Renault's Denis Chevrier has allayed concerns that the Australian Grand Prix weekend was an indicator of the kind of track-mileage expected throughout 2004.
On the Albert Park street-circuit, the average distance covered by each team with two race-cars was 1080km, or less than two grands prix distances per car.
This season, each car is restricted to the use of a single engine per weekend.
'I think what we saw [there] will prove to have been at the conservative end of what we will see in 2004,' said the team's head of engine operations.
Just why did teams give drivers fewer laps to adjust to the Melbourne circuit?
Because if a V10-powerplant blows-up in the approach to Sunday afternoon's grand prix, the penalty for changing it out is ten-places on the F1 starting-grid.
Chevrier said Renault, for one, is 'still adjusting' to the new format.
'I think we may include up to a dozen extra laps in future races,' he hinted.
What type of circuit the F1-circus is visiting will also influence the mileage covered; in Bahrain, for example, drivers can expect to do a few more laps.
'Our usage of the engines will change according to how well we know the circuit,' Denis explained, 'and how demanding it is for the engine.'
Written: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 08:16:09
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