in Formula One. Tell us about whether you like the circuit, whether you have a better record perhaps in other formulae?
Giancarlo FISICHELLA: Yeah. First of all, I won many races in Formula Three here and it was one of my most favourite tracks. It's still one of my favourites, even if the first corner isn't so exciting. It's my home Grand Prix so we have a lot of fans here, Italian fans, they are pushing, yeah, especially Ferrari but also the Italian drivers, so it's a very important race weekend for me. I hope to do well. It's not easy because we are not so competitive but you never know. It's important to be in the top ten in qualifying and then get through to the end of the race and score some points, that would be our target.

Q: But you quite like this circuit, even though Formula One hasn't been kind to you?
GF: Yes, it's quite a difficult circuit because for the long straights, you need a very low downforce and when you are braking from 350 kph you have to stop the car to 60, it's not easy at all, the grip level is very low. It's not so easy but it's still a good circuit for me.

Q: What do you think about it Jarno?
Jarno TRULLI: Well, I have no feelings about it in Formula Three. I was driving in the German championship, I only tried once here in Monza. Regarding Formula One, not such a good feeling. In the last two Grands Prix here in Monza, I didn't manage to go more than two corners. Last year it was one corner where Jenson hit me up the back and two years ago, unfortunately, I was involved in an accident at the second chicane, so not many miles in the race, so I just hope I can do better.

9^th September 2002

italian gp. preview.

As the Renault F1 Team arrives in Monza for the 2002 Italian Grand Prix, drivers Jarno Trulli and Jenson Button are looking to put the disappointment of Belgium