Interview with
Jean-Pierre Boudy Chief Engineer, Peugeot
F1 engines Prior to the Monaco Grand Prix
When you take
into account the remarkable progress made in F1
engine development, can one still describe Monaco as
a unique track which makes special demands in terms
of engine preparation?
"Monaco is not a
typical circuit because it is one of the rare tracks
where the engine revs drop to extremely low levels-as
in Budapest and in the La Source hairpin
section at Spa-Francorchamps. The revs go to
around 5000-6000rpm which is quite a contrast to
running at Imola where they run at full throttle for
65% of the lap. To prepare for Monaco we make some
small modifications but there is nothing fundamental.
The differences between the engines we run in Imola,
Brazil or Monaco are minimal."
How many times
in a lap of Monaco do the revs drop that low?
"It is most
obvious visible in the Rascasse section and at
the Loews hairpin. The difficulty comes when
the driver accelerates from very low revs at the exit
of this kind of comer - the Rascasse, the Loews and
to some extent at the Anthony Noghes corner which
leads onto the start-finish straight. He has to be
able to control the power in all circumstances but at
these places in particular. The goal of the
engine-builder is to keep the power curve as smooth
as possible because if the power arrives too quickly
it can cause uncontrollable wheelspin and you need to
avoid that. This is the first thing to take into
account. So far this season our drivers have not
complained about wheelspin but we are not overlooking
the possibility. With every Grand Prix we are making
progress with the way power can be used. At Imola,
for example, we refined the engine-map of our V10 to
get the most out of it."
When you are
setting up an engine do you have to make compromises
and sacrifice one aspect of an engine in favour of
another - as chassis engineers have to do?
"Absolutely, when
we are faced with brutal power delivery you have to
try and get rid of it. That means one has to
sacrifice something. I don't want to go into too much
detail about that."
Do the drivers
immediately notice such changes?
"Sure. They feel
that the engine is easier to use but they are also
aware that what has been lost is not as important as
the ability to use the horsepower."
Despite the
considerable progress that has been made, is the
Monaco track still a difficult one for the
engine-builder and thus for the driver?
"Our drivers have
not indicated any problems this season and we are
optimistic for Monaco. We will not really know until
after the first day of running after which there is
always the possibility to change things when we are
there."
The Jordan
chassis is very much better than last year, in what
way will this help at Monaco?
"The Jordan
chassis has made a lot of progress in aerodynamic
terms. That means it has more aerodynamic downforce
which translates to better grip for the rear wheels.
It is this easier to get the power onto the track.
Just to go back to the problems an engine-builder
faces at Monaco, I should add that this race is not
as different as when we were running the 905
sportscars in 500 km races and at the Le Mans 24
Hours. At the time we had two specific engines and
that is not the case in F1."
Have you done
any specific testing to prepare for Monaco or are you
happy that you have been able to reproduce the track
characteristics on the test bed?
"We recently ran
a test on the short circuit at Silverstone but
that was only to check a few small changes, nothing
more than that. I should repeat that from a technical
point of view Monaco does not represent an
insurmountable challenge for an engine-builder. On
the contrary to be reliable and competitive on a
longer track like Hockenheim of Monza
represents more of a challenge."
Despite their
lack of experience, how are you finding working with
Giancarlo Fisichella and Ralf Schumacher?
"Our two drivers
give us good feedback about the engine and we have
not really had any problems in this respect.
Giancarlo is perhaps a little keener to make things
perfect, although Ralf is pretty keen. In terms of
using the engine to the maximum, in general Ralf is
ahead although the difference between the two is
minimal."
Forgetting the
preoccupations of being an engine-builder, what do
you hope the drivers will be able to achieve in
Monaco?
"They calmed
themselves down at Imola, and they must keep going in
that direction in Monaco. Both Giancarlo and Ralf
have already raced on this track and so they know
that the smallest mistake can be very costly: If they
get it wrong it’s the barriers and the
cranes..."
