2011 FORMULA1 CANADIAN GRAND PRIX
• MONTREAL, 10th – 12TH JUNE 2011 •
• NICK: “Montreal lives and breathes F1” • • Vitaly: “Canada’s long straights mean opportunity” • • Eric Boullier: “Canadian GP is a massive asset for the sport” • • James Allison: “Our stronger performances need to begin in Canada” •
Q&A: Nick Heidfeld
Lotus Renault GP • Race Driver • Car 9
“Montreal lives and breathes F1” Nick looks forward to returning to Montreal, a race he believes to be one of the most memorable on the Formula 1 calendar Four more points for the team in Monaco – what is your reflection on the last race? Well, naturally we went to Monaco expecting more from the weekend. We were predicting a better performance and more points all around – we thought we would be quite strong there. I do feel, however, we have come away from that weekend having learnt a lot more about the car, which is positive, and I’m sure we can take that knowledge into Canada and the races beyond in order to bring our performance up to a higher level.
There has been much discussion about the need for the team to improve its qualifying performances. Do you think this is currently the main obstacle to more points?
This is actually the area I focus on the most with the team, with the aim of maximising our potential there. If you look at my race performances, I think it is as good as it can be, and that’s really helped us get the points we have this season. However, in Monaco especially, you cannot capitalise on the race pace if the qualifying is not at a high enough level. We know that qualifying is extremely important at all the F1 circuits.
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The Canadian Grand Prix is a different type of race with long fast straights and slow, tight corners – how will you approach it? Well, Canada is not as unique as Monaco but it does still stand out in its own way. It has slow chicanes and fast straights, so it is going to be a different kind of drive than the last race. We tend to have fast straight line speed which should help us.
You have been on the podium here in Canada before, are you looking forward to coming back?
I look forward to every race, yes, but this is a very special one because I’ve finished second here before. The race itself is unique – Montreal is a big city and it must be the only venue in Formula 1 where the city lives and breathes the sport for that week. There are postcards and souvenirs everywhere, and the support really is fantastic. It’s not every day you come across
an F1 venue where the whole city gets behind the race, but Montreal does.
You are now 6th in the 2011 Drivers’ Standings – is this a personal motivation for you to do well at each race? This is what I targeted two races ago so it is nice having achieved this short term goal. I’m now ahead of Nico (Rosberg) and Felipe (Massa), so it is a motivation for me to keep striving to do well and scoring points to stay ahead. I am quite a way off Fernando (Alonso) in fifth position still, however the season is long and my target is to move further forward. What’s more important, though, is that we continue to understand and develop the car so that our performance improves as a team. Once this happens, the chance of securing big points will become more and more likely.
“I’m now ahead of Nico and Felipe, so it is a motivation for me to keep striving to do well and scoring points to stay ahead” LO T US RENAU LT GP • CA NA D I A N GP P RE V I E W • 0 3
Q&A: Vitaly Petrov
Lotus Renault GP • Race Driver • Car 10
“Canada’s long straights mean opportunity” After an unfortunate end to his Monaco race, Vitaly discusses his excitement at getting back to action in Canada
Looking back at Monaco, you were having a good race up until the incident weren’t you? Definitely, yes. Up until the incident, things were going really well, fantastically well in fact given what our qualifying positions were beforehand. We could have finished third or fourth I think. Third would have been a real push but fourth was not beyond possibility, because my pace was not bad and I managed to save the tyres. I had some bad luck and there was a lot of traffic in front of me. Pastor (Maldonado) and Adrian (Sutil) were both slow, and it was very difficult to overtake them. Everything else on the day was going to plan, so it’s just a shame we could not have had more success with the final result.
How are you feeling now as we look forward to Canada? Physically I’m feeling fine with no problems. I’m feeling better than I was after the race in Monaco. My ankle is fine and I don’t see any problems for the race here in Canada.
The Canadian Grand Prix has always been a popular one, is it a circuit you enjoy racing at?
Last year was my first time at the track, so it’s not a circuit I know that well. It’s not an easy race because the tarmac is quite unusual and we had so much degradation there with Bridgestone. We hope that it will be a different story with Pirelli but we are going to have to see because so far this year, the tyres have been a hot topic at every race. The track does have long straights, which will offer us a chance to show our quick straight line speed, but there are
also slow corners so it will be important to brake well to help preserve the tyres – it’s a real balancing act here in Montreal.
What are your objectives for this race? Above all, we must get to the finish line and score some good points because we know we can do it. We are well aware that our car is very quick so we need to minimise our mistakes and the results will come.
