GP RACING APRIL 2020 55
that while in his previous role as a consultant at
McLaren there was “some low-hanging fruit” in
terms of improving both the design process and
the product. Renault offers a bigger challenge: he
wants to “get involved withthe 2020 car” even
though it carries inherent compromise.
“The initial concept of the car was set with a
different technical director, a different head of
aerodynamics,” says executive director Marcin
Budkowski. “So I’d be lying to you if I said there
was no difference of opinion. There are always
differences of opinions. I’m sure if Pat was there
at the time he might have made slightlydifferent
choices, but it’s not to say that the current
choices are wrong.
“At the end of the day, there arekey people who
make th e key decisions and their information is
based on experi ence, based on whatthe tools are
telling us about thelevel of development.”
Given the turbulent end to last season in terms
of personnel changes, Renault has resisted acomplete change of car concept. Butthat also
carries a fair amount of risk because the RS19
proved resistant to developments. The RS20 is
essentially a debugged a version of last year’s
concept – or, as Renault figurehead Alain Prost
put it at the team launch, an “optimisation” of it.
Aerodynamic performance was a key area
in which there was a shortfall, but not the only
one. Renault has been struggling with chassis
dynamics, particularly suspension compliance,
since its innovative active ride system was
outlawed in 2012, when the teamwas racing as
Lotus. It had been a leader in such technologies- including the tuned mass dampers banned
in 2006. But the clampdown on active ride
coincidedwith the beginning of the team’s
decline and financial problems during Genii
Capital’s ownershiplast decade; rival teams have
made better progress on fully passive concepts.
Where once Renaults and Lotuses swept over
kerbs and bumps with almost disdainful hauteur,
in recent years simplytouching themprompted
laptime-sapping discombobulation.
Successive changes to the suspension
design haven’t improved mattersenough.
Team management also felt the aerodynamics
department was a little too focused on what
other teams were doing, and the issues
with that methodology came to a head last
season as upgrades failed to transform the
RS19’s performance.
“There really is a change in the way we
work [now],” explains Abiteboul. “In the past
at Enstone, and that’s what frustrated me a
lot, when we sawsomethingin a [rival team’s]
car, we just took it anddidn’t try to understand
it too much.
“We’ve also emphasized this notion of realistic
objectives, of working in a slightly more calm PICTURE:MARKSUTTONGP RACING APRIL 2020 55
that while in his previous role as a consultant at
McLaren there was “some low-hanging fruit” in
terms of improving both the design process and
the product. Renault offers a bigger challenge: he
wants to “get involved withthe 2020 car” even
though it carries inherent compromise.
“The initial concept of the car was set with a
different technical director, a different head of
aerodynamics,” says executive director Marcin
Budkowski. “So I’d be lying to you if I said there
was no difference of opinion. There are always
differences of opinions. I’m sure if Pat was there
at the time he might have made slightlydifferent
choices, but it’s not to say that the current
choices are wrong.
“At the end of the day, there arekey people who
make th e key decisions and their information is
based on experi ence, based on whatthe tools are
telling us about thelevel of development.”
Given the turbulent end to last season in terms
of personnel changes, Renault has resisted a
complete change of car concept. Butthat also
carries a fair amount of risk because the RS19
proved resistant to developments. The RS20 is
essentially a debugged a version of last year’s
concept – or, as Renault figurehead Alain Prost
put it at the team launch, an “optimisation” of it.
Aerodynamic performance was a key area
in which there was a shortfall, but not the only
one. Renault has been struggling with chassis
dynamics, particularly suspension compliance,
since its innovative active ride system was
outlawed in 2012, when the teamwas racing as
Lotus. It had been a leader in such technologies- including the tuned mass dampers banned
in 2006. But the clampdown on active ride
coincidedwith the beginning of the team’s
decline and financial problems during Genii
Capital’s ownershiplast decade; rival teams have
made better progress on fully passive concepts.
Where once Renaults and Lotuses swept over
kerbs and bumps with almost disdainful hauteur,
in recent years simplytouching themprompted
laptime-sapping discombobulation.
Successive changes to the suspension
design haven’t improved mattersenough.
Team management also felt the aerodynamics
department was a little too focused on what
other teams were doing, and the issues
with that methodology came to a head last
season as upgrades failed to transform the
RS19’s performance.
“There really is a change in the way we
work [now],” explains Abiteboul. “In the past
at Enstone, and that’s what frustrated me a
lot, when we sawsomethingin a [rival team’s]
car, we just took it anddidn’t try to understand
it too much.
“We’ve also emphasized this notion of realistic
objectives, of working in a slightly more calm PICTURE:MARKSUTTON