April 29 1997
Mosley resolute on
new regulations
Max Mosley,
President of the FIA, attacked Jacques Villeneuve's
recent criticism of the 1998 proposed rule changes in
a special press conference in Monaco on Saturday and
stated that there was no prospect of revoking the new
regulations due to be implemented next season. "As
far as Jacques Villeneuve is concerned, he has said
several things. If the 1998 specification cars are
not ‘fun' to drive, as he suggested, then I am
sorry," explained the President. "When
he stated that because racing cars slow down more
rapidly on big tyres and therefore crash with less
energy, he was demonstrably wrong. And when he
claimed that slower drivers would find it easier on
grooved tyres to stay close to the most skilled
drivers, all evidence is to the contrary. Indeed, if
you believe that, you wipe out the history of
motorsport. In effect, Jacques suggested that all
racing drivers were mediocre until he came
along." Mosley continued, "As far as
overtaking is concerned, Jacques said that on grooved
tyres the braking distances would be no greater and
that cars will be uncontrollable going into corners.
But I believe that Damon Hill
may be right in his separate contention that if
braking distances are longer and a driver brakes
late, then his car will indeed be uncontrollable,
because it will be going too fast. I think the
drivers will learn how to handle their cars on
grooved tyres." (see separate story).
Villeneuve refused to comment any further saying "I
just don’t agree with Max."
Hill cautiously
optimistic in ‘grooved’ controversy.
After recent testing
with grooved Bridgestone tyres in Barcelona,
Damon Hill found his Arrows slower and less
enjoyable to drive, but was cautiously entheusiastic
as to the possibilities for overtaking: "You
don’t get the buzz from going flat out through
the corners. You actually have to drive the car more
and you have to slide the car, drift it and play with
the throttle." He said. "Obviously,
the more grip, the more corners will be taken flat
out. This means that as there are fewer corners where
you are required to drive the car and there will be
less difference between the good and less good
drivers." Regarding Villeneuve’s
comments about having less ‘fun’ in the new
spec cars, Hill continued, "Jacques says he
wants it to be more dangerous, well, it will be, so
he shouldn't complain about it. I think it is
difficult to quantify how much safer it is going to
be. The cars will corner slower and you will have
less grip in the faster corners, so you may stand a
higher chance of falling off."
Hill tries to
comfort Arrows, but he may be Jordan - bound with
Mercedes cash
...or Prost...or
Benetton...or Sauber...or...
Hill...Hill...Hill...Hill...
Damon Hill was
also in the spotlight after comments he made when his
TWR Arrows car failed to finish once again at
Imola three weeks ago. He was at pains to point out
exactly what he had said when he met the press in
Monaco. "My remark was to inform people like
you of the situations and the problems which we face
as a team. It wasn't a threat at all, it was a
statement of fact, a statement about the situation.
On the grid at Imola it was obviously not very
pleasing to have another leak. Everyone on the team
knows it has got to be fixed, instead of continually
pulling our car back into the garage, we want to make
progress. We want to do well and everyone is keen to
see that happen as soon as possible."
Hill's name is already
being linked to a number of teams next season
including McLaren, Prost, Jordan and Benetton.
Patrick Head, Hill’s former technical
director at Williams, knows him as well as
anybody and doesn’t think that Tom Walkinshaw
will be able to hold him for next year. "Either
Walkinshaw can provide the car he wants or he will
look for it elsewhere." He said. "Hill
is a well-sorted type who doesn’t want to spend
his life at the back of the grid. I’m sure he
would rather be at home with his wife and children
than doing that." Hill was being tight
lipped about his options. "I haven't spoken
my views on anything yet," he said. "I'm
investigating all possibilities, but right now I'm
focusing on Arrows. Anything else is very much hot
air, I'm afraid."
