Determined to return to the front - White

After a very difficult 2007 season for the ING Renault F1 Team, the French outfit is determined to fight back with the new R28 that was presented to the press today. Deputy Managing Director (Engines), Rob White, talks about the challenges his department faced preparing for 2008.

"It is a result of the rules changes for 2008 and the years ahead. The introduction of the standard ECU is the most obvious change, but there are many new software tools and programmes that accompany it. We have had to work hard to understand and adapt to the new electronics environment. This has impacted on the team at the factory, as well as the trackside support engineers. It was a big workload, and remains so."

"All the teams have the same hardware and software available, so everybody has the same scope to exploit the standard system. The ability to make the difference depends on how much each team has learned about the new system, and how well it can adapt its previous know-how. We did not all start from the same place, but we all knew about the changes in advance. At Renault, we started working on the problem very early at the factory and subsequently on track, in order to be as well prepared as possible for the start of the season."

"We are not allowed to develop the engine; the homologated perimeter is extended for this year to include also the engine ancillaries. There remains much to do to assure the reliability of the engine and its performance in the car. These engines remain complicated and sophisticated, and we must remain vigilant concerning component supply and quality, and concerning changes in the way the engine is used in the car."

"Homologation offers the manufacturers an opportunity to reduce engine development costs without risk to competitive position. However, the governing body does not set the budget, so the decision on how to allocate the resources available remains with the teams. At Renault, the 2007 engine “freeze” resulted in substantial cost reduction. The extended “freeze” recently announced will result in a further saving."

"Our team showed great strength to confront and solve the performance problems of 2007. We are determined to return to the front, and we have worked tirelessly towards this goal for many months. We have two new drivers, and a technical package that we will be honing over the coming weeks in order to arrive in Melbourne in good shape. Of course the competition will be fierce, but we are optimistic for the new season."