Do you think the Pirelli tyres will play a big role here? It’s a difficult question to answer because in Monaco we did not feel we would be able to race with just one pit stop, but in the end we did manage to. The tyres are certainly a talking point this season. We have seen some heavy degradation at the different circuits over the last couple of months, but you can’t argue it hasn’t made the sport more exciting for spectators.
“ We know our car is very quick so we need to minimise our mistakes and the results will come”
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Eric Boullier
Team Principal and Managing Director
A wORD WITH THE BOSS Fresh from an eventful weekend in Monaco, Eric explains his views on the Canadian Grand Prix, a race which he feels is one of the sport’s greatest assets
“A lot of races could only dream of having the attendance Canada has, and of getting such a great level of support”
It was an eventful race in Monaco, what’s your verdict now you have had time to reflect on that weekend? Firstly I was relieved to learn that Vitaly had not broken or fractured anything after he was caught up in the crash. It was a worrying moment when it happened but we were glad to learn soon afterwards that there was nothing seriously wrong at all. After that, came the disappointment of missing a good opportunity to score points. Vitaly was in a strong position to finish in the top three or four so we view that as a missed opportunity, but we also need to work on our qualifying to give ourselves a better chance each Sunday afternoon.
Some drivers (such as Jenson Button) have called for improved safety in Monaco following the crashes we saw last weekend – what’s your view?
I can understand the views of some drivers when they see the dramatic crashes like we saw in Monaco. However, I think we need to keep a cool head on this issue. Our sport – in fact, any sport including speed – can be dangerous, and what has been impressive is that when there have been serious crashes, most drivers have emerged from the car without injuries. That, in itself, is a clear 0 6 • CA NA DI A N GP P R EV I E W • L O T US R ENAU LT GP
indication that our sport is quite safe. Formula 1 and the FIA have really raised their games in the last twelve months in terms of safety; there has been a lot of work on improving track design and car safety. I now think we need to start working on more specific areas like the exit to the tunnel in Monaco. If we do this, there won’t be so much drama in the future.
Last year in Montreal, Robert finished eighth and Vitaly fourteenth – how do you think we will fare this time around?
Canada is a special case because it’s a low downforce track and a street circuit too. We expect Vitaly to perform stronger than last year because he has really stepped up to the plate so far this season. We’ve also got a better understanding of the Canadian Grand Prix now, after what we learnt when we were there last year, so I’m pretty sure both cars should be able to finish in the top eight.
You mentioned the need to improve qualifying performance – what steps can be taken to achieve this? James Allison and the guys on the race team are working really hard on this. They have looked at the various issues and are starting to have a really clear understanding about what is missing. Our car is fast – sometimes very fast – and
I’m confident that we can put everything together to ensure we are quick at any given time. There’s no magic wand though, so we’ll need to put in the hours in the wind tunnel to get to where we need to.
As a household name on the F1 calendar, what importance does the Canadian Grand Prix hold? Canada is a massive asset for the sport because it is the one race in North America. The atmosphere and the fans are just amazing. A lot of races could only dream of having the attendance Canada has, and of getting such a great level of support. It really is magical to come back because of the tremendous level of support from everyone in the city.
What is your reaction to the decision of the FIA to reinstate the Bahrain Grand Prix? Lotus Renault GP acknowledge the decision made by the FIA World Motor Sport Council today (Friday 3rd June 2011). That decision is likely to be discussed internally within FOTA, and a more detailed joint position may be defined after those discussions have taken place. I have already spoken at length about our team’s position recently: we are happy to go to Bahrain as long as our safety and the security of the people living there is guaranteed.
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James Allison
Technical Director
“Our stronger performances need to begin in Canada”
James Allison looks ahead to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, where the car’s brakes will be tested to the very limit
From Monaco to Montreal – another street course, but one of a very different nature... The Circuit de Gilles Villeneuve is different from Monaco. It’s very power hungry and has relatively few corners. The corners we do see are comparably slow, with only one above 200kph. Most importantly, it’s the hardest circuit on the brakes we will visit all year.
What changes have been made to the car?
Montreal requires a mediumlow level of downforce and this is the first circuit of the year to have this requirement. This means we will debut a new rear wing, and this will incorporate a new DRS which loses more drag when it is being utilised. In addition, we have a new front wing to complement the downforce levels of the rear and there will be various other refinements on the car, with particular emphasis on ensuring there is good airflow to assist with brake cooling.
How much of a concern is braking in Canada and what can you do because of this?