The hot rumour
floating around the pit lane, is that whilst engaging
in conversation with Ron Dennis regarding a
future drive with McLaren (see previous Speed
news update), Jordan could be looking to do a
deal with Mercedes who would bankroll
Hill’s drive with the Silverstone based company
in exchange for the young German Ralf Schumacher
currently signed on a two year contract with the
team. Mercedes are anxious to get their hands on the
German after missing the opportunity of netting his
older brother Michael. Whether Hill would agree is
another matter and seeing as his close friend, top
aerodynamicist Adrian Newey is about to join
the Woking based team and his former mechanic at
Williams, David Brown is currently working with David
Coulthard, McLaren could be the ideal home from
home for him. With contracts on both McLaren drivers,
Coulthard and Mika Hakinnen about to expire,
it looks likely that there will be changes within the
team for 1998. Expressing his admiration for Hill,
Dennis as expected, remained vague about the whole
thing. "Damon has won races and
championships, but we will not reach the point where
we look at this situation for a couple of months or
so. It's easy to make a decision based on emotional
grounds, picking up somebody from one place and
putting them down in another," he said.
"But objectively, I can't really see any reason
for changing our current drivers. Both have the
potential to get the job done. We just have to give
them the best car."
Alain Prost, it
appears, has also been talking with Hill. The Paris
based team would love to have him although Prost said
that ‘it was too early to come to any firm
decisions’. Sauber on the other hand
would love Hill to partner No 1 driver Johnny
Herbert and Max Welti team director, seen
in conversation with Hill during recent testing at Barcelona,
is known to be unhappy with 2nd man Nicola Larini’s
performances. Whether Ferrari protege, Larini’s
departure would affect Saubers supply of
Ferrari’s V-10 engines or not, remains to be
seen.
Prost in a likewise
situation is desperate to replace Shinji Narkano
with test driver Emanuele Collard for the
remainder of the season. It is thought however, that
the Mugen-Honda protege and Fiance to the daughter of
Mugen’s Chairman, Hirotoshi Honda (see
Speed Motorsport News earlier update), will
stay on despite uncompetitive performances so far
this year. "I am struggling to find a way to
drive the car" Said the Japanese "I
have a one year contract and they haven’t said
anything about this to me."
Barnard could turn
Arrows into a race winner....
As reported earlier,
former Ferrari designer John Barnard has
joined TWR and will design the 1998 car. Frank
Dernie, who designed this year's car and is not a
great fan of Barnard’s, has left the company.
Ever optimistic and stating the rather obvious,
Walkinshaw said, "We have to strengthen our
engineering side and it is the one area we are
lacking in." Hill might be thinking that he
wished he had known about this shortfall before he
signed on for the year and was understandably
cautious when asked if it would make any difference
to his performance with the team. "I hope
Barnard will make a considerable difference."
He commented, "Making changes is not like
flicking a switch and we are stuck with the
fundamental design. John will only increase the
chances of Arrows producing a race winning car for
next season."
In further attempts to
secure Hill’s signature for next year, TWR boss
Tom Walkinshaw is known to be chasing an engine deal
for next season. He has been talking to Mugen
Honda, Mecachrome for Renault and Yamaha,
who supply this year's engines. Yamaha appear to be
last on his list at the moment however, after
extremely disappointing figures during recent testing
of the new spec V-10. "At the moment I don't
want to be drawn into this debate," he said.
"Anything I say will just lead to
speculation upon more speculation. I would be unhappy
if Damon was not disatisfied with his car.
At the moment there is no dialogue with Damon and I
don't believe he is in serious dialogue with anyone
else."
....but not with
Yamaha
Despite extensive
testing in Barcelona and Magny Cours the New version Yamaha
D-Spec engine originally promised for Imola, has
proved to be less powerful than its C-spec
predecessor. Yamaha’s claims that it would be at
least five percent more powerful, are thought to be
wide of the mark. "The engine ran well,"
Said Hill, "but it didn’t show any
improvement in horsepower." The Yamaha was
to have been used for the first time this coming
weekend in Barcelona but it now looks unlikely that
it will be used at all. Hill thinks that Arrows will
have to use the original spec engine that so far, has
failed him four times out of five and has shown
absolutely no prospect for the future. "The
new engine hasn’t shown too much promise."
