(Renault Sport F1)
It’s been a short
winter break this year, but Renault Sport F1 has nevertheless made a lot of
progress. Can you explain the areas where you have moved forward?
In the short gap between seasons we have taken a number of steps
forward. First and foremost we have implemented a new organizational structure.
Our new structure will emphasize the need for perpetual change and adaptation
within Renault Sport F1. This will be achieved through two new functions.
As
Chief Technical Officer, Rob White will use his in-depth knowledge of Renault
Sport F1 to set the road map and a strategy for the acquisition, development
and utilization of technical skills within the company, always with a close eye
on our F1 project. As everyone knows, F1 performance is driven by human
performance so we have created another stream in parallel to manage all
organizational matters, procedures and protocols. Jean-Paul Gousset, who was
previously head of production, is now responsible for this area, from the small
details to the large changes that together create the racing spirit we want to
see in Viry-Châtillon.
Another substantial change is the creation of the
Development Department, headed by Naoki Tokunaga. In addition to overseeing the
Engineering Department, which is still managed by Jean-Philippe Mercier, Naoki
will be directly responsible for Performance and Reliability Groups.
With all our operations streamlined, there will be a
seamless link between factory and track, giving further leverages for managing
the workforce and activity workloads, plus will create career paths. Rémi
Taffin will oversee all track and factory operations, including assembly and
dynos, in addition to his previous role as head of track operations. Regrouping
everything under one person simplifies our lines of communications, allowing us
to respond to changes or needs more quickly and ensure overall quality control
and cost efficiency.
What advantages do
you hope to gain from this new structure?
It is still very early to see the direct effects but all the
changes are made for long term gain. We should start to see the full impact in
development by the mid-season with greater flexibility, dynamism and efficiency
across all our operations.
Are the changes linked directly to 2014 performance?
Not specifically. F1 constantly moves forward at a very fast rate. The sport
evolves, technology evolves and the competition never sleeps so Viry needs to
evolve at the same rate. Viry needed a refresh. We did not suffer from a lack
of resources or finances in 2014, it was simply that the resources were not
joined up in time or used to their optimum. We are not in any way pointing
fingers at individuals, these changes are simply to improve the collective.
How will the changes
benefit Renault’s partner teams?
The performance and reliability groups are tasked with clear
responsibilities and allow us to get closer to the model of F1 teams nowadays,
which should build natural bridges and synergies with our customers.
Replicating the structure of a team in our own organization means we will fit
more easily into the team culture and create more natural communications. With
fewer ‘hurdles’ to jump we should be more creative, freer to execute decisions
and implement actions as a result.
Will personnel from
the larger Renault Group continue to be seconded to Renault Sport F1?
Yes, more than ever. We need to create strong and genuine
links between road cars and competitive sport in both directions. Renault needs
to help our F1 division and F1 needs to help Renault. The personnel we have on
board bring new knowledge to us and, in turn, take some lessons of F1 back to
road car development when they return. At present there are Renault personnel
in several departments that will bring gains to road car areas, for example,
fuel efficiency and electrical systems.
What are Renault
Sport F1’s aims for 2015?
We knew what we had to do over the winter and we know what
we have achieved. We believe we have made a very big step in performance and
will be more reliable. We do not know where the others will be: we may not have
erased all the gaps, but we are confident that we have gone a long way to
making up the deficit of last season. Our objective is to close the gap as much
as possible and give Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso a more competitive
car on most circuits, independently of their characteristics and sensitivities.
© Ben Johnston 2015
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