There are several high speed straights into low speed corners so the brakes receive repeated extreme use over the course of a lap. Canada is the most
challenging circuit of the year from the brake wear point of view. Brake wear is largely a function of brake temperature, and so a lot of work must be done (using tools such as CFD, the wind Tunnel and a Brake Dynamometer rig) to ensure adequate aerodynamic cooling of the disks and pads. A further complication is that our drivers prefer different brake materials from each other, which adds to our workload in terms of validating each solution to ensure that both drivers can apply the brakes in a carefree manner throughout the GP.
Q1 and Q2. This meant that arguably we were around 0.40.5 sec shy of our ultimate performance with the super soft. However, even allowing for this we were still well off where we expected to be.
Even before Vitaly’s accident, where thankfully he was unhurt, it was a weekend we’d rather forget. Our performance in very slow corners at Monaco was unexpectedly poor and we are working hard to understand why this was the case. We also didn’t get as much performance out of the super soft as we should have done in qualifying. Our use of this tyre in Free Practice was interrupted by various red flags which meant we approached qualifying rather blind, leaving the drivers with the disadvantage of having to feel their way on the Option tyre in the crucial sessions of
How would you review the year to date?
Is it fair to say that Monaco didn’t go according to plan?
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Can you turn things around in Montreal?
Hopefully, we will get a less disturbed build up to qualifying in Montreal. Even without the plethora of red flags we saw at the last race, Monaco is a tricky place to organise a clear lap. Montreal is much easier in this regard. In addition, we expect to have addressed some of the issues that had plagued us in the slower corners at Monaco.
Looking at the season thus far, we started rather brightly and scored a couple of very good results early on, and while we have been credible since then, I don’t like the trend that we’re on. We are all adamant that we will get the car back up to the much more impressive level of running that we had earlier in the year, and there are several things in train at Enstone to make that happen. There’s no doubt our stronger performances need to begin here in Canada.
“Canada is the most challenging circuit of the year from a brake wear point of view”
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Canada
TECH TALK
TURN 10
Good traction is essential to maximise the performance on the main straight
MONTREAL A set-up guide 1. ENGINE
It’s quite a harsh circuit for the engine, with long periods at full throttle accelerating out of the slow corners and along the straights. It is not a particularly severe layout for the gearbox
Another heavy braking area from around 300kph to around 100kph
2. BRAKES
The demands on the brakes are far higher than at any other track, and a lot of Friday running will be dedicated to monitoring brake temperatures to be able to evaluate and simulate race performance
The fastest section of the track with maximum speeds of around 330 kph
3. SUSPENSION
The track layout means a compromise of running the car as soft as you dare to be able to ride the kerbs. It is important not to make the car too soft, however, so that a quick change of direction at the many chicanes is possible
TURNs 13+14
Heavy braking, and the car will need to ride the kerbs for the chicane. The exit of the second corner of the chicane is bordered by the famous ‘wall of champions’ because so many champion drivers have driven into it over the years
TURN 8
300+ kph straight leads into the right-left chicane requiring quick direction change and good kerb-riding capabilities
2 3 4
1 TURN 6 6 5
TURNs 3+4
5. TYRES
This will be the second race with the combination of the soft and super soft Pirelli compounds. The track surface is smooth, though not as smooth as Monaco. There are relatively low energies going through the tyres, though the potential ambient temperature can range from 15C to 35C which does affect performance
4. REAR WING
A different family of rear wings is unleashed for Montreal, as the layout requires a low to medium downforce package. This is different to the higher downforce configurations we have seen at other circuits so far this year
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Another chicane, this time left-right, the car needs to ride the kerbs
6. FRONT WING
As with the rear wings, there will be a lower downforce than has been previously seen, as part of the low to medium downforce package
Right-left chicane, with a need to ride the kerbs
TURNs 1+2
Braking from over 300kph into the slow combination of turns 1 and 2. This is a crucial corner on the opening lap
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CANADIAN GRAND PRIX THE REST OF THE NEWS
LRGP invests in the
future Although the demands of the racing season are relentless, an F1 team with any ambition for the future must make a steady flow of long term investments to ensure a solid technical foundation for the coming seasons
T
o guarantee that LRGP can continue its climb back to the top and remain competitive in the sport for years to come, we have made three significant investments in 2011 at our factory in Enstone.
Driving Simulator With in season testing all but extinguished from the sport, the teams have sought to create a virtual testing environment using sophisticated driver simulators. Achieving this has proved to be a significant engineering challenge and there have been several false starts made and blind alleys pursued trying to create a simulator capable of mimicking the behaviour of the car accurately. Here at LRGP, we have judged that the technology is now sufficiently mature and the time is right to make a considerable investment in a state of the art simulator. The facility will be brought online towards the end of 2011 and will be a valuable performance tool over the coming seasons.
