ON FORM

The ING Renault F1 Team previews round six of the 2007 Formula 1 World Championship.

Giancarlo, you scored your best result of the season so far in Montreal. Are you pleased that the team is making progress? Yes, it's important for me and for the team to see we are going forward step by step, and that we are finding answers to the problems we have suffered since the start of the season. The team has worked night and day in the last weeks, and it is a boost to everybody's determination to see the first rewards on track. From my point of view, I am pleased to have put in a good performance at Monaco, because it is a real driver's circuit, and that shows I am performing well.

The next round is in Canada. Do you enjoy the race? It's a fantastic race, in a great city. I have some very good memories from this race, because I have been on the podium four times! I hope to have another good race for me and the team this year as well.

What will be your approach to this, the sixth Grand Prix of the season? The last test and race have given us some more confidence, and I think we will perform well this weekend. Of course, it's a street circuit, so it will be very slippery on Friday. But as the weekend goes on and the cars put rubber down, the grip levels will improve. When I start running, my focus will be on finding the braking points, rediscovering the line and keeping momentum through the chicanes, which is very important for a good lap-time.

What are your expectations for the race? I think that we can be optimistic. Things have improved for us in the last weeks, the car balance is better, and the overall grip is higher too. Both factories are working flat out to improve the car even more, and all the members of the team are pushing to the limit. They have done a fantastic job so far. That hard work will definitely pay off, and I am confident that in Montreal, we will show we're back on form.

Heikki Kovalainen: "Expecting a better weekend in Montreal"

Heikki, you had a tough weekend in Monaco…As I said at the time, there is not really much to take from the weekend. I didn't have a chance to set a good time on Thursday, and it got worse from there. I was doubly disappointed because I know how hard the team has worked to give Giancarlo and myself a more consistent and faster car. But that's in the past now. I am focused on the Canadian Grand Prix, and on continuing to improve my performance.

Canada is a new circuit for you. How did you prepare for it?In general, when I am preparing for a race on a circuit I don't know, I try and get the onboard camera images from previous seasons so I can see what the track looks like from the cockpit, understand the racing line and work out things like braking points, and which kerbs you can use. Then, on Thursday, I do a lap of the circuit on foot with my engineers, and along with the data from previous years, we do a kind of inspection, talking about each corner. Then on Friday, we really get down to work, and I can begin to see if my preparation has worked out. I hope it pays off this weekend.  In technical terms, what factors do you have to take into account?Canada is all about finding a good compromise between top speed, for which we use a low downforce package, and stability under braking and through the chicanes, in which we need good grip. There are some quite quick chicanes, in third and fourth gears, and we worked on this area in particular at the Paul Ricard test, as the circuit configuration we used included corners of this type, so we could evaluate the car in the right conditions.

The brakes are also used heavily in Montreal. Is this something you pay special attention to? Yes, absolutely. We have to get the brake cooling right, and you often hear the engineers asking drivers to slow down to look after the brakes, which can be a difficult situation to manage in race conditions. We worked on this area as well during testing, and the team will be paying special attention to the brakes in the opening sessions to ensure we are in a good situation for the race.

Alan Permane: "Within striking distance of the teams in front"

Alan, the team scored its best result of the year in Monaco. It must have been a satisfying moment? The only answer to that is ‘yes and no'. Everybody in the team has been working very hard over the past few months to turn the situation around, and Monaco was the first sign of that work bearing fruit on track. It has traditionally been a good circuit for the team, and the improvements we have made to the car showed their worth on Saturday and Sunday. But although we finished fourth, we were a lap behind the leaders. That shows there is a still a long way to go…

How much of the improved performance can be attributed to the unusual nature of the circuit – and how much represents a genuine step forward? It is always difficult to separate out those two things. You only need to look at the balance of power between McLaren and Ferrari: after winning in Bahrain and Barcelona, Massa finished over a minute behind Alonso in Monaco. So the circuit certainly suits some cars better than others. We know that it is traditionally a strong track for us, but our work in testing before the race certainly gave us reason to feel optimistic for the next races – not just Monaco.

Where do you think the team currently sits in the order of competitiveness through the field? I believe that on a more normal circuit, we will be within striking distance of BMW. Until now, we have been racing with one eye on our mirrors, looking out for the midfield pack that includes Williams, Toyota and Red Bull. With the developments we introduced in Monaco, and those we have planned for the next races, I think we have given ourselves a cushion to that midfield group – and added the performance that can allow us to race aggressively against the cars in front.

