Pat Symonds wants title

The Renault F1 Team arrived in Japan for the upcoming Grand Prix at the circuit of Suzuka. Pat Symonds, the Renault F1 Team Executive Director of Engineering, explains what is the best recipe for winning the Constructors' title. Renault is only 2 points behind McLaren in the championship, so everything is still possible.

Interview with Pat Symonds, Executive Director Engineering

Pat, with Fernando having won the drivers’ championship, what will change for the team this weekend?
"For us, it will be a weekend like any other. We led the championship for the first sixteen races, so what we have been doing is clearly working. The strategy will be to carry on doing the same thing…"

The Renaults seemed closer to McLaren in Brazil – will that continue in Japan?
"I think we can expect to see a similar balance on car performance. But Suzuka shares characteristics with Silverstone, and we were competitive there – both in the race in July, and in the recent test. So I think we will be competitive."

It is currently hot and sunny in Suzuka – what is the forecast saying for the weekend?
"Things are still moving about on the forecast, but in general, there is poor weather predicted for Saturday, with a less intense threat of rain on Friday and Sunday."

What will that mean for qualifying?
"From our point of view, the advantage is that we will be qualifying at very similar times to McLaren – so conditions are likely to be similar for all of us. That takes away one variable that could have made life difficult, if we had been running at different ends of the session in different conditions. But we will just have to see how things turn out…"