Upgraded wind tunnel The wind tunnel that was built at Enstone in 1998 was the first of a new generation of Formula 1 wind tunnels. At the time, it was a ground-breaking development, but after 12 years of sterling service it was in need of a mid life upgrade. At the end of 2009 we took the first step in upgrading the facility when we fitted the tunnel with a new rolling road. In the first quarter of 2011 we have completed the upgrade by modifying the tunnel to accommodate a bigger model and installing a much more capable 60% scale model into it. The term “model” does not really do justice to the sophisticated piece of engineering that we use as the backbone of our wind tunnel testing. The new model has many man years of design and hundreds of thousands of pounds invested in it. It is stuffed full with new sensors and equipment that will allow us to perform much more accurate experiments than our old 50% model. We are looking forward to reaping the benefit of this investment over the coming months and years.
Faster CFD Supercomputer In Formula 1, Computational Fluid Dynamics is a vital complementary tool to traditional wind-tunnel testing. LRGP was one of the first teams to invest heavily in this technology. Our CFD Centre, supported by a strong network of technical
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THE DAWN OF A partners and suppliers, has been able to push the boundaries of CFD use, capable of simulating on-track conditions to an unprecedented degree of accuracy and enabling an accelerated aerodynamic development programme. With computing, nothing ever stands still, and although the original CFD Centre Supercomputer was only two years old, the time was right to invest in new hardware. In January we installed a new Supercomputer cluster using the latest chipsets. Our new cluster has been designed to work optimally within the FOTA Aerodynamic Restrictions, delivering us greater computational efficiency and saving us money on our electricity bill. While the electricity bill reduction is welcome, the real prize is the improvement in efficiency. Aerodynamic downforce rules in F1 and this investment will pay us back very heavily in improved on track performance.
NEW
ERA A
fter 60 years of excellence on both road and track at the highest level, today’s Lotus range more than lives up to the heritage. So, what car do you fancy? The Elise, which revolutionized the sports car market 14 years ago and is still everyone’s favorite when it comes to performance through lightness? Or the Exige, the renowned high performance coupe that has a well-earned reputation of choice for drivers who demand uncompromised performance, both on the road and on the track? Maybe you fancy the Roger Becker Edition? Or the Lotus Evora, the car which has won multiple awards since it was launched back in 2008? At the motor show in Paris 2010, we announced the latest evolution of the stunning Evora: The Evora S and the Evora IPS (Intelligent Precision Shift) – the new level of Evora experience.
When Colin Chapman built his first car in 1948, he adopted a principle that has been the foundation of Lotus sports cars ever since – “to add speed add lightness”. Lotus was born to perform
The Future We did it! Last September in Paris and in November in Los Angeles, surrounded by the World’s press, Lotus made the ultimate statement of intent. Hollywood actress and friend of Lotus, Sharon Stone, was one of the celebrities who helped unveil an entire new product line-up and introduced the world to the new Lotus lifestyle. This included: five new models (Esprit, Elan, Elite, Elise and Eterne) and a concept City car; a new 360° motorsport programme featuring IndyCar, Le Mans, GP2 and much more; a sumptuous magazine; a flashy new website, and a range of merchandise featuring not one, not two, but three separate clothing ranges. What more can you ask for? Maybe a comeback in F1? That happened later in December, when Group Lotus and Genii Capital announced the
partnership which saw the Renault F1 Team renamed as Lotus Renault GP from the start of the 2011 racing season. To sum up, it’s fair to say: We are Lotus, and we are back!
The Sport No question, the F1 engagement with Lotus Renault GP provides the perfect platform for automotive brand communication – but doesn’t motorsport do this generally? We say “yes” and that’s why Lotus is engaged in multiple race series such as GP2, GP3, GT2 and GT4. In fact, two Lotus Evora GT4 will feature in the 2011 Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC) and in the famous Le Mans 24 Hours. The 2011 IndyCar season also sees Lotus continue to work with KV Racing Technology, fielding a minimum of two cars on the grid, but from 2012 onwards Lotus will be one of three suppliers of aero body kits and in-house engines.
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CANADIAN GRAND PRIX THE REST OF THE NEWS
CANADA IN NUMBERS 3 50 58.4 325
This is the highest g-force the drivers experience in the lap at turn 5 for 0.5 seconds This is the number of gear changes per lap That’s the percentage of the lap spent at full throttle
In km/h this is the top speed, just before turn 12
18 55 270 950
Vitaly’s doing fine
After Vitaly’s misfortune at the Monaco Grand Prix, we managed to get an exclusive picture of his X-Ray at the Princesse Grace hospital on Sunday evening. As you can see from the picture, he’s doing absolutely fine!
