Q&A with Andrew Green

Andrew, now that the VJM09 has been unveiled, can you tell us more about how it came to light?

“The build process for the VJM09 has been relatively smooth; the consistency in regulations between 2015 and 2016 has helped, and so did the fact that we brought out last year’s updated car quite late in the season. We were able to continue the process of development that went into our b-spec car for the second part of 2015, which was a very good one: it was as close to a seamless transition between seasons as we could ever get, quite a marked difference compared to some years.

“This year, we will also fully reap the fruits of our full-time switch to the wind tunnel in Cologne, which had a significant impact on our on-track performance in the second part 2015. Since we started developing our car at TMG full-time, we have seen a big change in the quality of data correlation. The ability to develop in a tunnel that represents reality so closely was key and it will continue to play a big part in 2016.”

Just how much of the strong VJM08 is there in the philosophy of the VJM09?

“You can say the b-spec car from last year formed a basis on which to build our 2016 one. We were in a situation in which the performance on track was improving, and in which the data we were getting correlated well to what we were expecting, so we knew we could continue to develop on a solid platform. Both drivers had positive feedback on last year’s update, and every time we brought an improvement, it produced more performance on track.

“With the regulations highly likely to change for 2017, it didn’t really seem like an efficient use of our resources to start from scratch on a project that would have such a limited lifetime; we are happy with the direction we took last year, we think there is scope for further improvement so we made the decision to maximise the performance and potential of the current concept.”

It’s still very early days, but what can we expect from this new car?

“There is no way to tell where we stand compared to everyone else at this stage, before a wheel is turned in testing. All we know is that we have made a good improvement and we are happy about our work so far. We have got some very good signals from Mercedes HPP as well – the team in Brixworth have made another step forward, for which we are really excited about.

“Pre-season will be a busy time as we are looking to bring several items to the car in a manner that allows us to test them individually, effectively building up the specs of the Melbourne car. We are planning to build a launch specification for the tests in Barcelona and an updated one for Australia – it will be a gradual process to bring the car up to the specifications we want for the start of the season. We think we can be in a really good place by the time we get to Melbourne and we have some very exciting updates already lined up and signed off for the early races.”

Over the winter, there has been a lot of talk about tyres, with new compounds joining the offering and more changes brought by Pirelli…

“We always relish testing any new tyres that Pirelli have developed, which this year feature a dual-layer compound design. We didn’t have a chance to run them in the final test in Abu Dhabi as unfortunately they were not allocated to us, so we will have our first outing with them in winter testing in Barcelona. It will obviously be crucial to understand how they work in Grand Prix conditions ahead of Melbourne; it will be a very interesting time for us.

“There are also new rules in regard to the selection of compounds, but ultimately I do not believe they will bring much additional flexibility to the strategies or make a marked difference to the races. Unfortunately these new rules are not the most obvious to understand and will potentially make it more complex for the fans to understand what’s going on during the race weekend.”

2016 will be the third season with Nico Hülkenberg and Sergio Perez behind the wheel. How valuable is a stable line-up from a technical perspective?

“The contribution of a stable driver pairing cannot be underestimated, especially when you have two drivers of the calibre of Checo and Nico. Their consistency is an asset, as it allows us to develop the car in a confident manner. We know that if we bring the characteristic updates they requested to the car, they will go quicker. We see in the data, and on the stopwatch, that their feedback is pointing in the right direction and this is critical in a climate of resource restriction, where you have to focus on bringing to the track those developments you know will produce extra performance. The interaction between drivers and the team is crucial and the fact that we can trust the feedback our drivers give us is crucial.”

Finally, with the big changes expected to take place in 2017 on the horizon, how will this influence the work you are going to do this year?

“First of all, it depends on the scope of these changes – they are yet to be fully defined. We already have a small team of engineers working on our 2017 project and, as the year progresses, more and more people will be moved across to join them. The speed at which this transfer happens will depend on the magnitude of the changes in the rules and our performance in 2016. We will assess the situation in the first few races of the season before finalising our 2017 strategy.

“As a team, we enjoy the opportunity to start with a relatively blank sheet of paper and a new set of rules. The more restrictive and entrenched the rules are, the harder it is to find something that gives you an edge over your rivals. With new rules, it is a good reset for all teams and it gives us an opportunity to potentially take a lead on some of the bigger teams, at least in the short term. Everyone is back on the starting blocks – it’s a new race and we are very excited as we believe we are in a position to do a good job in these conditions.

“We have a group of fantastic engineers in our team; people with great ideas and now we have the hardware and tools to develop them in the areas we feel are important. We love having the chance to develop new concepts and throw fresh ideas at it. It is how we live and breathe in this sport.”