Italy 2016 - GP Preview - Renault F1

Cyril Abiteboul, managing director

We can look back on the Belgian Grand Prix with mixed feelings. We can be pleased with some elements – such as gaining performance over the weekend in the course of the previous races, putting two cars through to Q2 for the first time since Australia, Jolyon’s best-ever starting position, and running in the top ten on the most technical track we go to. Naturally, however, it was clouded by Kevin’s accident. Fortunately he is OK and able to race again but it was a very big impact and a reminder for everyone that danger is just a kerb away. Again however it is another credit to the overall safety level reached by F1 cars.

Fortunately, we have an opportunity to build on the positives just days away. As everyone knows, Monza is very specific and you need a different set-up there from anywhere else on the calendar, but there are some elements we can bring forward from Spa. We now better understand the car’s competitiveness on the various types of track and the drivers have the confidence to push in qualifying, which sets us up well for the race.

It’s the final event in Europe before we head off to the long-hauls so a good result would set us up nicely for what’s going to be a very long and physically tough end to the season.

Fred Vasseur

Firstly, how is Kevin after that big accident in Spa?

I’ve spoken to him several times since Sunday and he is doing well. His ankle was bruised in the accident and he was taken to hospital in Belgium as a precaution, but released the same day. He has since undergone several further checks at home in Denmark and every check has indicated he is recovering well and able to race in Monza.

Until that point, the Belgian Grand Prix was going well for the team. How would you review the weekend overall?

We built performance over the weekend and had our best qualifying of the year so far. We got two cars through to Q2 for the second time this season and the starting positions, twelfth and thirteenth, were the best we have had. Before the safety car came out we had both cars in the top ten, but eventually we were racing with Toro Rosso and Haas, which is where we expected to be coming into the weekend. Naturally we would have loved to keep in the top ten, but we suffered with tyre degradation and also cars coming through the field out of position. But it’s showing that we are definitely in the fight now and also in the fight at all types of circuits.

What can we expect from the team in Monza?

Monza is a very special track that challenges the car at the top end of its limits. We are realistic, but optimistic that we can keep the momentum we started in Hungary going. We need to build over the weekend and take every chance we can in the race. As we’ve seen in the last Grand Prix, anything can happen in front of us so we need to keep ourselves in a position to capitalise on every opportunity.

Kevin Magnussen

First and foremost, how are you after the accident in Spa?

I’m feeling OK, thanks. It was a big crash and I was sore but fortunately had nothing worse than a bruised ankle. I’ve had some more checks in Denmark and am working with my physio to keep fit. I feel I’m ready to race in Monza. The FIA will of course have the final word but I really want to and I’m confident that by then it will be fine.

Monza is one of the classic tracks on the calendar. What do you think makes it so special?

There are many reasons, but I think that the fact it has so much history makes it a special event. The track is unique as well, with very long straights and slow corners. It does have some high speed corners that are a challenge too, so it’s just really cool. Added to that you have one of the best atmospheres of the season.

Have you been to see the old track?

It is definitely really cool to see and so different to what we know in F1 today. Back then they were racing on an oval track with massive banking in cars that were so basic and so fast without any seatbelts! It is really special to see and stand on it and feel the atmosphere. It’s one of those things where it’s really hard to imagine how it must have felt – when you watch Le Mans now you can imagine how it must feel as the track is not so different, but when you see videos from Monza back then you cannot absorb how it must have been – everything was so different.

Talking now about your history at the track – how have you done at Monza in the past?

In all honesty it’s not been the best track for me but it has been ok. I have had podiums in nearly everything I’ve driven but never won there, so clearly we need to fix that!

Monza is the second high-speed track in a row after Spa. Performance in Belgium steadily built over the weekend and in qualifying it all came together for the best session of the year. Do you think you can keep that going in Italy?

Belgium was good and we did improve over the weekend. Italy is another track and while it does have some of the same characteristics it’s not exactly the same. What we have learnt is that we have to take each circuit as it comes and react to the situation you find yourself in. I expect it will be hot again too, so I need to stay focussed. You can’t really prepare for the heat – you just need to stay hydrated and stay in the shade.

