2011 FORMULA 1 SPANISH GRAND PRIX
• BARCELONA, 20th – 22ND MAY 2011 •
• NICK: “Teams using a simulator won’t have such an advantage here” • • Vitaly: “F1 never stays the same” • Eric Boullier: “It is good to have both cars competing at the same level” • James Allison: “Our aero upgrade will be worth around 10 seconds over the whole race” •
Q&A: Nick Heidfeld
Lotus Renault GP • Race Driver • Car 9
“Teams using a simulator won’t have such an advantage here” The German believes the team’s knowledge of the circuit will only help come Race Day
Seventh place in the race in Istanbul and six points for the team – what did you make of the last race? The race in Istanbul was good, we had good pace and I think generally we’ve got the speed to compete with the teams ahead. If we have stronger qualifying sessions, we’ll definitely give ourselves a good chance each Sunday. This is my main focus now.
You tested in Barcelona preseason and you’ve raced there a number of times down the years. How do you like the Circuit de Cataluña? During testing, we had updates on some days and other teams brought some new parts on other days – it was difficult to draw too much from that experience. This time we will be bringing some more new parts, which will help us race well. This is all part of our ongoing aggressive development strategy. Also, we will get into the swing of things quickly because the whole team knows the circuit well, and teams using a simulator won’t have such an advantage here.
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Do you have any special memories of racing at the track? Over the years I have enjoyed some good races in Spain – it’s a challenging track and it will be interesting to return. I have got many memories – one that I particularly remember is a pit lane battle with Jenson (Button) when we were both exiting at the same time, both at the highest speed limit you are allowed and I think I just got out ahead of him.
We saw a high level of tyre degradation in Turkey – as a driver, how do you feel this can be limited when on track? Well, with these new Pirelli tyres, there is not too much you can do to limit the impact of degradation from a driver point of view. However, the good thing is the R31 is quite gentle on its tyres compared to the other cars, which is a real positive for us. I think that through good general usage of the car the driver can help the situation, but what is more
important is how the car is setup. If the car is prepared well beforehand then it can put us in a good position.
You are currently seventh in the Drivers Championship standings – how much can you achieve in the R31 this season? This season requires a real team effort from everyone. I will need to concentrate on getting the most out of it, but I think it’s too early days to speak about final championship positions just yet. Nico (Rosberg) is only a point behind me now and Mercedes have improved a lot over the last two races. However, we scored as many points as they did in Turkey so we can stay clear of them. The Ferraris are not far away – Felipe (Massa) has finished behind me in a couple of races and he is not many points ahead so my aim is to start challenging him in the standings very soon.
“ If we have stronger qualifying sessions, we’ll definitely give ourselves a good chance each Sunday” LO T US RENAU LT GP • SPA NISH GP P RE V I EW • 0 3
Q&A: Vitaly Petrov
Lotus Renault GP • Race Driver • Car 10
You achieved eighth position in Istanbul and scored four more valuable points for the team... Firstly, it is of course very important that we both finished the race – if you achieve that, you will have a lot more data and information on tyres and other technical aspects. It was also positive that we both finished reasonably well and took some good points for the team. On the other hand, I was a little disappointed about the incident with Michael (Schumacher) because that cost me some time and points.
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“F1 never stays the same” Russia’s first F1 podium man describes the team’s progress and looks forward to the start of the European races
You are currently seventh in the Drivers Championship standings with equal points to Nick – how much does this team competition help? It’s good. We are both fighting for the points, which can only be good for the team because it helps bring our performance up a level. It’s very important to get as many points as we can for the team and to fight for the Constructors Championship. Mercedes are now quite strong and taking some points, so we must stay focused and work even harder to try and stay ahead of them. We’ll now look to the next race and both of us drivers will be trying to get the maximum number of points we possibly can.
“ we’ve been third quickest in two races already this season so things never stay still. It is impossible to predict what will happen throughout the season” won some podiums. I’ve also driven here in Formula 1, and of course the testing earlier this year. However, the weather then (during testing) was quite cold so the preparation this time around will be different. It’s going to be an interesting weekend because everyone knows this track quite well, so it will be a close fight and the lap time gaps will be quite small.
