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[Renault Sport UK] F1 Visit For Renault Sport Championship Leaders |
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Friday, 28 April 2006 |
F1 VISIT FOR RENAULT SPORT CHAMPIONSHIP LEADERS
Ten drivers in Renault Sport Championships were given a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into the world of Formula One when they attended an official Renault F1 Team test at Silverstone on Thursday, 27th April as guests of Renault UK. The drivers are the current leaders of the Formula Renault UK with Michelin, Formula Renault BARC and ELF Renault Clio Cup Championships, plus the leaders of the three Renault backed Super One Karting Championships, Renault Formula A, Renault Formula ICA and Renault Formula JICA.
The day began at 10.30am with a chance for the drivers to pit themselves against each other in the Renault F1 Team Grand Prix simulator, completing a three-lap race around the 3.194-mile Silverstone circuit, home of the British Grand Prix. Youth won over experience as Renault Formula ICA star Lee Bell set a best lap time of 1min 24.9s, just 0.2s ahead of Formula Renault BARC Championship leader Richard Singleton, Renault Formula JICA leader Oliver Rowland and Renault Formula A leader Riki Christodoulou.
As the Formula One testing stopped for a one-hour lunch break, all the drivers had the opportunity to meet two of Renault F1 Team’s drivers. 2006 Malaysian Grand Prix winner Giancarlo Fisichella posed with Renault F1 Team’s third and test driver Heikki Kovalainen, who competed in the Formula Renault UK Championship in 2001, along with the 10 drivers aspiring to follow in their wheel tracks. Each driver also had their portrait taken with Finnish sensation Kovalainen.
After the lunch break, which included a question and answer session with Kovalainen, a member of the Renault Driver Development Programme, the prize winners were led on a tour of the test by a member of the Renault F1 Team. This included a visit to the team garage, pitlane, paddock and team race trucks and a tour of the circuit to get a close-up view of the awe-inspiring cars in action.
In the team garage, an area where access is strictly prohibited for members of the public, the group were able to watch the highly skilled engineers prepare the car for each stint of testing and see each driver’s preparations for their time on track. They were also shown the telemetry system used to record and analyse the performance of the car.
Access to the pitlane enhanced the sounds of an authentic Formula One test as well as the sights. The two Renault R26 cars passed within a few feet of the watching crowd at speeds more than 60mph. Exiting the pit garage to begin their testing laps, the 2.4-litre V8 engine roared to life producing a deafening noise at close quarters.
While visiting the team paddock there was a chance to handle some key components of the R26 Formula One car including a carbon-fibre wishbone from the car’s suspension and a replica steering wheel. Packed with dials and buttons, the steering wheel allows the driver to control numerous aspects of the car’s performance and is the single-most expensive piece of equipment at a cost of around
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