Bell: « Renault is relatively satisfied with its winter »

After the Jerez tests and a few days before the last pre-season tests in Barcelona and then back to Jerez, Bob Bell, Renault’s technical director, provides an initial assessment of this winter while looking forward to the goal for this March: the Grand Prix of Melbourne in Australia in three weeks.

After another week of testing for the team, what conclusions do you draw?

« The bad weather at the beginning of the week was disappointing, but the sun made an appearance during the last two days of testing, allowing us to make up for lost time by doing a lot of laps. This allowed us to test new parts, which we hope to be able to use in Melbourne, and to evaluate their performance and reliability. This week has been very productive for us. »

It seems that both drivers are satisfied with the car. What is their feedback regarding the way the car behaves?

« We focused a lot on this. It was important to make the car easy to drive, especially with the new regulations concerning aerodynamics, which did not naturally accommodate it. The feedback from Fernando [Alonso] and Nelson [Piquet] has greatly helped us refine the aerodynamic developments to ensure the car is performant but not at the expense of its reliability. »

The team evaluated new aerodynamic parts this week, how did it go?

« We had a new front wing and a new diffuser, those were the two main parts we evaluated. The results are encouraging; they allowed us to perform better on the track than we had hoped. This gives us a good foundation to continue this work. We now also have assurances regarding the systems we use at the factory to design new parts: they are fitted on the car and work as expected. »

The team is still working on the adjustable flap of the front wing. Is it a difficult project to carry out? Are you satisfied with the progress that has been made?

« It is certain that it was not child’s play, but it presented fewer constraints than the development of KERS. Working on adjustable aerodynamic parts is something new for the teams. But we have found the mechanical solutions to make the system work reliably, and that’s the most important thing. In fact, it is a very useful system for development because the driver can make the necessary adjustments without having to return to the pit.

The team was able to make up some lost time from previous tests in terms of mileage. Do you think you have resolved the reliability issues you might have had?

« You never know when you might face a reliability issue. You could go two days without any problem and then on the third day, you might encounter technical difficulties. I think we’ve made good progress regarding reliability in preparation for the Australian Grand Prix at the end of the month. Nonetheless, we can never rest on our laurels. This means we must be proactive and anticipate potential problems that could arise. »

Although it is difficult to draw conclusions from the tests, are you satisfied with the car’s performance?

« We are relatively satisfied and think we have strong foundations for a good season, to fight for a place on the podium and to win. Ultimately, we hope to be able to fight for the championship. We have always said that must be our goal. We are in motorsport to win. But it is far too early to draw conclusions. We cannot know where we stand compared to other [teams] until all the cars are on the Melbourne track with a configuration complying with the new regulations. »

Only two practice sessions left before the start of the season, what are going to be your priorities from today until Melbourne?

« The priority is to test and validate the new parts in time for Melbourne while continuing to work on the car’s reliability. It will be a period of hard work for the team on the circuit and for the team members at our Enstone and Viry [Châtillon] factories who will provide enormous support. But we are all determined to achieve our goals so that we can arrive in Melbourne and get good results. »

According to a statement from the Renault F1 Team