You tested at the Circuit de Cataluña before the season started – do you enjoy driving at this track?
We’ve had four races this season already – how far can LRGP go in Barcelona and throughout the rest of the season?
I’ve been at this track many times before, and I have a lot of experience of racing here in GP2 and F3000 when I
F1 never stays the same, it is always changing. Things change on a daily basis, with teams building new parts and
working on new aspects. In Turkey, Red Bull were quickest but before that McLaren won and of course we’ve been third quickest in two races already this season so things never stay still. It is impossible to predict what will happen throughout the season because anything is possible. We’ll be bringing new parts each weekend to try and improve the car further; we will take it race by race and stay focused.
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Eric Boullier
Team Principal and Managing Director
A wORD WITH THE BOSS
After 10 more points in Turkey, Eric discusses the merits of having two drivers battling for position
“ I have heard people complaining about the lack of overtaking so we shouldn’t complain about the situation now!”
Both drivers scored points in Istanbul however postrace you said that the team must push harder – what are your feelings after Turkey? It is good to have both cars competing at the same level and scoring points together but obviously when you have chased podiums each time with different drivers you would expect to have a better finish than 7th and 8th. This is why there was maybe an expectation to do a bit better.
Nick and Vitaly fought hard for position in Turkey – what is your opinion on the team’s drivers battling it out at a race? My opinion is very clear. They have the same car so if they compete together throughout the race that means we have a good pair of drivers. This has to be done fairly, and it is always tricky when they have to battle against each other because they’re racing drivers and they
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don’t want to give their position away. We have now cleared the situation up but it is good to see them battling.
Teams are very familiar with the Circuit de Cataluña, especially with all the running done there during winter testing – will it suit the R31?
Since we last drove there in testing, we have added upgrades to the car so we will be performing better than in the winter. The situation is also different – it is a race weekend and the way we approach this is different from testing. We hope to make another step forward to fight again for the top six.
We have witnessed some great F1 racing with lots of action, overtaking manoeuvres and pitstops recently – surely this is positive for the sport and for the fans?
asking for a better show and for more overtaking manoeuvres. For a number of years now I have heard people complaining about the lack of overtaking so we shouldn’t complain about the situation now! We have to balance things to make sure the sport remains understandable but that’s it. I think we have found a good compromise now.
Spain is not known for its overtaking opportunities – will we see any now?
I think with the DRS anything is possible. Mainly because of the tyre degradation, there is a need for some aggressive strategies that allow overtaking on track and of course a very good race finish too.
As long as the sport stays understandable for the fans, it’s good. I think everybody was
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James Allison
Technical Director
“Our aero upgrade will be worth around 10 seconds over the whole race” JAMES LOOKS AHEAD TO THE CIRCUIT DE CATALUÑA AND PREDICTS ANOTHER BREATHLESS RACE
James, both drivers scored points for the first time this season in Turkey – you said after the race that it was a satisfying result… Having both cars in the points, nose to tail is satisfying. All of us would have preferred it to be closer to the front, but it’s okay and probably a fair reflection of the pace of the car.
The team continues the development race – what’s new for Spain?
We bring another handful of aerodynamic upgrades for the next race – the development race never lets up. None of them are individually large, but there are six in total and they add up to another 0.15-0.20 secs/lap. It isn’t a huge upgrade but if we can keep that up for every race then it starts to tell.
This year, we have also seen that preparation in terms of tyres has been key to the race weekend. At some tracks these tyres are really on the edge – Turkey was one of them and Barcelona will be another. So having a very careful plan on Friday to prepare for the race is very important. Also, it has increasingly become clear to everybody that it is important to conserve tyres during qualifying in order to maximise results on Sunday.
