Renault ready for on-track fight

Denis Chevrier, the Renault F1 Team's Head of Engine Operations, is already excited: today's race should be an exciting spectacle!

Q: Denis, how has the weekend gone so far?

Denis Chevrier: Pretty well I think. We had some problems on Friday morning, but that hasn't cost us for the rest of the weekend. The tyre choice on Friday was the right one, the chance of rain seems to be diminishing for the race, and the C spec RS25 has run without any problems. For the moment, everything looks good.

Q: Kimi Raikkonen's engine has not been the most reliable in recent races. Will you be trying to put pressure on him throughout the race?

DC: We don't plan to let him win easily! We must stay within our safety margins with the engine, but we will be pushing 100% from the first to last laps. There is still a long way to go in the season, and we have a small advantage in the championship, but that doesn't mean we can afford to be cautious. We won't take any unnecessary risks, but the main aim is still to win the race.

Q: Will you be able to push for maximum performance with the C spec RS25?

DC: We are already very familiar with this engine, even though it is running its second race for the first time. There are rules for how we use the engine, and we stick to them. If by any chance we have a problem, it won't be because we have used the engine incorrectly.

Q: What do you expect your level of competitiveness to be?

DC: It is hard to say. Looking at qualifying and free practice, it is fair to say that the battle for the win will be between McLaren and Renault. We have two cars at the front of the field, and our rivals have just one. What's more, we are always much more competitive in the race than qualifying. Now we need to wait and see how strategies and the race itself unfold, but we are in a good position to make a fight of it.

-renault-