#16

RACE PREVIEW JAPAN Suzuka // 6/7/8 October 2017

Content // // // Nico Hülkenberg // // Track Notes // And Finally…

Cyril Abiteboul FOREWORD Suzuka is one of the most iconic and unique circuits in Formula 1, and we love racing there. Japan is the final race of the East Asian triple-header before the last stretch. Cyril Abiteboul Sport Racing Managing Director

On a brief reflection of Malaysia, it is safe to say we On a brighter note, it was great to see our partner leave there feeling disappointed. It was a very tough team taking victory with the Renault weekend and we couldn’t quite make the car work as power unit. we have in previous races. Suzuka is a favourite for the drivers due to the unique The first lap put us on the back foot and both cars challenge it offers and its fast bends. It’s a well- failed to work their way up into the points. We tried an balanced track, not too power sensitive, so we think aggressive strategy with Nico, but that gamble didn’t we can be competitive there. Back-to-back races are pay off. Jolyon had a couple of spins late on and lost always challenging, but it means we head to Japan some positions. It’s one of those weekends we are keen determined to return to the points. to brush aside. We are fortunate that the Japanese We will have some aero upgrades in Suzuka which we Grand Prix comes soon after so we can make a swift hope will bring performance and so points. They are return to where we are. essential if we are to reach our end of season objective of fifth in the Constructors’ Championship.

” It was great to see our partner team Red Bull Racing taking victory with the Renault power unit.”

BOB BELL

Tooth and nail Suzuka throws up a special challenge for both car and driver as Technical Director Bob Bell explains.

Bob Bell Team Chief Technical Officer Q&A

What’s the outlook heading to Any caveats to the positive In summation, we don’t go to lots of things went wrong in the Suzuka? outlook? Japan with many major concerns. race, most notably at the start and It’s a challenging track and a Japan is a venue where you never We need to keep working on our thereon it was difficult to close the Grand Prix which always produces quite know what you’re likely to reliability as we have the pace in gap back. It's complex to analyse exciting racing. The circuit is a mix get with the weather. We have the car to meet our objectives, but, with decent starts and in of low and high-speed corners seen numerous wet races in it’s more a case of getting the car maximising opportunities, points and frequent changes of direction Suzuka across the years and even across the line with both drivers. would always have been possible. such as the S bends. It should some more extreme weather too. We will use lessons learnt to do suit the R.S.17; speed-wise it’s However, if we look at our recent What went wrong in Sepang? better in Suzuka. a bit like Spa and Silverstone wet weather performance, we It came as a wake-up call. We where we went well. We head can see that we struggled a bit realised on Friday the car wasn’t to Japan feeling hungry and in Monza on the Intermediates, on the pace as both drivers weren’t positive. We want to get over the but we weren’t bad in the Wets in happy with the balance. We were disappointment of Sepang as Singapore. We’re making progress encouraged that we made some rapidly as possible. and learning how to handle changes before qualifying and different conditions. it was there or thereabouts. But

. “ It should suit the R.S.17; speed-wise it’s a bit like Spa and Silverstone where we went well.” NICO HÜLKENBERG

nico hülkenberg NICO HULKENBURG Drift King A bitterly frustrating outing in Sepang means Nico Hülkenberg is determined to return to the top ten around the legendary Suzuka circuit.

Nico Hülkenberg / Race Driver #27

Q&A

What are your thoughts on the Japanese Grand Prix? Is Suzuka one of your favourite circuits? What are your feelings after Malaysia? Japan is very special. The fans are amazing, they are I love coming to Japan as Suzuka is one of the best tracks It was a difficult weekend for us and we struggled among the most enthusiastic out of all the places we to drive on the calendar. It has a good flow, it’s very quick throughout the three days. We didn’t really find the visit. They are super supportive; day, night, whatever the but a nice feeling. You can be quite aggressive in places. balance or grip. Qualifying was good and we squeezed weather. It’s certainly one of the race weekends I look It’s quite up and down, which you don’t really see on TV. some performance out. The first lap of the race wasn’t forward to. I have a fairly decent and consistent record 130R is flat out, a big corner and a lot of fun. This year’s great and put us on the backfoot and we couldn’t recover. around Suzuka, so I’m looking forward to getting out there cars will be a cool sight to see there! It’s a great pleasure to It was a frustrating weekend, but we’ll analyse and regroup and hopefully continuing the run. nail these corners. and push again in Japan.