Hill said at Magny Cours last week. "We
shall be using the same engine, probably for the rest
of the season."
Estoril. Grand Prix
cancelled...reinstated...cancelled
Despite the news this
week that the Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril
had been cancelled and replaced by a ‘European
Grand Prix’ at Jerez in Spain due to
doubts raised over the completion of FIA
recommended modifications, Portugal's Economic
Affairs Minister, Augusto Mateus denied that
Estoril had lost its season-finale. He stated that
the race, due to take place on October 26th, had
apparantly ‘only been delayed two weeks’
to give time for repairs to the circuit, the
government guaranteeing the modifications, which are
expected to cost $6 million.
A terse statement
issued by the FIA on Thursday (15th) said: "Because
of uncertainties as to the status of the work
required at the Estoril circuit, the Grand Prix to be
held on 26 October will take place at Jerez and will
be known as the ‘European Grand Prix’. It
is hoped that works at the Estoril circuit will be
completed soon and that the Portuguese Grand Prix
will re-appear on the World Championship calendar in
the near future."
It was however
confirmed by Portuguese Automobile Club chairman Alfredo
Torres, that Mateus had received later
notification from the FIA confirming the rescheduling
of the race for November 9th. The FIA deny this, but
did issue a further ```statement recognising that
improvements are indeed underway.
"The FIA has
received confirmation from the Portuguese Minister
for Economic Affairs, Mr Augusto Mateus, that
extensive works needed at the Estoril circuit will be
carried out without delay. Having regard to the
excellent relations which have now been established
with the Portuguese government, the FIA is confident
that the Portuguese Grand Prix will be back on the
FIA Formula One World Championship calendar for 1998
and thereafter and hopeful that Formula One cars can
run again at Estoril before the end of 1997."
Torres also stated
that the date for the Grand Prix at Jerez still
stood, thereby filling up the available slots in the
FIA calender. Teams belonging to the Concorde
Agreement would now have to agree to the new date
for Estoril, which would effectively extend the
season, raising the total number of races to 18. A
decision is expected at Barcelona this coming
weekend.
Dubious video
‘editing’ suggested by Italian court
The ‘Senna
trial’, scheduled to resume on May 13th is awash
with new allegations of falsification. Talking about
the video footage collated from the
‘car-cam’ of Ayrton Senna’s
Williams, Italian prosecutor Maurizio Pasarini
told reporters: "I am certain that the
pictures supplied by the FOCA are incomplete." The
video recording from Senna's car, the court was told,
ended 0.9sec before the Brazilian's fatal impact with
the wall at Imola's Tamburello curve. The FOCA TV
Director was able to select live feeds from a number
of on board cameras attatched to half a dozen cars
and it was commonly thought at the time that, in one
of the biggest gaffs of live sport coverage, he
switched camera views from Senna’s car to the
Benetton of Michael Schumacher, at precicely the
wrong moment. No foul play has ever been suggested
until now. FOCA TV, are looking into the possibility
of commencing libel proceedings against Pasarini.
FOCA boss Bernie Ecclestone is due to appear
on May 14th and Damon Hill on June 2nd.
Stewart left in the
cold
Boss of the new and
promising Stewart Racing, Jackie Stewart
is unhappy with his treatment by the FOCA saying that
his team should be entitled to a share of the TV
revenue that it split amongst all Concorde Agreement
members. Despite not being eligible for any handout
until next year, or for that matter, yet being a
signtory to the Agreement, he feels that his team is
getting exposure on TV and therefore should expect
some reward. "We have taken legal
advice." He said. "There is a
considerable economic question involved here and we
are searching for information more than anything else
at present." To add insult to injury, the
FOCA sited the Stewart motorhome and garage in a
multi-story car park, high on the hill in front of
the pits for the duration of the Monaco Grand Prix
and it was christened ‘Alcatraz’. Boss
Bernie Ecclestone in his usual subtle manner
responded: "Stewart always wanted to be close
to the royals, I've put him up there."
