Montagny: Renault R24 not as stable as R23

By role
April 16 2004

Renault French driver Franck Montagny has been testing the R23B since November. He has clocked thousands of miles in last year challenger, so when he had the chance this wek to try the R24 he was more than ready.

Montagny was sattisfied with the speed of the new car though he recognizes that the new car is not as stable as the R23, something it may have cost the drivers some positions on the grid at races.

"The R24 is quicker than its predecessor, there's no doubt about it. And because you are going through the corners quicker, you need to be a bit more careful - the car is not yet as stable as the R23. In terms of running the car, we are really pushing ourselves. On my first day, I did 160 laps in the car. It gave us some time to get to know each other." He said.

Montagny couldn't wait to put his hands on the new car, specially since he has been present at most of the test and all the races this season:

"For a driver, it is always special when you get to drive a new car for the first time. After watching Jarno and Fernando arce the R24 during the first three races of the season, I was eager to get an idea of the car's performance. As soon as I got behind the wheel, I could feel a difference. There's just as little room - it's still an F1 car! - and I sit a lot lower." Montagny said.

One of the first things he noticed was the engine response:

"It is completely different to the RS23. The power is better, but what I felt immediately was how differently the power is delivered. The power curve is very linear. The progress the team has made is clear. I was also lucky to have my first drive with the B spec, that the team will use at Imola."

Franck has been testing the R24 at the Paul Ricard track on Wednesday and Thursday:

"It went well. I did fewer laps than the day before, but it was a useful programme. The wind was quite strong, and that disrupted my programme a little: it was hard to know how meaningful small gains or losses in performance were, and what the causes might have been. Having said that, we are making progress every day. So far, things look good for Imola. The team is confident, and I can't wait to start running the next programme." He concluded.