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

Giancarlo Fisichella: "Focused on the weekend ahead"

Giancarlo, you endured a frustrating weekend in Hungary, with a tough race stuck in traffic and a penalty after qualifying… Yes, it's true. My race was decided there and then on Saturday afternoon because as everybody knows, it is very hard to overtake in Budapest. What's more, my strategy had been calculated for a top ten starting spot. But the race is now in the past, and I am focused on the weekend ahead. We will be trying to have a strong race, it's important for me and for the team's championship position as well.

After a three-week break,  you will be returning to action at Istanbul Park, the newest F1 venue. Do you enjoy this circuit?Very much. It is a new generation circuit, everything is still very new and it is a properly challenging circuit. I have always raced well here in the past, and I hope it will be the case again this year.

There is also the small matter of the circuit's "signature corner", the impressive turn 8…It is probably the most difficult corner in the whole championship. A long-left hander, with an apex speed of around 250 kph, for about 6.5 seconds. There are some high g-forces to contend with, on your body but especially on the neck, and it can be very difficult, especially at the end of the race. It is demanding for the drivers, but that is the attraction for us!

On the technical front, what areas will you focus on in order to get the maximum from the car?Just like at every other circuit, the most important thing is to find a good handling balance. We need to find the correct compromise in terms of downforce, set the suspension quite stiff – and to work hard to get a good level of traction. Our work during practice on Friday will focus on trying out some different set-ups, to give us a competitive car for qualifying and the race on Sunday.

Heikki Kovalainen: "I can't wait to get back on track this weekend"

Heikki, what is your opinion of the Istanbul Park circuit?I actually drove an F1 car here last year when we did a demonstration run as part of the World Series by Renault race weekend, so I have some idea of how the circuit feels in an F1 car. It is a very tough circuit and I must say, one of my favourites. Everything has been really well thought-out, they did a fantastic job to bring F1 to Turkey and the atmosphere is always special, because the Turkish fans seem to really enjoy the race weekend. I can't wait to race in Istanbul.

What are the keys to a good performance in Istanbul? There are a number of high-speed corners, and that means we have to focus most of all on the aero balance of the car, because aerodynamic grip is crucial. The surface is still very new, so it's smooth and that makes life a bit easier on the mechanical side, helping keep the car stable. The other important parameter will be getting good traction. These are all areas we will be working on during our three hours of practice on Friday, and I think we can find a good set-up compromise, as we managed at the last race in Budapest.

Does a big corner like turn 8 make the circuit more difficult?I don't know about more difficult, but certainly more exciting! The conditions can be very hot as well, which makes the job tougher for the teams and the drivers. But in terms of turn 8, it is a fantastic corner, and one of the most enjoyable of the whole year!

You are returning after the summer break. Was it useful to be able to recharge your batteries for the final part of the season? It was nice to have a short break, but I think it was most important for the race and test teams to have a break, especially after the difficult start to the season that we experienced. On my side, I went back to Finland to see my friends and family, and to do some training ahead of the next races – and so I am ready for 58 laps through turn 8! It is always good to have some time off, but it has only made me more impatient to get back in the car. I can't wait to start driving again.

Bob Bell: "Continue our hard work"

The ING Renault F1 Team Technical Director evaluates the season so far, as the team prepares for the final six races.

Bob, how would you summarise the 2007 season so far? It's no surprise to hear me say that this year has been a big disappointment. Our level of performance so far has been well below our expectations at the start of the season. But having said that, there have been a number of positives too, most importantly the way in which the team has handled, and responded to, what was a tough situation for all concerned.

So what is the situation now, approaching race twelve in Turkey? We are not taking our foot off the pedal, and we are still working very hard for the final six races in the 2007 championship – and beyond.

Does that mean you will still have major developments to come this year?We will have some minor aerodynamic upgrades in Turkey, and a new aero package in Monza adapted to the very low drag set-up we require there. We will also be working hard to extract more performance at the track from our most recent developments. Back at the factory, though, the moment has come to focus our energies on 2008. We have always said that our problems this year would not compromise next year's programme, and that remains the case.

What are your expectations for the race weekend in Turkey after the summer break?No team has been allowed to test, but everybody will have been working hard back at the factory. We have made progress, and I am sure other people have too. I think that the overall picture will be similar to recent races, and indeed should stay relatively stable until the end of the season in my opinion. Turkey is not a race that presents any extreme challenges, apart from the high temperatures we will have to face. And our objective will, as always, be to get the most out of our package. 

In terms of your direct competitors, how would you evaluate the situation at this stage of the season?The top two teams are clearly still a step ahead, and it will be difficult for anybody to race with them. Looking at BMW, they have taken a definite step forward in the last few races and they remain, at this stage of the year, quicker than us. Williams and Toyota have moved forward too. I think that it we continue to work well and to get the most from the car, then we are capable of beating BMW on a number of occasions before the end of the year. That remains our target.

You hinted that 2008 is already a priority for the team. How is the R28 project progressing?Our design and development resources are already focusing intently on 2008. We began work on the car early, and our approach has been quite different to recent years. First and foremost, we had to be certain that our development tools were working correctly. Once this was confirmed, we began putting a lot of energy into the design of the new car. The project is on time, and we have been exploring some very interesting new development paths.

