The 2009 F1 Challengers: The Renault R29

[Julian Mayo]

I'd raher Renaults problem than Honda's...........

[Ed]

Q & A with Bob Bell (Renault press release)

Bob, after two test sessions, are you pleased with the performance of the R29?
It's still very early days, but I'm becoming increasingly more satisfied with the performance of the car. Obviously the Portimao test was a disappointment to us as we only had one dry day and although the car ran well from a reliability point of view, we still had lots of unanswered performance-related questions. It's true that we didn't look great at that first test, but that was not really a surprise to us as we simply got the car out with an interim set of bodywork so that we could get miles on it, evaluate reliability and get the KERS system up and running. So we didn't really expect to be that competitive, especially as we were learning about the set-up that is needed for this new generation of cars. Since then we've put a lot of things right at the Jerez test and I think we've made good progress. Overall I'm encouraged by what we've seen so far.

What are the drivers' verdicts on the car – what feedback have they given you?
They've both been very positive and the biggest surprise for them was perhaps the KERS system as we felt that initially we would have a lot of problems with it and getting the drivers used to it. In reality it has been quite a straightforward transition. In terms of the car's basic characteristics, the dry week in Jerez has helped us get a much better set-up on the car, fit new development parts and both Fernando and Nelson seem happy with the balance of the car.

The R29 has not been topping the time sheets in testing. Is this a sign of underlying problems?
What matters is performance relative to other teams and at the moment it's very difficult to judge because everybody is running different programmes, interim bodywork and different fuel loads. I think things will become clearer when we approach the final winter test, but for now it's too hard to judge. However, from what we've seen in Jerez this week, I don't feel there are any fundamental problems with the car: it's well balanced and is responding well to changes. We're lacking a bit of grip, which is the same for everybody, but that will improve as we fit new parts to the car and continue our development up to the first race. Overall I feel we're on course to deliver a good performance in Melbourne.

A lot of attention has been paid to the front end. Are you confident you've taken the right approach?
You can never be totally confident and there simply aren't enough hours in the day to test all possible combinations of designs. With new regulations this year, all the teams have gone away to develop behind closed doors and so it's no surprise that you end up with as many different solutions as there are teams. All we can do is be sure that we've done the best job we can and accept that to begin with the cars will look very different. So far I've not seen anything on our competitors' cars that is particularly worrying for us or makes me think we've taken a fundamentally wrong direction.

Comparatively the team has completed less mileage than its competitors. Is this a concern and will it cause the team to slip behind in the development race?
I don't think so. Going back to KERS, the team has done an absolutely remarkable job to develop the system largely on test benches and get it onto the car and running as reliably as it has been. In terms of normal car development and proving our general reliability, I think it's fair to say that all the teams are suffering from the fact that there is a lot less testing this year, but I don't' feel that we are any more disadvantaged compared to any other team. Yes, we may be slightly down in terms of relative mileage, but we had a strong end to the Jerez test and completed a race distance on Thursday and Friday without any dramas so it's not causing me any great concern at this stage.

The team's testing schedule has shifted recently with a preference to test the week before Melbourne, rather than next week. Why did you take this decision?
We did originally schedule a test next week in Barcelona, but when we started our testing programme we realised that it is actually better to delay that test and move it to the middle of March. It may be more difficult from a logistical point of view because we've got to get the car to Melbourne the following week, but it buys us more development time to get new components onto the car and tested prior to Melbourne. It was something that we had in our minds as a possibility and I think it's a very worthwhile decision

[Ed]

Interview with Bob Bell (courtesy Renault F1 Team)

Bob Bell: "We're reasonably confident that we have the foundations to have a strong season."

Bob, the team has completed another week of testing – give us an update on how things went in Jerez?
The weather at the beginning of the week was disappointing, but the sun came out for the final couple of days and we were able to put a lot of miles on the car. This meant we could try out the new development parts that we hope to run at the first race in Melbourne, verify their performance and ensure their reliability. Overall it was a productive week for us.

Both the drivers seem happy with the car. What's their feedback on its drivability?
The drivability of the car was something we were concerned about, especially as the new aerodynamic regulations for this year don't lend themselves to particularly drivable cars. However, with the feedback from Fernando [Alonso] and Nelson [Piquet], we've managed to steer the aerodynamic development of the car to make sure we are delivering performance, but not at the expense of drivability and consistency.

The team evaluated some new components this week – how did that go?
We had a new front wing and a new diffuser, which were the main items we were evaluating. The results are encouraging and they are both giving us the performance gains on the track that we expected, which gives us a strong basis to move forward with. It also gives us confidence that we can use our systems back at the factory to design new parts, put them on the car and have them behave as we want them to.

The team is still fine-tuning the moveable front wing – how difficult is this to master and are you pleased with its progress?
It hasn't been without its difficulties, but it certainly hasn't been as demanding as developing our KERS system. Moveable aerodynamics is completely new territory for all the teams, but we've got on top of it mechanically and have got the system working reliably, which is the most important thing. It's actually a very useful device for speeding up the development of the car as the driver can make wing adjustments on the circuit, rather than having to pull into the pits.

The team has made up for some of the mileage that was lost in earlier tests - do you feel any reliability concerns have been solved?
You never really know when unreliability will strike. You can have two reliable days and then on the third day technical problems can arise. Overall we've made progress verifying our reliability for the Australian Grand Prix at the end of the month, but we never take it for granted and always try to be proactive and spot the next thing that could potentially go wrong before it does.

It's always tough to judge the pecking order from testing, but are you satisfied with the team's relative performance so far?
We feel reasonably comfortable that we have the foundations to have a good season, challenging for podiums and wins, and ultimately that means hopefully challenging for championships. We have always said that has to be our objective; we're not here to make up the numbers, we're here to win. However, it is early days and we won't know where we stand until we get to Melbourne when everybody is acting under the same conditions with full-spec cars.

With just two tests remaining before Melbourne, what will the main priorities be between now and the first race?
The main priorities are to make sure that we get the new development parts tested and proven in time for Melbourne, while still maintaining the general reliability of the car. It will be a demanding period for the team at the track and for the people at the factories supporting all that effort, but we're all committed to achieving our goals so that we can arrive in Melbourne and deliver what is expected of us.

[Julian Mayo]

One day one of the Bob Bells of the world is going to say,............."Jeez, its a whole new ball game, we have taken some guesses, and the thing didn't actually spit the driver out at the first corner, which is always promising, doncha think. And to actually finish the test with all four wheels on the thing was a bonus, I reckon, so I think we might be going down the right track, developmentally-wise...................and all the body panels and bits, well most of them, stayed on...........say, you wouldn't have any idea what the other teams are actually doing would you?"

[JayVee]

Renault tend to be conservative when they state their expectations so I am actually pleasantly surprised by the comments that they will be challenging for podiums and wins.

That is all what Alonso needs, a car that has half a chance

Can't wait!!