Tuesday, October 28, 2003
The Formula One racetracks are silent now, but the F1 teams already are working flat-out on their chassis and engine designs that will compete in next year’s 18-race World Championship that includes the United States Grand Prix on June 20 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
On-track testing is banned from Oct. 12-Nov. 25, but there is plenty of activity at the team bases.
Like the rest of the teams, the Mild Seven Renault team already has the designs of its 2004 car and engine well underway. More than 3,000 components comprise the two elements.
Mild Seven Renault is one of only three F1 teams that builds its chassis and engine. The others are Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro and Panasonic Toyota Racing.
The Renault R24 chassis, created and built in the team’s base in Enstone, England, already has been in the wind tunnel, and the RS24 V10, designed and built in the engine department in Viry-Châtillon, France, already has been on the test dyno.
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Renault had a solid season and placed fourth in the Constructors Championship in 2003. Fernando Alonso brought the team its first win since 1997 with his victory in Hungary. Alonso placed sixth in the final standings after scoring points on 11 occasions, while his teammate, Jarno Trulli, who ended up eighth in the Drivers Championship, finished in the points 10 times.
Trulli was the fastest driver in the opening practices at first round of qualifying at the 2003 United States Grand Prix in September at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“2003 has been a relatively satisfying season,” said Pat Symonds, Renault executive director of engineering, “but we don’t underestimate the large amount of work that still has to be done in order to win the World Championship.
“The key to success in 2004 will be to enhance the weaker areas of our package while ensuring that the stronger parts do not suffer in any way. The wind tunnel figures for next year’s car are promising, and we are confident the chassis will be as good as ever. By moving to a new engine architecture, which will better suit the demands of the 700-km (440-mile) engine life regulations, I think we are putting in place the components required to a more successful year in 2004.”
One of the biggest changes to the Renault engine package is a new, narrower “V angle” between the two banks of cylinders. For the past two years Renault has tried a wide V angle of about 110 degrees, which gave the engine a lower center of gravity but resulted in other challenges to be overcome such as vibrations. In 2004, the Renault V10 will have a narrower V angle, probably in the more conventional 90-degree range.
New rules in 2004 require each driver to use only one engine for the entire Grand Prix weekend, and thus reliability will be more crucial than ever.
“Reliability will be our number-one priority for next season,” said Léon Taillieu, project director for the RS24 engine. “The reason behind our choice of this new architecture is that it will be less technically risky than its predecessor. We began working in March 2003, and the project spec focuses not only on the vital 700-km reliability target but also packaging, weight and power. The latter should come quite quickly.”
A mock-up of the new engine already has been delivered to the chassis department.
“We have worked to ensure this engine can use an identical air intake to last year’s, in spite of the fact it is taller,” Taillieu said. “One of our aims was to not disrupt the aerodynamic efficiency of the new car.”
The engine’s new cylinder heads have been run on an electrical dyno, which allows the engineers to check all the moving parts of the engine without firing it up, Taillieu said. Since then, the engine has been run on the thermal dyno.
“Early in November, we will make our decision on the air intakes we will use,” Taillieu said. “Six weeks later, the gearbox and RS24 will run together for the first time on the test bench. We expect to have achieved a solid level of reliability by this stage.”
Renault’s new technical director, Bob Bell, is overseeing the entire project. He has taken over the top technical role from Mike Gascoyne, who has been lured away to the Panasonic Toyota team. Bell has been promoted from the post of deputy technical director.
“As deputy technical director,” Bell said, “my primary responsibility was coordinating the team’s design groups, which involved day-to-day direct management of these teams and their programs. The role has a particular importance here at Renault, where the twin-shift system depends upon two chief designers (Tim Densham and Mark Smith). When conflicting issues arose and technical direction was required, my job was to provide it.
“Also, in Mike Gascoyne’s absence, I was responsible for all technical aspects of the company. In that respect, his departure has changed nothing, apart from the fact that I now have this responsibility full time. Stepping up to the role of technical director brings a big responsibility: the buck now stops with me for all technical matters.”
Bell is confident that the design of the new Renault R24 is progressing well.
“The R24 is very much on time at the moment,” Bell said. “It is scheduled for completion in early January, and there is no reason to think that will be jeopardized.”
The 2004 F1 season gets underway in Australia on March 7.
USGP tickets: Tickets for the 2004 United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis on June 20 are on sale, and the IMS ticket office encourages customers to place orders early to ensure the best possible opportunity to acquire good seats.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com or by calling the IMS ticket office at (317) 492-6700 or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area. Parking and camping information also can be obtained through the ticket office.