Pitstop executions have always been highly important; we have been witnessing an increased number of stops – are they still key to a good race outcome? Making fast and reliable pitstops is as important as developing the car aerodynamically. Our aero upgrade for Barcelona will be worth around 10 seconds over the whole race – one bad pitstop and the value of that upgrade is entirely wiped out. Even if you avoid a single very poor stop, but make four stops around 1 sec slower than the opposition then it is the same as taking a reasonable upgrade off the car. So yes, pitstops are important and they are an area where we haven’t been as strong as we would have liked this season. The Race Team, supported by several engineering functions back in the factory are putting a big effort in to bring our stops up to the required level. We are not there yet, but we took a noticeable step forward in the last race and we will continue to make progress in the coming races.
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Barcelona is a circuit the teams know well, what is its main challenge?
“it has increasingly become clear to everybody that it is important to conserve tyres during qualifying in order to maximise results on Sunday”
The Barcelona track places a very high premium on aerodynamic efficiency, so the main challenge is designing a car that is efficient aerodynamically! A string of long, high speed corners and the nature of the asphalt make it very hard on the tyres. Although we will have a revised hard tyre from Pirelli at Barcelona, which may change the picture somewhat, it is likely that the race will be loaded with pitstops in Spain.
Will DRS and KERS play a key role here?
By far the biggest influence over the ease of overtaking in Turkey was as a result of the track being very tough on the tyres. Barcelona is likely to be similar, with soft tyres that degrade up to 0.3 of a second per lap. This means that small variations in strategy yield very large differences in performance at different times in the race. Stopping just three laps different to another car will give nearly a 1sec/lap difference in performance. Set against that, the DRS and KERS have only a second order effect on the ease of overtaking. We can expect another breathless race with a lot of on track action – not a traditional hallmark of the Spanish GP. LO T US RENAULT GP • spani sh GP P RE V I E W • 0 9
Barcelona TECH TALK
TURNs 14 + 15
A more technical part of the track with some big curbs, which the car needs to be able to ride over
Barcelona A set-up guide 1. ENGINE
Need good driveability from the engine, particularly during the lower speed corners of the second half of the lap
TURN 16
In qualifying this will be flat. On high fuel loads, and when tyres degrade it will not be taken as flat and good traction is needed going into the main straight
TURN 10
2. BRAKES
Turn 10 is particularly heavy for braking. A stable car under braking is important, especially in hot conditions where tyre degradation could be high
The slowest corner on the track, this will be taken in first or second gear with high fuel before a wide exit into turn 11
TURN 9
Very quick, very short but not quite flat out, this turn presents a blind exit. A lot of downforce on this turn
3. SUSPENSION
A well-balanced car is needed during the first part of the lap due to the high speed corners, whilst strong braking stability is needed particularly in the second half of the track for low speed corners
2 3 4
1
TURN 8
Cars used to run very wide here but due to the installation of a new curb on the outside of the bend, this is no longer possible
6 5
TURN 7
A challenging corner that turns uphill
5. TYRES
Barcelona can be tough on the tyres, as the race takes place at a hot time of the year. The long and quick turn 3 puts a particularly heavy load on the front left tyre. Turn 5 can also present locking of the front tyres because of the braking and turning into the corner as the road falls away from the car
4. REAR WING
Using the DRS on the long straight will offer good overtaking opportunities, which otherwise would not be easily available
6. FRONT WING
Camber is regular on the circuit, often resulting in some inside front locking on the car
TURN 5
Braking downhill on this corner. Very easy to lock the front tyres – as you brake and turn inwards the road falls away from the car so the inside front tyre can lock here
TURNs 1 + 2
Quick part of the circuit with a swift change of direction in between. A good change of direction is important here before getting a good line heading into the very quick turn 3. Turn 1 is one of the few corners on the track where overtaking is possible
RIDE HEIGHTS
These are set for braking into turn 1
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SPANISH GRAND PRIX
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As part of our continued effort to bring our fans into the LRGP family, we are launching our very own fan’s competition called ‘Fanatical’
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Each week, we are asking our supporters to photograph their very own ‘black and gold’ moment and email it to us at Enstone. This could be doing your own face-painting, covering your car in team flags or how about dressing your animal up in the team colours!
