A productive days work - Chevrier

The ING Renault Formula One Team's Head of Engine Trackside Operations, Denis Chevrier, talks about how the first day has gone at Fuji Speedway, the venue of this weekends Japanese Grand Prix. It was a productive day for Renault, but there is still a lot of work before the start of the race.

"A simple equation: short circuit plus new circuit all add up to a lot of laps on the programme! That’s what the teams did without exception. It’s also worth noting that they’ve all carried out a lot of accurate simulation work. Between the two sessions we adjusted the gearbox ratios to get the best out of the V8."

"The most important technical aspect here is adjusting the top gear ratio. The circuit has a very long straight – maybe even a bit too long in this context – so you have to adapt the engine revs and the top gear ratio accordingly. Other important parameters have to be taken into account to achieve optimum adjustment for top gear: the wind, the aerodynamic set-up chosen etc. The aim is to reach maximum speed just before braking for the first corner. It’s not that easy!"

"Oh yes we are! Friday is always a long day for the team of engineers because they have to prepare the cars in race set-up. Then they have to go back over all the data recorded during the three hours of the first day’s practice to continue progressing for the rest of the weekend. The fact that it’s a new circuit means we’re going to have work even longer than usual this evening."