Turkish GP Tech File

The Turkish GP will mark the start of the final third of the 2007 championship. Round 12 of the season is likely to be held in extremely high temperatures on the newest circuit on the calendar. It's a track that drivers and engineers enjoy, thanks to a challenging layout that combines slow corners, long straights, changes in gradient and turn 8, among the most difficult corners of the entire season.

Chassis

The 14-turn Istanbul Park circuit is typical of the modern layouts, typified by the circuits in Bahrain and Shanghai, in that it features an extremely long straight which means top speed is a critical performance factor in determining a good race set-up. Ideally, teams would run more downforce than they are able to, in order to gain time through the high- and medium-speed corners, but the long straight after turn 10 shifts the compromise towards a low-medium set-up in order to achieve competitive top speeds – and to allow the drivers either to overtake, or defend their position against rivals.

The circuit is the newest on the calendar, and still in good condition. The surface is generally smooth and the kerbs are not particularly aggressive. This allows the engineers to use relatively stiff suspension settings and low ride heights to optimise aerodynamic performance, to achieve a good change of direction in the technical portions and to give good stability in the high-speed corners. The only exception to this is in turn 8, where several large bumps can disrupt the car and cause oversteer. Generally, the drivers adjust their line to avoid the bumps, rather than compromising the car set-up to cope with them.

The braking demands of the circuit are not particularly severe in overall terms, but the braking zone into turn 12 is critical as this is the main overtaking opportunity. The drivers must be able to attack this braking event with confidence when battling wheel-to-wheel, while overshooting the corner can be very costly on a timed lap.

The overall energy put through the tyres in Istanbul is close to that seen in Silverstone, and Bridgestone will make available the same combination of medium and hard compound tyres as it did for the British Grand Prix. We pay particular attention to the front tyres, and the right-front in particular, as they have a very hard time in the long, high-speed turn 8.

Engine

In common with the more modern circuits, Istanbul Park is a demanding and varied challenge for the engine. Approximately 67% of the lap is spent at full throttle, a figure that is well above average, and the circuit also includes a long period of around 16 seconds spent at full throttle, between turns 10 and 12. The engine must be tractable, pulling strongly from low revs all the way to its 19,000 rpm limit, while power delivery at high revs is also fine-tuned to avoid upsetting the car balance in turn 8.

It is important to ensure the power train is well-cooled, but we are familiar with the engine's needs at this stage of the season. The circuit features no prolonged, slow-speed sections which might cause overheating, and the long straights mean that the car is well cooled.

Magic Moments: 30 Years of Renault in F1

As the newest Grand Prix on the current F1 calendar, the Turkish Grand Prix has hosted relatively few magic moments in Renault's F1 history; but this year's Turkish GP weekend marks a special milestone in the team's track record even so…

Renault at the Turkish GP

First run in 2005, the Turkish Grand Prix has seen Renault on the podium in both years in which it has been held. On both occasions, Fernando Alonso finished the race in second place, benefiting from misfortunes to cars in front. In 2005, the victim was Juan-Pablo Montoya, whose damaged McLaren ran wide in turn 8 on lap 57, allowing Alonso to pass; while in 2006, the Spaniard held off Michael Schumacher's Ferrari in a stirring battle reminiscent of their duel at Imola in 2005. With a total of 24 points scored in the past two races, Renault has scored more points in Turkey than any other manufacturer during the race's short history.

Other anniversaries

24 August represents a major milestone in Renault's F1 history, as it was on this day in 2003 that Fernando Alonso took the Renault F1 Team's first victory at the Hungaroring, lapping world champion Michael Schumacher in the process. This was the first of the 18 race wins (and counting) that the Renault F1 Team has scored since the company returned to F1 in 2002. Back in 1996, the same date saw an all-Renault front row at Spa-Francorchamps, with the V10 engines powering Williams team-mates Villeneuve and Hill; the Canadian managed second position the next day, behind Michael Schumacher's Ferrari. On 25 August 1979, René Arnoux took his second career pole position at Zandvoort, and the 5th for the Renault team, at the wheel of his Renault RS10.

Over at Red Bull Racing… with Fabrice Lom

Fabrice, how did you prepare for the forthcoming race during the summer break?Unlike many of the other teams, we have been running during the summer break, with an aero test and a shakedown before sending the cars to Istanbul. That allowed us to calibrate some components ahead of the weekend, and to be in a position to get the most out of our package this weekend. 

Turkey is a challenging circuit for the drivers, particularly through turn 8. Is that also true for the engine?We are preparing for three very demanding races for the engines, with Istanbul, Monza and Spa. Each circuit is challenging in its own way. In Turkey, there are a number of long straights, which means long periods spent at full throttle – which is always a challenge. Secondly, there is a fine dust all round the circuit, and that can pollute the engine unless precautions are taken. And finally the temperatures are generally very high, which must be taken into account when planning how to run the engine. All of that makes the Turkish Grand Prix an interesting challenge for our engine team!

How do you think the RS27 will respond to the different challenges this weekend? We don't have any particular worries. At this stage of the season, we know the engine well, and its reliability has already been well tested. The drivers want a tractable, powerful and reliable engine at Istanbul, and the RS27 meets those criteria. So we should be able to perform strongly this weekend and, of course, will be doing our maximum to achieve that.