By role
July 3 2003

The French GP is about to start and the technical people at Renault F1 are full with expectations for the weekend. They have analyzed in detail the track in order to be able to have the best possible set-up for the R23. Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering, is expecting Renault to perform well:

Magny-Cours is of course the team’s home race, and this therefore gives us added impetus to perform well. From an engineering point of view, it is certainly not an easy circuit, largely because of the ever-changing conditions. While an outsider may not perceive conditions have changed much, very small changes in track temperature can have a profound effect on both the balance of the car and the way the tyres behave. Indeed, in the past, we have found the tyres required at the race weekend to be very different to those we had found in testing just a few weeks before the race. Therefore, in spite of the fact that during our Friday test, the circuit temperatures will undoubtedly be lower than those found in the race, we will still be getting near real-time information as to their performance.

The circuit itself is extremely smooth and allows the use of very low ride heights and a very stiff car. However, one needs to be slightly cautious with this approach, as there are several places where the cars needs to use the kerbs well to gain lap time.

Tyres are critical at Magny-Cours. The combination of track temperatures which often exceed 40°C, and the fact that the tyres have to handle both high lateral loadings through corners like Turn 3, and high longtitudinal loadings out of the slower hairpins, place severe demands on the durability of the tyres.

It is a circuit where good aerodynamic efficiency and a responsive car pay particular dividends, as a lot of time can be gained in the fast chicanes. Although there is a good overtaking opportunity into the Adelaide hairpin, the rest of the track has, in the past, been difficult to pass on. Looking at the maps of the modifications that have been made for this year, we hope that another opportunity has been designed in, but of course, until we get there and walk the track, we will not know for sure.


Rémi Taffin talks about the engine side for the French GP:

This year sees changes at Magny-Cours, with modifications to the Château d’Eau corner and the following section. The changes are significant in driving terms, as well as engine usage. They consist of a slight extension of the circuit length (approx. 150m) introduced by the tightening of the corner itself. The cars will thus exit the corner in close proximity and, with a relatively long straight immediately afterwards, the cars will benefit from a slipstream to overtake under braking. The new layout will see the engine at full throttle for 65% of the lap, and average engine speeds will be higher. In terms of engine usage, the changes mean the circuit’s characteristics are closer to
those of a circuit like Barcelona. Furthermore, the gear ratios will different in that we will be in higher gears for longer periods of time, bringing benefits in terms of general cooling.

Apart from the modification, the main characteristic of the French circuit is the unusual track surface, whose grip level is very different to that of other circuits. The track surface changes according to temperature and weather conditions: car and engine set-up are both
very sensitive to this factor. The extra two hours on Friday morning represent a significant advantage relative to the competition, as they
will allow the team to collect valuable set-up data for the rest of the weekend.