Malaysia- Friday Practice
By Renault F1
March 17 2006
The Renault F1 Team completed a trouble-free opening day of practice for the 2006 Malaysian Grand Prix in the humid heat of Sepang today. As will become the norm in 2006, running was extremely restricted in the opening practice session, and only marginally less so in the second
The teams limited their mileage in order to find the most effective compromise between the running required for tyre and set-up evaluations, and economising engine mileage.
The two Renault drivers completed just installation laps in the opening session, before one short run and one long run in the second hour of practice. They immediately found the R26 to be well-balanced and performing well in the high-speed corners, while the Michelin tyres seemed well suited to the tropical conditions, delivering very consistent performance. The set-ups still require fine-tuning this evening, but the team has had a promising start to the weekend, with the cars finishing well up the timesheets.
Fernando Alonso, 17 laps total, P3, 1:35.806
We did our job today and the R26 seems competitive. Sepang is a great circuit to drive, one of my favourites, and I was very happy to be out there this afternoon. The heat is really difficult – not just in the car, but in the garage when you stop and there is no ventilation while you are in the car. We have made the usual modifications, but as a driver, you just need to be ready for it, and well prepared. The car is easy to drive here, but we still need more grip and some small changes to the balance. But I think we have a good starting point for the rest of the weekend.
Giancarlo Fisichella, 16 laps total, P6, 1:36.182
I didn’t put a clean lap together on new tyres today, but the car was very consistent indeed on the long run this afternoon. We made some adjustments during the second session, and we have got more to do tonight, but we are definitely moving in the right direction. The car is very stable in the high speed corners, but we need to eliminate a little oversteer in the slower parts. Overall, though, the Renault is consistent and quick here. I am happy this afternoon.
Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering
We once again limited our running owing to the increased mileage required in the new qualifying session. We fully achieved our objectives for the day, with both R26 chassis enjoying a consistent handling balance from the first run onwards. The engines and tyres are both performing well in the very hot conditions.
Denis Chevrier, Head of Trackside Engine Operations
Engine builders like nothing more than trouble-free days at the track, and that’s exactly what we experienced in Sepang. The RS26 V8 is running well, and as usual, our Friday programme consisted of fine-tuning the mapping, and ensuring the engines were coping with the demands of the high temperatures. We obtained the answers we wanted, and have experienced no incidents during the day. It has been a solid start to the weekend.
Friday second practice times from Sepang
1. DAVIDSON Honda 1m35.041s
2. WURZ Williams 1m35.388s
3. ALONSO Renault 1m35.806s
4. MASSA Ferrari 1m35.924s
5. RAIKKONEN McLaren 1m36.132s
6. FISICHELLA Renault 1m36.182s
7. M.SCHUMACHER Ferrari 1m36.617s
8. BUTTON Honda 1m36.661s
9. VILLENEUVE BMW 1m37.045s
10. BARRICHELLO Honda 1m37.270s
11. TRULLI Toyota 1m37.317s
12. HEIDFELD BMW 1m37.418s
13. KUBICA BMW 1m37.457s
14. MONTOYA McLaren 1m37.463s
15. LIUZZI Toro Rosso 1m37.590s
16. COULTHARD Red Bull 1m37.603s
17. R.SCHUMACHER Toyota 1m37.695s
18. JANI Toro Rosso 1m37.831s
19. SPEED Toro Rosso 1m37.926s
20. WEBBER Williams 1m38.081s
21. ROSBERG Williams 1m38.205s
22. MONDINI MF1 1m38.256s
23. KLIEN Red Bull 1m38.644s
24. ALBERS MF1 1m38.918s
25. DOORNBOS Red Bull 1m39.105s
26. MONTEIRO MF1 1m39.416s
27. SATO Super Aguri 1m41.549s
28. IDE Super Aguri 1m43.164s
Friday first practice times from Sepang
1. WURZ Williams 1m34.946s
2. KUBICA BMW 1m35.733s
3. DAVIDSON Honda 1m35.997s
4. MONTOYA McLaren 1m36.709s
5. COULTHARD Red Bull 1m37.042s
6. M.SCHUMACHER Ferrari 1m37.043s
7. MASSA Ferrari 1m37.557s
8. DOORNBOS Red Bull 1m37.604s
9. R.SCHUMACHER Toyota 1m37.826s
10. KLIEN Red Bull 1m38.448s
11. JANI Toro Rosso 1m38.668s
12. TRULLI Toyota 1m38.837s
13. SPEED Toro Rosso 1m39.599s
14. MONTEIRO MF1 1m39.899s
15. MONDINI MF1 1m40.092s
16. LIUZZI Toro Rosso 1m40.123s
17. ALBERS MF1 1m40.608s
18. SATO Super Aguri 1m41.072s
19. IDE Super Aguri 1m43.449s
20. RAIKKONEN McLaren no time
21. ALONSO Renault no time
22. FISICHELLA Renault no time
23. VILLENEUVE BMW no time
24. HEIDFELD BMW no time
25. WEBBER Williams no time
26. ROSBERG Williams no time
27. BARRICHELLO Honda no time
28. BUTTON Honda no time