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Formula One
F1: Renault Keeping Monza F-Duct Options Open
Renault will likely try a normal Monza wing on one car on Friday with a higher downforce F-Duct wing on the other...
Adam Cooper  | http://www.speedtv.com  |  Posted September 06, 2010   Balen (BEL)
Renault's Formula One effort currently includes a two-car team with drivers Robert Kubica (Pictured) and Vitaly Petrov. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
Renault is yet to decide whether to run with or without an F-Duct at Monza this weekend, so it seems likely that the team will try both configurations.

Most teams running the technology have been coy about what their plans are, but the likelihood is that they may try a normal Monza wing on one car on Friday with a higher downforce F-Duct wing on the other.

Robert Kubica admitted that it’s not easy to assess form going into the race.

“It’s hard to say and I think this will be a very interesting weekend to judge the performance of the cars,” said Kubica in a Renault preview. “Spa was a good example of how powerful the F-duct can be and we were immediately more competitive and closer to the front when we fitted it.

“The effect will be less powerful in Monza because the cars run with less drag, but there will be still be an advantage, so we need to see which teams use it and if we are able to as well. This circuit can sometimes throw up some surprises, so I prefer to stay cautious when it comes to predictions. But if the car feels as good as it did in Spa, then there’s no reason why we won’t be competitive in Monza.”

Technical director James Allison added: “Monza has such long straights and so few corners that it requires much smaller wings than any other track. To add further complication, the F-duct is a potential alternative option for Monza. Like several other teams, we too are evaluating whether we can make the device work in the particular, low-downforce environment of Monza.”
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Meanwhile, Kubica says that driving a low downforce car at Monza is always a special challenge: “It’s like being at the wheel of a completely different car. At the start of the weekend, you think that the rear end is very unstable, but in fact that’s how it stays all the time, and you never quite find the grip and stability you’re used to at other circuits.

“That makes it a bigger challenge for the drivers, and I also enjoy the fact that there’s a lot of heavy braking, where you approach the braking points at very high speed and need to be extremely precise. It’s not easy to pick them up or to hit the apex of the corners.”

Adam Cooper notched up his 25th season as a racing journalist in 2009. Born in London, England, he saw his first F1 race at age 10 in 1976. He began freelancing for Autosport magazine in 1985 and was on the fulltime staff from 1987-92. He then went freelance again, initially spending two years in Japan before following the 1994 Champcar series from a base in Indianapolis. He has not missed a Grand Prix since Suzuka ‘94, a run that has extended to Abu Dhabi ’09. Adam has written books about Eddie Irvine, Piers Courage and Michael Schumacher and hosts a race preview show on Sirius XM. He has written about F1 for SPEEDtv.com since 2005. Check out Adam's Blog or follow him on Twitter

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