First assessment of the Renault R30 after Valencia

Renault F1 Team was on track for three days in Valencia, Spain. The team’s 2010 car, unveiled to the international press on Sunday, made its first laps. Robert Kubica was at the wheel of the R30 on Monday. The team began its technical program in mild weather conditions, and Robert Kubica was able to familiarize himself with the onboard systems of the new car. It was also the first opportunity to test the narrower tires. In the afternoon, the team also started working on weight distribution. Here are the statements following Monday’s session:

Robert Kubica – Racing Driver: « My first day of work behind the wheel of the R30 went well. We evaluated a good number of systems and everything went overall smoothly, without major issues. We will work on the car’s balance tomorrow and we will continue our learning. The narrower front tires have an impact on the car. It is difficult to draw conclusions as it is the first day of running, but I think they might cause the car to understeer a bit more in fast corners. »

Alan Permane – Chief Engineer: This first day of running was positive. Our goal today was to complete as much running as possible. It was also important for Robert to get familiar with the car and be comfortable behind the wheel of the single-seater. We also began the analysis work on the behavior of the R30 and how it responds to the Bridgestone tires, which are narrower at the front this year. Finally, we worked on brake wear. They will play an important role this year – the cars will be more fuel-laden at the start of the race this season. Overall, this first day of work was productive.

Renault F1 Team was also on track on Tuesday, still with Robert Kubica, at the Valencia circuit to continue getting to grips with the new R30. The team was able to benefit from ideal track conditions, and the Pole completed 119 laps. Here are the statements following this Tuesday’s session:

Robert Kubica: « Yesterday, we focused our efforts on evaluating the onboard systems. Today, we worked on the balance of the car, allowing us to see how it responds to different adjustments. It’s quite different from what I was used to, so it’s very important for me to understand the car’s behavior well. We did long runs and it went well, without major issues; it’s a good sign in terms of reliability. »

Alan Permane: We completed another good day of work with a total of 119 laps. In terms of reliability, we are satisfied. The changes we made last night allowed us to partially address the understeering issues we had yesterday, and Robert seems much more comfortable with the car now. The track conditions were quite good, and the Bridgestone tires are particularly suited to the circuit’s surface, making the task easier.

Finally, Renault F1 Team completed its last day of testing on Wednesday; a day that concludes the team’s first work session with its new car, the R30. Vitaly Petrov, who had been observing his teammate’s tests since the beginning of the week, was able to discover the R30 for himself. On his first day of work, the Russian completed 75 laps. In doing so, he completed the team’s technical program. Here are the statements following this last day of testing:

Vitaly Petrov – Race Driver: « It was a good first day of work and very positive. The car is very impressive compared to GP2. The performance of the brakes and the power of the car greatly impressed me. After 30 laps, I started to feel comfortable and understand the limits of the car. It was also the first day of work with my engineers and everything is going well so far, I am very happy. »

Alan Permane: « This was Vitaly’s first day in the R30. We worked on getting him familiarized with the car so he could find his footing and feel comfortable in the single-seater. He did a good job learning the brakes and mastering the car’s power. He adapted quickly. Overall, this first test session went well, and we learned a lot about the R30. We are now preparing for the next tests, where we will continue the work we started this week. »

The Renault F1 Team stays in Spain and is already preparing for the second test session, which will take place next week in Jerez.

According to press releases from the Renault F1 Team