Kubica says Renault pace hard to judge
Date published : 30 Mar 2010 - 17:49:22
Robert Kubica says he is still unsure about Renault's current level of competitiveness after the rain-hit Australian Grand Prix.The Pole took full advantage of the Melbourne early-race shower to claim a superb runner-up finish, but immediately warned that the result was not representative of Renault's underlying pace.He expanded on that theme ahead of this weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix.It's still difficult to judge because Albert Park is a completely different circuit to Bahrain, he said.There are certainly some positive aspects of the car that I'm pleased with because the car has good consistency and is easy to drive.However, there are still areas where we are missing performance and where we need to improve if we are to get on terms with the top teams. Melbourne was not a normal race because of the changeable weather and, although it's great to finish on the podium, we need to remain realistic about our level of performance.These unusual races are not that common and we need to work hard to make sure we can fight for the podium in every kind of race.Malaysia's Sepang circuit is more flowing than either Bahrain or Albert Park, with more medium- and high-speed corners that test cars' aerodynamic performance.Kubica suspects the layout will not particularly suit the R30, but hopes the sauna-like climate will enable the team to get the best out of its tyres.Again it's difficult to predict because we have only had two races, he said.I don't think it will be an ideal circuit for us, but on the other hand we discovered in Australia that the car performs better in warmer conditions and the heat in Malaysia might help us.Kubica's rookie team-mate Vitaly Petrov agrees that drivability is a strength of the R30, and that more performance is needed.The car is generally well balanced, consistent and stable in the corners, which makes it an easy car to drive, but we still need more overall downforce to get closer to the front, said the Russian.There will be some more aero updates on the car in Malaysia, which should give us a bit more performance.After retiring in Bahrain and spinning out early on in Melbourne, Petrov is determined to see the chequered flag in Malaysia.It's a track I know already from GP2 so I won't have to spend time learning the circuit on Friday, which means I can concentrate more on finding a good set-up and evaluating the tyres, he said.I really hope I can finish the race, which has to be my target because it's important for me to get more miles in the car and experience a full race distance.Robert's result in Melbourne has shown the car has potential and hopefully I can score my first points soon.
