By Renault F1
November 28 2006

The Renault F1 Team got back on track to begin winter testing today in Barcelona. After a five-week rest, F1 roared back into life this week at the Circuit de Catalunya, near Barcelona.

Renault F1 Team testing with Bridgestone tyres.

The world champion Renault F1 Team returned to the track for a three-day test with Heikki Kovalainen and Nelson Piquet Jr. in action at the wheel of the R26.

The programme for this first test back was simple: learning about the new Bridgestone tyres. Everything about the tyres is new for 2007, and in order to arrive in Melbourne on the pace, the team has a major learning curve to negotiate with the Japanese tyres to collect and understand as much data as possible. The same goes for the drivers, who need to comprehend the tyres’ characteristics and the driving style they need to get the best from them.

This session also gives the world champions the opportunity to begin testing components for the 2007 car to ensure optimum reliability for the opening races. The old F1 saying says that “if you’re standing still, you’re going backwards”, and the team is working with a clear focus on staying ahead of the competition.

Heikki Kovalainen
“We had a very interesting first day at Barcelona running the Bridgestone tyres, and I think we collected a lot of important data. The tyres are very different to those I have used so far in Formula 1: there is less grip overall*, and we need to be a bit more careful in how we drive as well as adapting our style. But I am already confident I can adapt to them quickly, and that the team will have no problems understanding how to get the best from them.”

Nelson Piquet Jr
“This was my first day of F1 testing at Barcelona, and I completed my programme without any problems and did a lot of laps. I am quite pleased with this first day because my aim was simply to run as much as possible to continue learning about the car.”

Christian Silk, Chief Test Engineer
“This was a good first day back at work for the team and the drivers. We primarily focused on learning about the new Bridgestone tyres, going about the work in our usual methodical way without worrying about topping the timesheets. It is always important to learn and understand how we need to work with a new partner. We began that process today at the track, and will continue to develop our partnership throughout this week of testing.”


By the end of the day, both Renault cars had completed their programmes. Heikki Kovalainen finished 12th in 1:19.188 while Nelsinho finished 9th fastest with a lap of 1:18.848.

The team will continue testing until Thursday.

* The 2007-specification tyres were expected to provide less grip than those used during the 2006 season, as they are generally made of harder compounds, as well as providing a wider operating