“ This year’s cars will be a cool sight to see there! It’s a great pleasure to nail these corners.”

jolyon palmer

jolyon palmer jolyon palmer Teriyaki Boyz Jolyon Palmer is keen to take a second points finish of the season in Japan as the Formula 1 season heads into the final straight. Jolyon Palmer / Race Driver #30

Q&A

How is Suzuka to drive? What’s the atmosphere in Japan like? How do you reflect on Malaysia? It’s an old-school circuit, highly unique especially the first The fans embrace Formula 1 like no other country and Malaysia was a frustrating weekend, but in Japan we sector which is fast and flowing with quick changes of Suzuka is always packed out when F1 is in town. should be stronger. We can take some positives from direction. The middle sector is cool with the two Degners, The fans are so passionate which makes it a special Sepang. Back-to-back races are good, especially after a which are quick and crucial to get right. 130R is mega and weekend. There’s crazy merchandise and crazy hats there disappointing weekend, as it means we can put it behind the chicane features a good overtaking spot. It’s three and everyone really shows their support. That’s what we and aim to do a better job in Japan. challenging, but enjoyable, sectors and I went fairly well love to see! The history of Formula 1 and Japan is well- there last year, so looking forward to it. known. As for other aspects, I’m quite partial to sushi and teriyaki so I’ll be eating well when I’m there.

. “ The fans embrace Formula 1 like no other country and Suzuka is always packed out when F1 is in town.” NICO HÜLKENBERG

renault sport round up round up Aitken ready to chase down Russell in Jerez Renault Sport Academy Driver will make a return to action as the GP3 Series resumes in Jerez for round seven of the championship on the Grand Prix weekend. Jack, fresh from his recent outing in the Renault-powered 2012-spec E20 Formula 1 car, will aim to cut the lead to George Russell in the title battle. Team-mate and compatriot Russell currently leads the series by 43 points with Jerez and Abu Dhabi in November the final two rounds of the championship.

“ I’m really looking forward to getting back in the seat as it’s been over a month since the last round. The championship is still up for grabs, I need to go to Jerez and get some good results. It’s a track I know well, I’ve just done a Formula 1 test there, so it shouldn’t take long to get back in the rhythm of GP3. Of course, the aim is to take the title battle to the final round.”

Rowland and Latifi set for Formula 2 penultimate round

Renault Sport Formula One Team Development Driver Oliver Rowland and Test Driver jump back into the cockpit as the Formula 2 Championship heads to Jerez on 7-8 October. Rowland, second in the championship, has scored one-point from the last two rounds in Belgium and Italy as he sets his sights on taking the title battle with to the final round in Abu Dhabi.

Latifi, fifth in the series, will want to make a return to the podium as he remains in the mix to finish in the top three.

Oliver Rowland

“ After a month break, it’s exciting to jump back into the cockpit again. It’s the penultimate round of the championship so we go there with determination to take the title battle to the final round. It’s an enjoyable circuit and we’ll aim to get some good results.”

Nicholas Latifi

" I’m really looking forward to getting back in the seat again for the penultimate round of the championship. We’ve had a month off, which is a long time waiting around to get back racing! I’ve spent my time doing lots of training and karting to try and stay sharp and really hoping for a strong weekend to climb back up the order in the driver standings!"

Fewtrell extends top rookie lead, season-best for Opmeer

Max Fewtrell extended his lead at the top of the Eurocup rookie standings as the series resumed at Spa-Francorchamps (22-24 September). Max took a fifth, fourth and ninth across the three races to increase his advantage in the rookie championship to 18 points.

Jarno Opmeer also had a bright weekend in the Ardennes with finishes of eleventh, tenth and a season-best sixth in race three.

Sun Yue Yang struggled for pace throughout the weekend with an engine failure in race three forcing him to retire.

Max FewtrelL

“ Overall, it was a very good weekend where we never left the top five and I even grabbed a podium in the last race. But due to an issue with my clutch at the start I was handed a penalty. I’m really looking forward to the last round in Barcelona where I believe we can fight for some wins and end the season on a high note.”

Jarno Opmeer

“ It was a good weekend for me. We had a better qualifying compared to recent races with an eleventh, sixteenth and twelfth. This put me in a really good position to fight for points. The second race went well, I had a great opening lap with some overtakes to give me a point. In the last race, I made a rocket start from twelfth to ninth by La Source. And with some consistency I managed to take sixth.”

Sun Yue Yang

“ Overall it wasn’t been a great weekend for me. We struggled for pace and consistency and just couldn’t quite make it work. It was good to keep learning about the car and different techniques. I have one month before the next round and I’m going back to China to train and get ready.”

Mixed weekend for Lundgaard and García in Jerez

Christian Lundgaard and Marta García experienced an up and down weekend in the Spanish F4 Championship in Jerez (22-24 September). Christian saw his lead at the top of the standings reduced to 23 points despite taking a brace of third place finishes.

Marta topped the timesheets throughout practice but unfortunately couldn’t convert that pace into podiums in the races. The Spanish teen had to settle for a sixth and a fifth before a collision in the final race, whilst running fifth, saw her fall outside the top ten.

Christian Lundgaard

“ We wanted to take as many points as possible this weekend, and overall we did quite well. We struggled for pace right from the beginning of the weekend, but we managed to keep making improvements. I think the best we could have achieved was second, credit to Smolyar, he was fast all weekend.”

