Everybody's out to win in 2007 - White
After a successful shakedown and first week of testing with the new R27, the ING Renault F1 Team launched their 2007 challenger yesterday. The team's engineering director, Rob White, talks about the R27 and its rivals.
“That’s a difficult one! I’d say speed, pride and strong human relations.”
In your opinion what’s the greatest strength of the ING Renault F1 Team this season?“We don’ t take anything for granted despite our recent successes. Every year it’s as if we were starting from scratch with new aims. We’ve got the men, we’ve got the car and we’ve got the motivation and the discipline.”
If you could choose your main rival this season, who would it be?“I’d rather you ask me who will finish second after Renault!”
What team could upset the applecart this year?“I think everybody’s out to win in 2007. In addition, there are numerous uncertainties because of the changes that came in this winter, and we never underestimate anybody’s capacity. That’s why we have to consider the other ten teams as potential rivals. In F1, the difference between victory and a poor performance hangs by a thread.”
What was the most difficult area to evaluate in the engine’s design?“I think that the most difficult thing was to throw out the plans and the development for the new 2007 engine, and then having to start from a new set of priorities. On 18th September 2006, the FIA decided that the end-of-season engines would serve as the basis for this year with only a few modifications allowed; In fact, we had started designing a new engine and had found a power gain by increasing the revs. All this work was reduced to nothing by the limit fixed at 19 000 rpm. In two months we had to draw up a completely new spec, decide on the modifications to be made to optimise the engine in the framework of the new regs, validate them and then submit them to the Federation.”
What’s the mechanical component that you’re most proud of on the RS27?“I wouldn’t single out any one in particular; rather the car’s overall homogeneity, all the efforts that have been invested to achieve this result. It’s an outstanding example of integration in the technical field. Fantastic.”
So, what are your hopes for 2007?“2007 like all the other seasons will be very important for us. We’re very keen to give the best of ourselves. The whole Renault Group, our sponsors and partners are behind us. In relation to them we have a responsibility to achieve success.”
Source Renaultf1
