“Both drivers are still looking to improve the balance of the car, but I am happy with the work we’ve done as we have been able to evaluate the tyres and look at some different set-up options.”
Denis Chevrier [Renault – head of engine track operations]:
“We only visit this circuit once a year, so our Friday programme was especially busy as we had to try a lot of different set-up solutions to allow the drivers to feel comfortable on the circuit. It is difficult to draw many conclusions from the practice sessions, but at least we were able to complete our programme without any problems. We also know we were not the only team to suffer with the track conditions. It is therefore a good basis to work on for tomorrow.”
Willy Rampf [BMW Sauber – technical director]:
”We could not complete our programme as planned. This was because on the one hand the weather conditions were changing, and on the other Robert had a mechanical problem with the car’s rear suspension in the first session.
“In the afternoon everything worked well and we concentrated on comparing tyres, and also did some set-up changes. Now we shall analyse the data to find the best set-up for this demanding track. On Saturday and Sunday it is supposed to stay dry.”
Dieter Gass [Toyota – chief race and test engineer]:
“Even though the weather was changeable, we still made it through our programme and we collected the information that we wanted. It was a positive day and we are in slightly better shape than we were in Barcelona. The cold weather doesn’t seem to have changed too much about the circuit.
“In the morning the track was cleaned at the last minute and there were damp spots, but it was not a problem for us. We planned to go out late anyway because we know the circuit is dirty here at the start. That also means the tyres are difficult to evaluate because the track evolves through the sessions.