Testing times in
Barcelona...
With 8 teams testing
at the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona,
the Williams' drivers were fastest, Jacques
Villeneuve clocking a best lap time of 1m 18.35s.
Heinz-Harald Frentzen was two tenths of a second
down.
The Benson &
Hedges Total Jordan Peugeot team had two sessions
working on suspension, differential and downforce.
Driver Giancarlo Fisichella, 9th with a time
of 1.20.17s, said, "At the moment I am
working on the last two right hand corners as I find
these difficult and I need to make up some more time
here." Ralf Schumacher added, "The
track is quite bumpy and we have to work very hard to
get the right setup. The car has been working well
and I am very optimistic for next week’s
race." The Jordan driver was 5th fastest on
the first day setting a time exactly a second slower
than the Williams driver.
Benetton’s Jean
Alesi concentrated on race setup and a rear
suspension programme on a track with little grip,
setting a best time of 1.18.90s. Gerhard Berger
worked on mechanical and aerodynamic set-ups,
recording a best of 1.20.00s, and is scheduled to
work on front and rear suspension geometry on Friday.
Michael Schumacher
was not going for an overall fast time and completed
a race distance in a Ferrari F310B fitted with the
latest spec 046/2 V10 engine, completing 69 laps with
a best time of 1m 21.6s. Team mate Eddie Irvine
managed a 1m 19.30s and escaped without damage when
he had a major 240Kph spin after 50 laps. Irvine is
scheduled to continue testing on Friday (16th) with
the 046/2 engine while Schumacher will carry out a
back-to-back comparison between the two engine specs.
David Coulthard and
Mika Hakkinen concentrated on improving the
balance of their McLaren chassis, which is still
giving them handling problems and evaluating
different engine specifications. Coulthard managed a
1m 21.53s best on Wednesday while Hakkinen did a 1m
22.06s. On Thursday, their programme was spoiled by
intermittent rain but the team was expected to go
carry out ‘performance work’ the following
day. Coulthard clocked in a 1m 19.75s and Hakkinen,
1m 20.23s.
Team Minardi tested
small suspension changes with Ukyo Katayama
and test driver Tarso Marques. The Japanese
driver managed a best of 1m 21.29s with Marques
posting a 1m 23.15s on Thursday. The team was
delighted by Katayama's performance, as he lapped a
second inside the team's former personal lap record
at the Circuit.
Frank not so frank
in recent global questions & answers session.
What do you
think of Jacques Villeneuve's start in Australia what
should he have done to avoid making another start
like that again?
F.W: "The
start is one of the most critical moments of the
race, and should also be considered the position of
the car on the grid and in fact in Melbourne, it was
on the most favourable line but on the dirty side of
the track. Therefore, I think Jacques cannot be
blamed for this occurrence. He has well proved he is
able to show us very good starts, as well as exciting
racing."
If Jacques
Villeneuve wins the world championship at the end of
the season, will he join the famous list of world
champion drivers (Prost, Mansell, Hill) who have left
you, taking away the famous number 1?
F.W: "The
philosophy of the Williams Renault Team has always
been to equally support both drivers throughout the
whole season and to provide them with the same
chances to win races and the Championship. It has
unfortunately happened in the past that we could not
find an agreement to extend the relationship with
some of the drivers with whom we have shared success
and emotion. But nevertheless, we have very much
appreciated the work and the efforts we have jointly
put in to achieve such success. We hope that these
circumstances will not happen should Jacques
Villeneuve become the 1997 World Champion with the
Williams-Renault team."
How do you reply
to people who maliciously say that you give no credit
to a driver, but that only the car matters for you?
F.W: "The
main goal of the Williams-Renault team is to win
races, the Formula One Constructors Championships and
to provide our drivers with the best opportunity to
win the Drivers World Championship. To achieve this
we have the commitment of many dedicated people at
Williams and of course at Renault Sport. Our drivers
should work with the same eagerness to win and with
the same dedication to technically develop the car in
order to fully exploit the resources that the team
makes available. It is of course very important to
find the human qualities which normally go together
with the technical capabilities and which make the
difference to be true sporting Champion."
