Q&A with Renault’s Eric Boullier

Q. Both drivers scored points in Istanbul however post-race you said that the team must push harder – what are your feelings after Turkey?

Eric Boullier: It is good to have both cars competing at the same level and scoring points together but obviously when you have chased podiums each time with different drivers you would expect to have a better finish than 7th and 8th. This is why there was maybe an expectation to do a bit better.

Q. Nick and Vitaly fought hard for position in Turkey – what is your opinion on the team’s drivers battling it out at a race?

EB:

My opinion is very clear. They have the same car so if they compete together throughout the race that means we have a good pair of drivers. This has to be done fairly, and it is always tricky when they have to battle against each other because they’re racing drivers and they don’t want to give their position away. We have now cleared the situation up but it is good to see them battling.

Q. Teams are very familiar with the Circuit de Cataluña, especially with all the running done there during winter testing – will it suit the R31?

EB: Since we last drove there in testing, we have added upgrades to the car so we will be performing better than in the winter. The situation is also different: it is a race weekend and the way we approach this is different from testing. We hope to make another step forward to fight again for the top six.

Q. We have witnessed some great F1 racing with lots of action, overtaking manœuvres and pitstops recently – surely this is positive for the sport and for the fans?

EB: As long as the sport stays understandable for the fans, it’s good. I think everybody was asking for a better show and for more overtaking manœuvres. For a number of years now I have heard people complaining about the lack of overtaking so we shouldn’t complain about the situation now! We have to balance things to make sure the sport remains understandable but that’s it. I think we have found a good compromise now.

Q. Spain is not known for its overtaking opportunities – will we see any now?

EB: I think that with the DRS, anything is possible. Mainly because of the tyre degradation, there is a need for some aggressive strategies that allow overtaking on track and of course a very good race finish too.