#04 RACE PREVIEW RUSSIA Sochi // 28/29/30 April 2017 Content // Cyril Abiteboul // Bob Bell // Nico Hülkenberg // Jolyon Palmer // Sergey Sirotkin // Track Notes Cyril Abiteboul FOREWORD Bahrain showed both another positive step in our progress, and reiterated an area where we must focus our attention. Cyril Abiteboul Renault Sport Racing Managing Director For the first time in the team’s short history, we Nico and Sergey drove in the test and both were able Elsewhere, Renault reiterated its long term qualified both cars in the top ten. This was thanks to to give positive feedback. Sergey impressed us by commitment to Formula 1 by showing the R.S. 2027 at teamwork from everyone at the track and everyone at getting up to speed very quickly in this new generation the Shanghai Motor Show on April 19. The reaction to Enstone and Viry. Nico was able to deliver the fast laps car, despite having not driven since last year. this concept car outlining what Formula 1 could be in whenever needed and Jolyon staged an impressive ten years’ time has been fantastic. We look forward to Sergey will drive in FP1 in Sochi alongside Jolyon. recovery from a difficult FP3. continuing this conversation. Russia is an important market for us and it is good for In the Grand Prix we did score our first points of the them to see their local hero out in action. Finally, last weekend saw the first of our Renault Sport season with Nico, but this joy was tempered by the Academy members get their seasons underway with We’re hoping that the work of the test can be applied acknowledgement that we should have scored more. the opening round of the Formula Renault Eurocup. and all the new parts tested will work as well as they Max Fewtrell, Jarno Opmeer and Sun Yue Yang were Our focus at the factory in Enstone and then at the did in evaluation when we take to the track in Sochi. all in action with some strong potential seen between test in Bahrain which followed the Grand Prix has Both cars in the points in Russia would be a fantastic them at the start of their rookie years in this highly been seeking how to unlock the pace of the R.S.17 in reward and another step forward in our 2017 journey. competitive championship. race conditions. “ Sergey will drive in FP1 in Sochi alongside Jolyon. Russia is an important market for us and it is good for them to see their local hero out in action. ” BOB BELL Engineering Performance After three Grands Prix and one in-season test, Chief Technical Officer Bob Bell looks at the state of play with the R.S.17 heading to the Russian Grand Prix. Bob Bell Renault Sport One Formula One Team Q&A Chief Technical Officer What’s the outlook heading to current car performance. We have you can get away with this over the The big positive is that the car Russia? a reasonable understanding of course of a qualifying lap - where has the basic pace to be able We head to Sochi with a why this is and have a number of fresh tyres can mask the balance to be qualified well. Our current reasonable degree of optimism. developments to address this in issue – the performance is less issue is extracting that pace in We have shown a good the realm of aerodynamics and consistent when you take to the a race scenario. If you have the progression so far in 2017, most suspension. We tested new parts longer runs of race stints. pace the key is maintaining it; it’s notably illustrated by qualifying – including a new front wing – in easier to translate qualifying pace both cars in the top ten for the first Bahrain designed to add more The R.S.17 has a somewhat to race pace than to find basic time in Bahrain as well as securing aero-performance to the car and nervous corner entry, followed performance. our first points finish. There’s no also make it slightly more benign by mid-turn understeer, followed doubt we have work still to do, to engender better race pace. It’s by a nervous exit making finding What’s wanted in Russia? equally it’s clear we’ve taken a a positive of testing somewhere traction a challenge. If we can Our target for Sochi is another tangible step forward. where you’ve just had a Grand Prix address these areas, our drivers step forward from our performance that there is a lot of comparable will have a very effective race car in Bahrain. We’d be happy with a Where’s the current focus of data for evaluation. at their disposal. We believe the similar qualifying position allied to development? problems are aero related, so we’re improved race pace. It’s pretty clear and we’re not Why does the car seem to qualify primarily looking for the solution under any illusion; we are currently better than it races? there. Once we have the entry- qualifying better than we race The R.S.17 is not as well balanced phase of the corner sorted, the rest and that’s a symptom of our as we’d like over a full stint. Whilst should follow more easily. “ The big positive is that the car has the basic pace to be able to be qualified well. ” NICO HÜLKENBERG jolyon palmer jolyon palmer Planning a Revolution Sochi Autodrom has been a positive location for Jolyon Palmer, it being the track where he secured his 2014 GP2 Series championship title, through a race win. After his first top ten qualifying performance in Bahrain, Jolyon’s aiming Jolyon Palmer / Race Driver #30 for his first top ten race finish of 2017. Q&A What are your thoughts on What’s the challenge of Sochi in How do you feel progress has Sochi? a Formula 1 car? been so far this season? “ Getting into the top ten in For me the best thing about It’s a smooth and still pretty new There’s definitely been progress, qualifying for the first time Russia is that I won the first ever track with plenty to think about in but there’s certainly more to GP2 Series race there and that its layout. We’ve seen that it can come. Getting into the top ten in Bahrain was particularly race won me the championship, start with pretty low grip levels at in qualifying for the first time satisfying. ” so I have very good memories of the beginning of the weekend, but in Bahrain was particularly the Sochi Autodrom! I got a great it will be interesting to see how satisfying. I’d struggled a lot in start so led from the first lap but the extra downforce of 2017 copes the FP3 session, so myself and was under a lot of pressure all the with that. Last year we struggled my engineer, Chris Richards, sat way. It’s great to win any race, but to get the car where we wanted in down and we changed the set-up to win a race where you’ve had qualifying but we went better in of the car so it worked far better. pressure at every turn, that’s a real the race. My race in Bahrain was frustrating achievement. as we weren’t able to unlock the pace from the car – which was something Nico suffered from too. The real positive is that the team is taking a step forward at every race so we’re hopeful that Sochi continues in this vein. jolyon palmer NICO HÜLKENBERG nico HüLKENBERG From Russia with Love Nico Hülkenberg heads to Sochi with a sense of satisfaction after a productive Bahrain test as well as wearing a happy face for a track he rather likes. Nico Hülkenberg / Race Driver #27 Q&A What’s the mood headed to Sochi? What are your thoughts of the track when you’re what these areas are and what we need to do to improve I have quite a bit of optimism! I think we made good behind the wheel? them. We want more downforce and to improve the car progress to enable us to improve our race pace for Sochi It’s one of the longer laps of the season and this is aerodynamically and we want to use the tyres better in the when we were testing in Bahrain and we have some new compounded by there being a lot of corners. This makes it race. bits for the car to facilitate this too. Of course, the Sochi a big challenge for any driver as you need to get every turn Autodrom is a completely different circuit, so we can’t in each sector together perfectly, especially in qualifying. What’s you track record like in Russia? accurately predict our relative performance until we get It’s a very quick and flowing track, which is why I like it so I haven’t had the greatest amount of luck in Sochi with two there, but I’m feeling positive. much. There are a number of tricky bits too, especially retirements and a 12th placed finish, so it would be great braking into the corner at the end of the back straight. The to score my first points there in 2017! What do you think of the event? final sector is a bit more technical and slow in its nature, I like travelling to Russia, it’s a cool place and I like the track but overall it’s a fun track.