Chevrier: “The qualifications will be even more difficult”

Renault on its first day yesterday performed well against the other teams. It finished in the top 10 during both sessions, except once with Kovalainen.

For Denis Chevrier – engine manager in the team with the diamond, the day was therefore satisfactory for the team. The engines also performed well without encountering issues despite the heavier demands here than in Japan, for example.

How did Friday go?

« Pretty well. Most of our data was gathered this afternoon, since it rained this morning and it was impossible to draw any conclusions in those conditions. We expected the day to be wetter, but we ended up with more information than expected. »

What have you been working on?

« Our program was classic. It included the evaluation of tires, both in short and long runs, as well as the detection of any potential graining issues. On the engine side, we validated the soundness of the settings derived from our simulations, particularly regarding our choice of gear ratios based on the aerodynamic configuration. We did not encounter any incidents and had significant track time in the afternoon. In passing, we noted that the bumps had disappeared thanks to the new circuit surface. It was clearly visible, even on television. »

What was the feedback from the pilots?

« Heikki [Kovalainen] was quite satisfied in the rain this morning, and most of the comments this afternoon were positive. So, overall, it’s been a positive day. The gaps are very tight, as always at Interlagos. Under these conditions, qualifying will be even more difficult than in Japan or China. However, we are hopeful of getting both our cars into the top 10. »

According to the ING Renault F1 Team