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In the latest
Renault Report, Renault Sport F1 engine engineer for the Williams F1 Team
Dave Lamb gives his views on the running in Bahrain.
This circuit
layout has not been used since 2009. Did that make any difference to the
preparations for this race?
Yes, actually it makes a big difference as both the cars and the engine
strategies have moved on significantly in the last three years. Downforce
levels are different, the blown diffuser has come and gone and the tyres are
different, so estimating fuel consumption was more of a challenge than
normal. Typically you would be able to calculate consumption quite easily
from offsetting 2011 calculations with the 2012 parameters, but it’s been
quite tricky with all the added factors. The seventh gear ratio offset with
the DRS is another unknown, added to the fact that in reducing drag, it can
also benefit the fuel consumption.
What did the programme consist of and how did it go?
In FP1 Valtteri was back in the car alongside Pastor. We had a standard
practice programme in the first session; working on car balance, getting an
understanding on tyre wear and the track conditions. We also tested some
engine settings to improve engine response from Shanghai and both drivers
were very happy, reporting that the response was much better. We also tested
some overrun settings to help the drivers manage the rear tyre wear in the
long runs, which stabilise the rear under braking. However using some of
these settings can increase fuel consumption and coolant temperatures, so it
was important to gauge this so we are fully prepared for Sunday’s race, both
from a strategy and possible overheating perspective.
What were conditions like on track? Was it as dusty as expected?
Actually the drivers did not seem to comment particularly on the dust or
lack of grip. It seemed better than in previous years. When we checked the
airboxes at the end of the day there was no more build up of dust than
normal, so it isn’t proving to be an issue at all, at least at the moment.
The drivers were quickly able to get into the main bulk of the programme so
it wasn’t of particular concern today.
The drivers finished in the lower part of the top 20 in FP2, does this
mean there’s a lot of work to do overnight?
No, the drivers
were actually pretty satisfied with the car, particularly on the longer
runs. From an engine perspective they were happy with the performance today.
We’ll fit the race engine for Bruno tonight (the one we used in Shanghai)
whereas Pastor will continue with the same engine tomorrow after the piston
failure in Malaysia. We have some work to get on top of fuel consumption
levels from a strategy perspective, but with the data collected today we’ll
get there... |
