Bob, how well do you feel the Silverstone race reflected the true level of performance of the car?
Bob Bell, Technical Director: We knew Fernando would struggle to make an impression from his grid position, and that was borne out in reality. Admittedly, he was not running in free air when his tyres and fuel load were optimum, but whatever the circumstances, we were not as competitive in reality as we should have been, and that was particularly true in Jarno's case. However, what we were particularly reminded of was that any unreliability will cost us: every team's reliability is up, and only one car running ahead of Fernando retired during the race. It is imperative we maintain our hitherto good record in the coming races.
Overall, how delicately poised do you believe the championship situation to be?
BB: We have seen a number of teams challenging Ferrari this season, including ourselves, but nobody has been unable to do so consistently. That no doubt reflects the fact that while we, and our direct competitors, have particular strengths, Ferrari have achieved an extremely high standard in every area of vehicle performance. McLaren have now joined the battle at the front: while many people were very quick to write them off this year, we have never taken that view, but it now remains to be seen whether they can turn their Silverstone pace into consistent race by race speed.
Looking ahead to Hockenheim, what are your performance expectations?
BB: Firstly, I think we will all appreciate getting back into the normal fortnightly rhythm of races after a frantic mid-season period. In terms of performance, Hockenheim could prove a good circuit for us. We ran well there last year, taking third and fourth, and the R24 has been strong at circuits featuring lots of traction events and heavy braking, as Hockenheim does. The cooling on the R24 is extremely good, and this will be important in the high temperatures, plus we will also introduce further aerodynamic developments. Both drivers performed strongly in Germany last year, and we will certainly be hoping to start scoring points again.
An engine update is planned for Hockenheim: what can you tell us about it?
Rob White, Engine Technical Director: In Hockenheim, we plan to race a further evolution of the RS24B. This concludes a cycle of development based on knowledge and experience accrued since the introduction of the RS24B at Imola earlier in the season. Specifically for the German Grand Prix, there are new pieces in the bottom end, and engine operating conditions are customised for the Hockenheim circuit. Further small steps will follow, based on a revised cylinder head from Hungary onwards.
Silverstone saw the first engine failure of the year: what happened, and is it a source of worry?
RW: The failure of the engine in Fernando's car at the end of practice on Saturday came without warning. There was a problem concerning the timing gears that drive the camshafts that had not previously emerged in dyno and track testing. Rapid analysis at Viry allowed a countermeasure to be implemented and dyno tested on the engines for Hockenheim. The engine build group responded fantastically to the inevitable disruption and we are optimistic we have fixed the problem, despite the accelerated approval process.
Hockenheim demands good torque from low engine speeds and the last circuit with this dominant characteristic, Montreal, suited us very well. Is torque a particular strength of the RS24?
RW: The continuous improvements in chassis and tyre performance add relentlessly to the demands on the engine. The search for increased power continuously drives engine speeds upwards, yet low and medium speed performance remains important too. The RS24 has a torque curve and power delivery that is well liked by the drivers. This is a result of well-focussed development by the Viry team and good work by the track engineers in calibrating the engine control systems to the drivers' needs and preferences. However, Silverstone also reinforced the importance of achieving faultless reliability. The target for Hockenheim is to conduct a race weekend without incident, which is always the best starting point for a good race result.