Giancarlo had an almost flawless weekend in Monaco… It's a circuit he loves, it rewards his natural talent and he did a great job in Monaco. Right now, Giancarlo is driving as well as I have ever seen him. Circumstances have been difficult, but he has worked hard on getting the most out of the car, pushed hard on every lap – and taken advantage of each small performance gain. He is in a very confident frame of mind, and the next two circuits are places where he has always raced very strongly.

Heikki endured a more difficult weekend in the Principality. Were there still positives for him to take from the experience? It was a tough weekend mentally, because I think that it was very hard for him to learn from the experience – he got blocked in qualifying through no fault of his own, and that basically dictated his result on Sunday. But Heikki has already demonstrated this year that he is a tough character, and that he bounces back quickly from disappointment. He is still learning and still improving; his attitude has been exemplary; and I think the developments we have put on the car to improve its driveability, will help him to start showing the level of performance we know he is capable of.

The team did not test in the week leading up to the Canadian Grand Prix, so how did you go about your preparations? In terms of track work, our basic set-up work and tyre testing was completed at Paul Ricard before Monaco, running on a layout designed to simulate the demands of Montreal. We competed our aerodynamic preparation with an aero test ahead of the Monaco race weekend, checking the low downforce wings and their settings. At the factory, we have been crunching the numbers in our set-up simulations, preparing the cars for a demanding trip that will see them racing twice in the space of a week, and also ensuring that car complies with the rules clarification on rear wing flexibility that was published after Monaco. We didn't have any worries on this front, but you cannot afford to be caught out when you are racing so far from home.

Montreal Tech File

Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a stop-start, temporary circuit. The long straights mean plenty of heavy braking, while numerous slow corners put the emphasis on strong traction and good engine torque to launch the cars out of them. A competitive car will give the drivers confidence to brake late, while also looking after the rear tyres on a circuit where teams will be running the softest of Bridgestone's 2007 compounds.

Aerodynamics: Montreal will see all teams debut a new ‘low downforce' aerodynamic package. The circuit can be considered as including no high-speed corners, as turn 5 is taken comfortably at full throttle in fifth and sixth gears. The primary focus for the aerodynamicists is therefore on minimising drag levels in order to achieve competitive straightline speeds (with a maximum over 320 kph), while the downforce will assist vehicle stability under heavy braking, as well as in the slow-speed chicanes. The low downforce levels mean the car feels light to drive, and nervous under braking. This means the drivers need to be more delicate with their steering inputs, and when applying the brakes and throttle.

Suspension: The cars need a responsive change of direction in the chicanes while maintaining good stability under braking and traction out of the slow corners. Brake locking must also be taken into consideration when tuning the suspension, as excessive locking at front or rear will cost lap-time.

Brakes: After Bahrain, Montreal is the most demanding circuit of the year for the brakes. Overheating is not the primary concern, as the discs and pads have ample time to cool on the straights. However, the braking energies are very high, with four braking events from over 300 kph – and the other two from above 250 kph. Basic wear is therefore our primary concern, and we monitor this in real time during the race. We may ask the driver to adjust the brake balance if wear levels become alarming at front or rear, and some of our work in practice will focus on ensuring that brake wear levels are under control on representative race fuel loads.

Tyres: The temporary nature of the circuit means that the circuit begins the weekend very ‘green' and grip levels improve constantly throughout the weekend – just like we see at similar venues such as Melbourne or Monaco. The track surface is not particularly abrasive, and the absence of high-speed corners means that tyre energies are among the lowest of the season. Consequently, the teams will be using the Soft and Super-soft compounds from Bridgestone's 2007 range.

Strategy: Traditionally, Montreal has been a race at which strategies ranging from one to three stops were possible – although a two-stop strategy is likely to be the most competitive solution under the 2007 tyre regulations, as it has been at every other circuit this year. The absence of high-speed corners means the fuel effect (the time penalty for carrying fuel weight) is relatively low at this circuit, and combined with low fuel consumption (similar to Budapest), this means there is relatively little penalty in qualifying for carrying extra fuel. The low fuel effect also means that a one-stop strategy is potentially competitive, but its effectiveness in 2007 will depend on how well the super-soft tyre stands up on race day.

Engine Performance: The engine is used in a very stop-start fashion around the Montreal circuit, which is essentially compromised of six extended full throttle bursts separated by chicanes. The engine spends over 60% of the lap at full throttle, which is not a particularly high percentage, but the longest full throttle section last for 14s – a more demanding value, that puts the circuit at the higher end of the scale for engine severity. Our selection of final drive ratio must take into account possible shifts in wind direction down the back straight; should it be too short, then we will spend too much time in the 19,000 rpm rev limiter – and this will cost us lap-time. Cooling is not normally a problem thanks to the long straights, but cut grass and other debris are potential hazards. We monitor temperatures closely, and debris can usually be removed at the pit-stops.