You had some great support in Belgium from the fans, does it make a difference to you to know they are in the grandstands?

You can feel the fans around the circuit and it’s nice to be able to meet some during the pitlane walkabout or autograph session. I’m the only Dane racing so when I see a Danish flag I know it’s for me and that’s very nice. It does give a boost, and when I see them on the out or in laps, it’s really cool.

Will you be indulging in some pizza or pasta over the weekend?

I love Italy, but this weekend I will have to stay away from pizza. I’ll stick to the pasta, caprese and carpaccio, thank you!

Jolyon Palmer

What do you particularly like about Monza?

It’s a very special track, and one I absolutely love. There is so much history there; so many races have been held at Monza and lots of great drivers have won, particularly back in the old days when you needed to be quick and incredibly brave. Then there is the passion of the crowd – you can hear the fans when you drive round. The track itself is very old school and it’s fun to drive. We take off a lot of downforce so parts are flat out and there can be a lot of overtaking. It’s good fun.

You’ve had some pretty good results at Monza. Does this add to the fun?

Yes, I won and took pole in GP2 plus I’ve won twice in F2, so it’s been a good one for me. I really enjoy racing at Monza and I think it’s actually one of my best tracks. I did FP1 last year as well so I’ve driven it in an F1 car, which is good experience, so I’m really looking forward to getting there and out in the car.

What do you think it takes to do well at Monza?

With those straights naturally you need good straightline speed then stability under braking. There are a lot of high speed straights and very slow corners so you need to balance out the low downforce with the need to be late and hard on the brakes. It’s all about finding a good top speed, with the optimum downforce level for the chicanes.

You had your best qualifying of the year in Spa, do you think you can keep this momentum going?

We go to Monza knowing it will be tough as it does not suit the characteristics of the car too much. However we also thought Spa was going to be tough and it was better than expected, particularly in qualifying. We need to approach it fresh, confident that at each race we are moving forward and in the fight now and see how we do.

Nick Chester

We hear a lot about Monza being a very unique track on the calendar. What makes it stand out from a technical point of view?

It is a special track, like nowhere else we visit over the season. There are four long straights so we need to run the lowest wing level of the year to be able to reach the highest speeds we can. However, you still need to make sure the car has good balance with a low level of downforce. There are some very hard braking points, but you have a lot less wing to be able to slow the car down. It can be quite tricky to find the right balance between speed and grip. Good traction out of the chicanes and getting up to speed quickly down the following straight is key to a good lap time.

Performance in Belgium was quite strong, particularly in qualifying. Do you feel this is a good departure point for Monza?

We were cautious going into Belgium as we knew it was a big power track that places a lot of demands on the car. However we performed competitively in qualifying after building up performance each session. It demonstrates that the car is working well at most track configurations now so we can go to Monza expecting to do a reasonable job.

Kevin obviously had a very big accident in Belgium. Have you been able to repair the damage for Italy?

The accident was clearly sizeable and the damage sustained is too great to use the car for Italy. The current spare will become Kevin’s car in Monza and we will take another chassis out as a spare.

Spa was blazingly hot and Monza can also be toasty. Any worries about temperatures or any tricks you have picked up?

Monza can be one of the hottest races, but it is also the start of the autumn and you can drive in in the morning and see the mist is hanging over the park. We may see cooler temperatures in Monza than Spa, which would be unusual, but anything can change. We didn’t have any particular problems with the heat in Belgium so even if it does transpire to be as hot it should not be an issue.

Do you have any developments coming through for Monza?

For the second part of the year we will have small updates that were planned as part of the usual development cycle at the start of the season. Unfortunately we didn’t run our new bodywork in Spa as it was too hot, but we have some cooling modifications and minor aero updates and possibly some mechanical changes coming through shortly. Really it’s now about getting the most from the package we have in hand.