Hungarian GP - Red Bull Renault - PreviewDavid Coulthard in Hungary will use his Renault V8 engine for a third consecutive race.
In accordance with the FIA's mandatory one-engine per two weekends rule, the same 2.4 litre unit was fitted to the Scottish driver's Red
Bull car at both Silverstone and Hockenheim.
But Renault, the energy drink-owned team's engine supplier, revealed on Monday that they will not be taking the opportunity to fit a fresh engine to Coulthard's car on Saturday ahead of qualifying at the Hungaroring circuit.
On the other hand, the occupant of the sister RB4, Mark Webber, will receive a new Renault engine at Budapest, after retiring from the recent German Grand Prix with an oil leak.
"This is the first time we have taken this decision," Renault's Fabrice Lom, who is in charge of Red Bull's engine supply, said, referring to Coulthard's situation.
He said he is not worried about reliability. "First of all his V8 has not done too much running," explained Lom, referring to Coulthard's first-lap retirement at Silverstone three weeks ago.
"Plus, having our two drivers out of synch on the engine cycle means that we won't be putting all our eggs in the same basket," he added.
"This decision will also help us in the second half of the season in terms of the logistical challenge.
And finally, it means that David will not have to use the same engine in Spa and Monza, which are two of the toughest challenges on the calendar," said Lom.
Fabrice Lom Q&A
Fabrice, how do you look back on Red Bull Racing’s weekend in Germany?
"It was difficult and we were not as competitive in Hockenheim as we had been in Silverstone. That’s a situation that we discovered during the test in the week before the race. But the team worked very hard and we continued making progress so that both cars were in the top 10. However, seeing Toro Rosso and Toyota so close we knew that it would be a difficult weekend and we ended up without any points. That is disappointing, especially when the championship is so tight, but we hope to rediscover our usual speed in Hungary."
What are your aims for Budapest?
"The test that we had in Jerez was very encouraging. We will therefore aim to finish in the points with both cars. The track is not very demanding for the engine and it is more a test for the chassis. If it is hot, we will have the aerodynamic advantage on our side because the cooling demands of the Renault V8 are supposed to be less than those of our competitors and we can drive with closed bodywork even in very hot conditions."
What is the engine situation for both drivers?
"Mark will have a new V8 in Hungary. For David, he will use his engine for a third consecutive weekend – this is the first time we have taken this decision."
Why is that?
"First of all his V8 has not done too much running and we are not especially worried about its reliability. Plus, having our two drivers out of synch on the engine cycle means that we won’t be putting all our eggs in the same basket. This decision will also help us in the second half of the season in terms of the logistical challenge. And finally, it means that David will not have to use the same engine in Spa and Monza, which are two of the toughest challenges on the calendar."
Red Bull
