Vitaly Petrov says Renault will have to wait until Japanese Grand Prix for improvement – Formula 1
Lotus Renault’s Vitaly Petrov believes that in order to see the Enstone-based team in full swing, they will have to wait until the 2011 Japanese Grand Prix that is scheduled to take place on October 9 at the Suzuka circuit.
Renault have recently incorporated some changes in the rear body frame work of their car ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix. However, optimal results with the new development plan can only come at tracks like the Suzuka circuit.
Following the team’s performance at Spa and later at Monza circuit, the team now understands its shortcomings. After a careful analysis of its car they have realised that the R31 is more prone to changes in bodywork attachments than anything else when it
comes to delivering performance.
Petrov said, “Sometimes the bodywork, if you fix it wrong, like if one nut is tightened a bit stronger, then the bodywork can get shaped in a different way - so all the aerodynamics are completely different.”
Renault did not fare well at the low-speed circuits earlier in the 2011 season. Therefore, in the night race at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, Renault will not be expecting to see results with the latest upgrades that they have installed.
Petrov says that they team should wait for faster tracks to see better results. For the Suzuka circuit, the team has plans for better upgrades and hence they will be having a much better car on the track to compete with the rest of the teams.
The 27-year-old Russian said, “The mechanics now try to be precise how they fix it - because our car looks like it is super sensitive [in this area]. We understood this a few races ago and it is quite interesting.”
Lotus Renault team recently finished the first free practice session at the Marina Bay Circuit. They will be participating in the qualifying session tomorrow, September 24, 2011 along with the rest of the Formula 1 teams.
Let’s see how the team performs on the raceday, Sunday, September 25, 2011.
Tags: