Williams opens a new chapter with Renault in Melbourne

After recording one of the worst sports records in its history in 2011, the Williams team approaches the 2012 season with a spirit of revenge and a desire to restore its image, relying on its engine partnership with Renault. While the British team completed over 5,330 km in private testing with its 2012 car, more than anyone else, Mark Gillan, Chief Operations Engineer for the Grove team, approaches 2012 with optimism: « During the three weeks of testing, Pastor [Maldonado], Bruno [Senna], and Valtteri [Bottas, the third driver,] have driven exceptionally well, and the two new drivers have perfectly integrated into the team as the new season approaches, with weekly visits to the factory and simulator. The whole team worked very hard during the winter to eradicate our weaknesses from 2011, in addition to integrating the new Renault engine, and we are now eager to start the season. The Renault engine provides the expected performance: it is powerful, flexible, and with low performance degradation over its lifespan. »

For his part, Rémi Taffin, track operations director for Renault Sport F1, believes that the partnership with Williams has gotten off to a good start and hopes to see it develop over the next races: « For Renault Sport, it’s a great feeling to see a Williams-Renault take to the track for the first time since 1997, but it was even more satisfying to see that the FW34 was heading in the right direction. Since we started early, the engine integration was quite simple, and the team and drivers were able to benefit from the RS27’s maneuverability and flexibility to achieve significant performance in testing so we arrive in Australia with a good base. As usual, when a new chassis/engine partnership begins, there were a few small issues, but overall, we did a lot of running to validate the engine and its integration into the chassis. »

In Melbourne, Williams is preparing to open a new chapter in its history and face the multiple challenges posed by the Albert Park circuit: « The weather can be variable, and according to predictions, this year should be no exception. As it is an urban circuit, the track tends to improve significantly throughout the weekend, so we will need to carefully monitor the behavior of the medium and soft tires brought by Pirelli. The layout features curves where speeds are above average, while starting the race with more fuel than on most circuits, which puts a lot of strain on the brakes. »

On the engine side, the Renault RS27 block will not be left behind: Melbourne is a difficult track to start with because it offers a tricky combination of short straights and chicanes, with the opposite section being fast and thus increasing fuel consumption. But it’s also a good starting point because it allows for thoroughly testing all aspects of the engine.

Naturally, the drivers are eagerly anticipating the return to competition, starting with Bruno Senna, whose presence on the starting grid in 2012 was yet uncertain: “I am really looking forward to going back to Australia. A month after the last Grand Prix, the desire to return to competition is itching, so after four months, I really can’t wait for it to start. Getting in the car on Friday will be very exciting and I hope we can be competitive right from the start.”

The Brazilian, who attended the 2011 Australian Grand Prix as the third driver for Lotus-Renault, will not arrive in unfamiliar territory, however: « I know Albert Park from having raced there with HRT in 2010. I also met with success by winning three out of four Formula 3 races that supported the 2006 Australian Grand Prix, so I have good memories there. »

Pastor Maldonado, on his part, is coming off a retirement at the 2011 Australian Grand Prix but believes he is now better prepared to tackle Melbourne: « Albert Park is a beautiful circuit. I really love this type of city track, so I hope we have a good weekend. This year, I know the track and I am more confident with the team and the car, so that will also help. The whole team has pushed so hard all winter to make progress and I myself have always been at full throttle. It’s exciting to resume competition and see what everyone will be capable of when the weekend begins.

Bruno Senna is satisfied with the promising winter tests of the British team but remains naturally reserved in his prediction: « It’s certainly very tight, so it will be a very tense year. »