Lotus Renault GP supports Peace One Day Lotus Renault GP is pleased to announce that the ‘Peace One Day’ logo will feature on its cars, starting from this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix. The logo will be on the front wing of both R31s during the course of the season, showing support for this important initiative. The Peace One Day campaign was launched by filmmaker Jeremy Gilley in 1999 in his attempt to find a starting point for peace. He had a mission: to document his efforts to establish the first ever annual day of global ceasefire and non-violence with a fixed calendar date. Remarkably, two years on, he achieved his primary objective when the member states of the United Nations unanimously adopted 21 September as an annual day
of global ceasefire and non-violence on the UN International Day of Peace Peace Day. The UN International Day of Peace on 21 September every year is not only about creating peace between nations, it’s about non-violence in our homes, communities and schools. Therefore Peace Day is relevant to every human being on the planet. With the day in place, POD is working to institutionalise Peace Day around the world, making it self-sustaining. Eric Boullier, Team Principal and Managing Director: “Peace One Day is an initiative that we all aspire towards and it’s something we are pleased to be supporting this year. By putting the
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Anything that shows us that you are LRGPmad is what we are after! We will then post the entries on our LRGP Facebook page, where fans can vote for the week’s biggest fanatic! The winner will be sent a signed team cap. Every four weeks, that month’s best entry will win a replica shirt. It’s all to play for!
logo on our cars, we can use the power of Formula 1 to help more people learn about Peace Day and encourage the creation of a more unified society.” Peace One Day Founder Jeremy Gilley: “We are so grateful and proud that Peace One Day’s logo is being featured on the Lotus Renault GP car this year. At Peace One Day we are calling for and working towards a day of ceasefire and non-violence on Peace Day 21 September 2012 - a Global Truce. For this process to succeed, awareness is critical; our partnership with Lotus Renault GP will be a significant step forward in taking the message of Peace Day to the world’s people.”
To find out more visit www.lotusrenaultgp.com and www.peaceoneday.com 12 • spanis h GP P R E V I EW • L O T US R ENAU LT GP
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SPANISH GRAND PRIX THE REST OF THE NEWS
BARCELONA IN NUMBERS 1.1 15.7 60.8 250
Longest distance in metres on full throttle is 1.1km on the start/finish straight
The percentage of the lap spent braking That’s the percentage of the lap spent at full throttle
In km/h this is the highest apex speed at turn 3
3.4 40 75 310
This is the highest g-force the drivers experience in the lap at turn 3 for 3.5 seconds
Gear changes in a lap of Barcelona
In km/h this is the lowest apex speed at turn 10
‘60s THROWBACK
With Vitaly’s dashing 1960s pose, doesn’t he look a bit like French singer and actor Jacques Dutronc!
The top speed in km/h
WHERE CAN YOU FOLLOW US? On our website, to start with:
www.lotusrenaultgp.com (English, French, German, Russian and Polish versions)
Nick AND VITALY’S GUIDE TO SPAIN
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
Spain in THREE words Nick: Frequent flying (for me), Cuisine (fantastic). Vitaly: Food, weather, fans. What do you think of the track? Nick: Challenging. It used to be difficult to overtake and it is said to be a track where you need good aerodynamics. Vitaly: It’s challenging and very difficult to overtake but maybe with DRS it will be a different story.
Who’s who at LRGP ?
Best memory of Barcelona? Nick: Apart from the usual, I’ve enjoyed doing the Driver Parade because the stands are full and everyone is so passionate. Vitaly: I raced there in GP2 and in F3000 and won some podiums so I have good memories of the track. What do you think of the Spanish fans? Nick: Before Fernando came along, there were just lots of motorcycle fans but then he arrived and it changed. You can really feel how passionate the fans are in Spain and how much they look forward to the race. Vitaly: There are a lot of Spanish fans that support me, which is great and I hope they still will after what happened in Abu Dhabi last season.
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OFF-TRACK MOMENT How many wheels? It’s not very often we see Nick on anything other than four wheels, but recently he took some time out in Mallorca for a spot of cycling!
• 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
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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 Andy Stobart, Press Officer +44 (0) 7703 366 151 andy.stobart@lotusrenaultgp.com Website lotusrenaultgp.com Facebook facebook.com/pages/Lotus-Renault-GP-The-Official Twitter twitter.com/OfficialLRGP
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