Over at Red Bull Racing…

Fabrice Lom, Principal Engineer, Red Bull Racing Trackside Engine Support

Fabrice, Red Bull Racing performed strongly in Monaco, although the cars failed to score points. What were your feelings about the last race? In theory, Monaco wasn't expected to suit the strengths of the RB3, but the two cars were competitive as soon as they started running. They both made it through to the top ten in qualifying, although Coulthard was subsequently prevented from taking part. In the race, the level of performance was strong but one car retired, and the other finished outside the points. Clearly, it was a missed opportunity for us. We could have enjoyed a very good race, and we went home without any points. It was a shame but since then, our focus has been on Canada, where we hope to turn that trend around!

Canada is a completely different circuit to Monaco. What demands does it place on the engine? In Monaco, you almost want to be able to forget about the engine – it needs to be unobtrusive, to allow the car and driver to perform. Canada is completely different. The engine has an important role to play, and can make a substantial difference, even under the current regulations. That makes it a much more interesting challenge for the engine team!

What strengths will the RS27 be able to count on in Montreal? We know that the Renault V8 is a strong engine, and we don't have any particular worries about its reliability. Those are two important assets but fuel consumption is also an important factor at this type of circuit. We believe we are strong in this domain too. The Red Bull Racing package has shown a good level of performance over the last few races, both in the race in Barcelona and qualifying in Monaco. The challenge now is to deliver on that potential, and to run a strong race in Canada. We have the potential to qualify in the top ten as we have seen, and we now need to finish higher up!

Magic Moments: 30 Years of Renault in F1

The Canadian Grand Prix has never been a lucky race for the Renault F1 Team, and history shows that Renault power has never enjoyed its traditional success at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Since 1978, the company has scored just four wins, twelve podiums and six pole positions. Incidentally, Montreal is the only circuit where a Renault has ever competed in the Canadian Grand Prix: although the 1977 event was held at Mosport, Jean-Pierre Jabouille failed to qualify the RS01 for what would have been its fifth Grand Prix.

Renault at the Canadian Grand Prix

Renault turbo power raced in Montreal from 1978 until 1986 – yet it was until 1985 that the French manufacturer's cars sat on pole position at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. However, when they finally did, it was in style, with a Lotus-Renault front row for Elio de Angelis on pole and Ayrton Senna alongside. The race proved a disappointment though, with De Angelis managing only P5 as Ferrari took a one-two.

Throughout the turbo years, the best result for Renault power was a P2 finish by Eddie Cheever in 1983, when team-mate Alain Prost, fighting for the world championship, could only manage P5. The previous year, both Renaults had retired from the ill-starred Grand Prix while running second and third, having qualified in the same positions.

The V10 era, though, saw a change in fortunes. The first win for the Renault V10 came in Montreal, heading a Williams-Renault one-two, with Belgian Thierry Boutsen leading home Riccardo Patrese in 1989. Another Renault victory was on the cards in 1991, until Nigel Mansell retired on the final lap, but Alain Prost set the record straight in 1993 with the 45th win for a Renault engine – and number 48 for the Frenchman. In 1995, an all-Renault front row saw Michael Schumacher's Benetton take Renault's 100th pole position ahead of Damon Hill, while the following year, an all-Renault front row of Hill and Villeneuve was transformed into a Renault one-two-three with Hill, Villeneuve and Alesi on the podium.

Since 2002, however, the ill-fortune seemed to have returned – although the Renault cars invariably performed well on the stop-start Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Fernando Alonso set fastest lap in 2003, but finished a place away from the podium. In 2004, the cars looked strong – but both retired with driveshaft failures. In 2005, Giancarlo Fisichella and Fernando Alonso both retired while leading the race, and it wasn't until 2006 that Fernando Alonso took a Renault victory – after the team's cars locked out the front row. It was win number 32 for a Renault chassis, and number 112 for a Renault engine in Formula 1.

On this day in history… 10 June

Twelve years ago on 12 June 1995, Michael Schumacher took the 100th pole position for a Renault engine in Formula 1. His Benetton-Renault lined up with Damon Hill's Williams-Renault alongside, making the front row an all-Renault affair. Twelve months ago, on the other hand, the teams were in action at Silverstone for the 2006 British Grand Prix, where Fernando Alonso put his Renault on pole position: number 163 for a Renault engine, and number 49 for a Renault chassis in Formula 1.