Casting light: "Keep on hassling Ferrari, fair and square"

Jean-Francois Caubet, the Renault Formula q Teams communication Director

“We did what we said we’d do in 2004: finish on the podium (and we even came within a whisker of second place). We started the championship with a new engine which was developed in only nine months. We gradually stepped up performance without compromising reliability. Although the R24 chassis is more difficult than its predecessor, it brought a substantial gain in performance and taught us a lot about the single seater’s dynamic behaviour. The way we handled the technical transition this season, and what we have learned from it, will give us even more of a competitive edge this season. Especially as Renault started working towards the new regulations last summer, sacrificing a bit of performance in late 2004 in order to make things easier in 2005. These changes are good for big teams which have enough resources to make the most of the regulations. But our engine is in phase with our goals, as the R25 chassis allows us to recover a lot of the performance that the new regulations have forced us to relinquish. As we tackle the 2005 season, we hope to keep on hassling Ferrari, fair and square. We will be aiming for a world title 2005-2006.”

Last year was already unusual for engine builders, who had to deal with a rule which allowed teams to use only one engine throughout the race weekend. In practice, this required engine lifetimes to be doubled, emphasizing reliability rather than pure performance. In turn, this had a considerable impact on the lubricant (which is an engine component in its own right. According to Nicolas Moulet, the Renault formula q teams technical interface with ELF: “Renault and ELF have dealt with this stage well. In 2005 the regulations will be changed again, doubling engine lifetime requirements. Teams will have to se the same engine for two race weekends. But as we are aiming even higher, our team will have to push the balance between reliability and performance even further.” Every details counts in this optimization process which it will reshuffle the cards for the big teams.

At the heart of the matter
Olivier Datrebande, ELF’s Technical Manager on the Formula 1 programme, continues: “We’re learning more about interactions between lubricants and other engine components all the time, mainly via our dedicated test benches and modeling software, the results of which are shared with Renault. Thanks to the trust and stability underlying our relationship, we are working side by side with our partner firm and our suggestions count. Our work is one of the factors which shape the technical decisions made by the Renault Formula 1 team”. A system of reliable and reproducible measurements could be one of the keys to this new season. Nicolas Moulet continues, “Lubricant analyses, which provide a reading on the engines state of wear while it is in operation, will actually be crucial in 2005. On that score, we are glad to be able to count on a solid and professional brand like ELF, which provides lubricant analysts for every race.” So all the lights appear to be green for the season’s start on Melbourne circuit (in Australia) in March.


Article by: ELF Lub International Magazine N° 12 - Winter 2004/2005