Renault to add some horses

The Renault F1 team will introduce a revised V10 engine for the beginning of the European season. The RS24B will be good for several tenths per lap, and is the successor of the RS24A. The Viry technical director explains.

Imola sees the introduction of the B-spec engine: how big a step does this represent? The RS24 was conceived as a solid platform for future developments. After minor revisions to the RS24A at the first races, the RS24B represents a major evolution. Both the cylinder heads and inlet system are new, and there are related changes to the bottom part of the engine. Our objective for the new specification was increased performance while maintaining the reliability of the A spec. We have improved peak power, the shape of the power curve and driveability.

How satisfied have you been so far with the performance in testing? Reliability obviously remains our main priority and in that respect, the recent tests at Barcelona and Le Castellet have been particularly useful for ironing out minor gremlins with the new engine. The performance of the unit has been very pleasing, and it is worth several tenths per lap relative to the previous specification, confirming our measurements on the dyno. Everybody at Viry has worked extremely hard to achieve these gains, and it is rewarding to see the engine has responded so favourably.

Looking to the race itself: how severe a challenge does Imola pose? In terms of the engine’s duty cycle, Imola is not the most severe circuit of the season, but every circuit is tough, and the kerbs do complicate the operating environment for the engine. The introduction of the new engine is a particular challenge, and we have implemented extremely rigorous approval processes for the entire engine in its new configuration. On track, Imola rewards engine power and driveability, so the engine engineers will work hard with the drivers to optimise operating conditions and the calibration of control systems for the circuit.