Who do you think
will win the drivers' championship in 97?
F.W: "The
Australian GP has just shown that in 1997 the
competition will be very strong and we should not
underestimate teams like Ferrari, McLaren, Benetton
as well as Prost GP. But I definitely hope that the
winner of the 1997 World Drivers Championship is a
member of the Williams-Renault team."
Renault are
pulling out at the end of the season. How will you
manage to stay competitive?
F.W.: "We
know the competence and the potential of Mécachrome
very well since we have been working with them
through Renault Sport over the last 8 years, and we
also know that we share the same will for success and
victories that they have consolidated through their
partnership with Renault Sport for over 20 years. We
are confident that their level of high technology
will still continue to be developed and ensure us a
truly competitive engine. We also feel that this
venture will provide us with new communications and
marketing opportunities to ensure our team to be well
funded in order to meet the requirements necessary to
remain very competitive."
How has Williams
been able to achieve so much success? Hasn't Adrian
Newey been one of the great architects of your
success? Have you got a secret for winning?
F.W.: "The
results that Williams have achieved since 1978 have
always been based on the hard attentive and
professional work of its main asset: the people
working for Williams. Since 1989 this recipe has been
completed by the partnership with Renault Sport with
whom we share the same principles and
philosophy."
At Melbourne,
lap times in qualification were on average 4 to 5
seconds faster than last year. How do you account for
these performances?
F.W: "The
better average performances obtained by all
competitors at the Australian GP are the results of
the research and development work made by the
relevant teams throughout the 1996 Championship and
during the 1997 winter tests which apply during the
whole lap of the circuit, regardless to any specific
circumstances."
Do you envisage
changing tyre supplier in 1998? Especially as there
is talk of grooved tyres next year.
F.W:
"Williams GP Eng. has been since its origin a
Goodyear Team and we have a lot of confidence in
their current work and the work they will be doing to
always remain at the top."
Latest news.....
Latest news..... Latest news..... Latest news.....
Latest news.....
Hill Crashes at
Magny Cours...Yamaha fails Diniz
Damon Hill escaped
unhurt from a crash at Magny-Cours on
Wednesday when his Arrows-Yamaha A18 left the road at
the fast Estoril corner. The team is investigating
the precise cause of the incident which happened
after the World Champion completed 16 laps at the Circuit
de Nevers. On Tuesday Hill had completed 70 laps
with a best time of 1m 17.39s, concentrating on
evaluating tyres and improving the balance of the
car. He eventually stopped when the Yamaha engine ran
out of its allotted mileage. Pedro Diniz tried
the new D-spec version of the Yamaha V10 on Tuesday
and Wednesday. He completed 41 laps on the first day
for a best time of 1m 18.36s but completed only just
over two laps before the engine failed on Wednesday.
Tyrrell tests
Cosworth ED5
The Tyrrell team
had two constructive days testing at Silverstone
where both Mika Salo and Jos Verstappen
used the new Cosworth ED5 V8 engine. Neither
experienced any problem and the initial reports from
the drivers was extremely encouraging, indicating
satisfactory driveability in addition to extra power.
Truly Charismatic
Jarno
The cameras were
rolling with Minardi driver Jarno Trulli the
star. It was not for Minardi however, but co-owners
of the team, Benetton, who had invited the young
Italian to stand in for Gerhard Berger for a
filming session at Barcelona. He was later invited to
drive the car in Wednesday's test where he set a time
of 1m 20.76s, a little over half a second down on
Berger’s fastest time, 1.8s slower than Alesi
and 0.6sec slower than regular test driver Alexander
Wurz.
It is rumoured that
Benetton boss, Flavio Briatore, unhappy with
Alesi’s performance this year, is looking at
Trulli for a possible seat in ’98. It is not
expected that Alesi will continue with the team.
Chris Richardson
May 17th 1997
