Bob, Hungary has been earmarked as one of the circuits where the team expects to perform strongly: is that still the case?
Bob Bell, Technical Director: Definitely, yes, and we are perhaps even more confident after our performance in Monaco. The circuit was very good to us last year, and our car this year is probably best relative to the competition on slower circuits where we can use maximum downforce, and which reward our good traction and braking. We will be hoping for a similar level to that we demonstrated last year although somehow, I doubt we will find ourselves lapping Michael Schumacher this time around.
Tyre performance will be a critical parameter in Hungary: how confident are you in their performance?
BB: We have made a sensible tyre choice following hot weather testing in Jerez prior to the German Grand Prix, and we have every confidence we can manage our tyres correctly during the event. Michelin looked very competitive in Germany, and we were able to make the most of what we had at our disposal. Of course, we do not yet know how the Bridgestones will perform, but with the testing ban currently in force, I expect the balance of power to remain relatively constant with what we have seen in recent races.
Finally, we have reached two-thirds distance in the season, and Renault holds a nine point advantage over BAR in the constructors' championship. Are you pleased with that situation?
BB: We are very pleased to have maintained our second position in the championship through the middle part of the season, and the gap has remained relatively constant since the early part of the year. Of course, our objective will be to capitalise on our stronger circuits to open up that gap, but we go into every race with the aim of maximising the finishing positions of both our drivers. It is vital to maintain that gap, as I firmly believe the chase for second in the championship will go right down to the last race. As we have seen over the past three rounds as the margin has see-sawed, this kind of gap is incredibly tenuous. We need to take every opportunity we can to score points with both cars.
A final evolution of the B spec was introduced in Hockenheim, and there is a new spec in Hungary. How pleased are you with progress on the engine, and with its overall performance?
Rob White, Engine Technical Director: I am pleased with the progress made with the performance of the RS24 during the season, which is the result of a process that balances aggression and rigour, to advance the performance while managing the risks to maintain reliability, which is still the prerequisite for good racing results. While pleased with the performance, we are never satisfied so the whole Viry group will continue to strive to further improve the RS24 to power Fernando and Jarno through the final third of the season.
Can you tell us a little more about the D spec?
RW: The RS24D, racing in Hungary for the first time uses a revised cylinder head and related parts in the top end of the engine. The RS24D represents a small performance step over the final RS24B and will be the platform for further refinement and development during the final part of the season. There was an RS24C development project, which was pursued on the dyno, but which did not go in the car. Elements of the RS24C will appear in future versions of our engine.
Does introducing a new engine spec during a testing ban pose any particular problems?
RW: Although for base engine performance and reliability, it is the intention that track testing is confirmatory rather than exploratory, track testing remains an important final hurdle. It is also the first chance to gauge the subjective impressions of the drivers and an opportunity to work on the final calibration and set up of control systems. The timing of the test ban is known in advance, so must be considered in the planning and management of engine performance steps. Of course, the absence of track tests during August reduces the scope of changes that can introduced at races during and immediately after this period.