The percentage of the lap spent braking In km/h this is the lowest apex speed at turn 10 In km/h this is the highest apex speed at turn 11 This is the longest distance in metres on full throttle
WHERE CAN YOU FOLLOW US?
Lotus Renault GP keeps its colours for Montreal Lotus Renault GP made contact with the Quebec authorities recently to discuss the conformity of the R31’s livery with the antitobacco legislation in force. After noting that the team has no link to the tobacco industry, and the black and gold colours used are a reference to the cars of the eighties rather than a particular sponsor, the Ministry of Health has given its agreement for Lotus Renault GP to take part in this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix with an unchanged livery. However, the team has agreed to work with the Quebec authorities on a more noticeable way to keep complying with the local legislation in 2012. Eric Boullier, Team Principal and Managing Director: “We’re delighted to be able to race in Montreal in our usual colour scheme. The Quebec authorities noted that the current livery makes a reference to images from the 1980s when the car was sponsored by the tobacco industry, but it has also accepted the fact that Lotus Renault GP receives no direct or indirect financing from the industry in question. We would like to thank them for acknowledging our good faith. We are fully aware of the stringent restrictions imposed by the law in Quebec on promotional associations with tobacco. As a result, we will use all means available to dispel any misconceptions that our identity and that of our partners is somehow associated with this industry”.
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On our website, to start with:
www.lotusrenaultgp.com (English, French, German, Russian and Polish versions) On Twitter: twitter.com/OfficialLRGP On Facebook: Lotus-Renault-GP-The-Official Vitaly on Twitter: twitter.com/vitalypetrov10 Nick on Twitter: twitter.com/NickHeidfeld Bruno on Twitter: twitter.com/BSenna Romain on Twitter: twitter.com/Rgrosjean
BRUNO SENNA’S
Guide to Montreal Describe Canada in three words Cosmopolitan (Montreal), lively, cool Favourite restaurants and bars in Montreal? La Queue de Cheval is a great steakhouse with a bit of an old school vibe. I also like Altitude 737 for views of the city – that’s a pretty unbeatable spot at 737 feet!
Did you know?
Nick Heidfeld finished in second place behind his BMW Sauber team-mate Robert Kubica in 2008. He also finished second in 2007, behind Lewis Hamilton.
What do you think of the track? It’s a challenging track because of the long straights and tight corners, so you have to make good use of the kerbs. We’ll want to maximise the potential of the car because of our good straight line speed. Best memory of Montreal? Driving there is good fun, but I particularly remember the fans because they become so immersed in F1 when it’s in town – they are really great.
Who’s who at LRGP ? • Gerard Lopez Chairman • Eric Boullier Team Principal and Managing Director • Patrick Louis Chief Operating Officer • James Allison Technical Director • Naoki Tokunaga Deputy Technical Director • Martin Tolliday Chief Designer • Dirk de Beer Head of Aerodynamics • Steve Nielsen Sporting Director • Alan Permane Chief Race Engineer • Gavin Hudson Chief Mechanic • Jean-Marc Bories Chief Marketing Officer • Stephen Curnow Chief Commercial Officer • Stephane Samson Head of Communications TRACKSIDE Hospitality • The girls in our hospitality who will look after our guests are Simona, Adriana and Daniela • Catering: Massimilian, Riccardoand Simoneto
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Gallery
More images available online: www.lotusrenaultgp.com
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And Finally…
Media Contacts
Cirebox
Team Principal and Managing Director
Lotus Renault GP Press Office Address Lotus Renault GP Whiteways Technical Centre Enstone Oxfordshire OX7 4EE UK Telephone
+44 (0) 1608 678 000
Facsimile
+44 (0) 1608 678 609
Email pressoffice@lotusrenaultgp.com
Media contacts Stephane Samson, Head of Communications +44 (0) 7827 307 185 stephane.samson@lotusrenaultgp.com Clarisse Hoffmann, Senior Press Officer +44 (0) 7747 468 273 clarisse.hoffmann@lotusrenaultgp.com Ben Nichols, Press Officer +44 (0) 7748 920 072 ben.nichols@lotusrenaultgp.com Website lotusrenaultgp.com Facebook facebook.com/pages/Lotus-Renault-GP-The-Official Twitter twitter.com/OfficialLRGP
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