Marta García

“ I think it was a positive weekend in Jerez. I had a decent qualifying which put me in a good position but I didn’t make the best starts and this made me lose some positions. The races went well, I had a sixth and a fifth. It was a shame in the last race as I had a crash with another driver with one lap to go. But we can take the positives and aim to keep improving and take it all to the next race in Navarra.”

Renault e. launch 2017/18 challenger

Renault e.dams officially unveiled their challenger for the 2017/18 Formula E season on the Champs Elysees, Paris, last weekend. The Z.E.17 will be driven by Sebastien Buemi and Nico Prost for the fourth season of Formula E as the duo aim to retain Renault e.dams’ Team Championship title beginning in Hong Kong in December.

Alain Prost

“ I am delighted to finally lift the veil on the colours we will use to defend our title in this new season. Our goal remains the same as it has been for the past three years: win the Teams’ and Drivers’ championships. We have seen that the competition will be tougher with some major car manufactures joining us in the championship, but we have a very good team and a very solid technical partner with Renault. We also have two excellent drivers, who have worked very well together since the beginning of our adventure.” track notes

track notes Suzuka Suzuka is one of the legendary circuits in Formula 1, famed for its frequent fast, sweeping corners. The S bends in sector one, and the flat-out 130R in sector three are standouts around the 5.807km circuit which hosted its first Grand Prix in 1987. 53 laps on race day will be tough, physical test for the drivers with the often unpredictable weather sure to throw up some surprises.

track STATS

6 251 2.9 14:00 race START SECTOR 3 307.471 6 255 1.4 race distance (KM) 5 203 3.2 DRS

SECTOR 2 5.807 circuit length (KM) 3 120 2.4 SECTOR 1 53 number of laps 7 237 3.6 5 210 3.4 1:31.540s Lap Record (kimi Räikkönen, 2005)

FUEL EFFECT

T01-T02 T13-t14

Turn 1 is a very fast corner with light braking required in Understeer saps speed through the Spoon Curve and so needs preparation for the slower Turn 2. to be minimised, with a fast exit necessary onto the following straight. t03-t06 0.40 0.40SEC/10KG T15 0.40SEC/10KG S Curves. Understeer needs to be minimised for the constant SEC/10KG change of direction through the fast S Curves, with a well- 130R is flat out, but more difficult when the cars are heavy balanced car maintaining the speed. with fuel. (201 average: 0.33sec/10kg) (201 average: 0.33sec/10kg) t08-t09 T16 (201 average: 0.33sec/10kg) FUEL CONSUMPTION Two tricky turns make up the Degner Curves. The first is short Heavy on the brakes for the chicane leading into the final turn. and narrow with a cautious approach required thanks to the Easy to lock-up here and compromise the lap. inner kerb, to which drivers need to get as close as possible without making contact. The second has very little run-off, so mistakes can be costly. 1.98 1.98kg/lap T11 1.98kg/lap kg/lap Heavy braking into the hairpin as drivers take a wide line and search for good traction on the cambered exit. (201 average: 1.kg/lap) (201 average: 1.kg/lap) (201 average: 1.kg/lap)

FULL THROTTLE

DOWNFORCE 66 %66 of lap %66 of lap % of lap

(201 average: 0.3 of lap) (201 average: 0.3 of lap) (201 average: 0.3 of lap)

braking

15 %15 of lap %15 of lap % of lap

BRAKE WEAR

(201 average: 17. of lap) (201 average: 17. of lap) (201 average: 17. of lap) POWER UNIT

• Suzuka is one of the toughest circuits of the year for the • With a top speed peaking at almost 330kph, Suzuka gives ICE. The sustained bursts of throttle test the internals’ rise to one of the highest speed seen in the second part of the strength, while the heavy braking events challenge year. Inside the ICE the pistons will turn at an incredible reactivity and reliability. 200 times per second, generating enormous internal forces. • Over 65% of the lap is taken at full throttle, but the • The second slowest corner is the chicane, which is taken majority of this comes in the second half of the track from at approximately 80kph. This is the best chance to recover the exit of the Spoon corner (Turn 14) to the chicane on energy through the MGU-K as the cars approach at well over the entry of the pit straight. This includes a pass through 310kph. Braking down to under 100kph generates huge the 130R, which is taken at over 300kph despite being a amounts of heat and energy in the brakes. At this point there flowing left hand bend. is even excess energy that engineers are not allowed to recover as a result of the regulations.

tyres iN figures

HIGH 17 Japan consumes around 17m tons of fish every year 18 Trains in Japan are one of the most punctual in the world with average delays of 18 seconds low

SUPERSOFT SOFT MEDIUM tyre wear 6,852 Japan is made up of 6,852 islands Bridge Ball – Everyone’s High Rollers – Better to Stepping stone – It’s either favourite, but comes at a go quick on these. slow and steady or a fast price. blast. AND FINALLY… SEASON 1: THE FIRST AEROCATS