What's at stake at Imola?

Renault arrives in Imola on the crest of a wave in 2006: three wins in three races, 42 points from a possible 54, and a 19-point advantage over the second-place team in the constructors’ championship, McLaren. The return to Europe brings with it the traditional circuits of Formula 1, well known to all the teams. It’s also an opportunity for most of the teams to make some major development steps.

“Imola is traditionally the place where we see the debut of new mechanical and aero packages,” explains Denis Chevrier. “The flyaway races make it difficult to introduce major development steps., and the teams make the most of being back in Europe to introduce the first major changes.” This year’s race is no different: all the top teams will be racing new evolutions of their machinery. Ferrari has been vocal about the amount of work they have done: an engine step, a new aero package and revised rear suspension. “This is a circuit where Ferrari are always quick,” continues Denis. “Think about what happened here last year, when Schumacher was fighting Fernando in the final laps. But after that, the Scuderia’s performances fell away again.”

The promised developments throughout the grid, mean Renault will be paying close attention to their rivals this weekend. “We can be certain that the level of performance will be very equal, even if the championship table doesn’t necessarily suggest it,” said Denis. “The smallest of gains could shake things up, and that’s why we can’t afford to relax.” So what is the team’s strength in Denis’ opinion? “Our ability to maintain our pace from lap one to the finish. That’s what made the difference in the opening races.”

So who will be the main rivals this weekend? “It’s hard to say,” concludes Chevrier. “At Bahrain, we battled with Ferrari. In Sepang, Honda. In Melbourne, McLaren… What’s for sure is that if we maintain our advantage while our rivals are splitting points between themselves, it will put us in a strong position for the rest of the year.”