AUGUST 24, 2010

Kubica: F-duct may change Spa approach

Renault will run an F-duct for the first time at the Belgian GP this coming weekend and Robert Kubica thinks it may change the approach to Spa.

Renault will run an F-duct for the first time at the Belgian GP this coming weekend and Robert Kubica thinks it may change the approach to Spa.

"We have seen a tendency for cars running the f-duct to use higher downforce levels than normal," Kubica explains, "I think that will change the approach to Spa too, because teams will be able to stall the rear wing, run quite a lot of downforce and still achieve good top speed. Although this is a circuit we all like driving on, it's still a track where car performance is very important."

The Spa lap has always been a compromise in terms of set-up because although teams generally run similar downforce levels to Montreal, the track in the Belgian Ardennes has many more high speed corners.

"That makes it tricky to balance the downforce level with good top speed, which you need because there are two very long sections at the start and end of the lap, where you spend a long time at full throttle," the Pole added.

"Often, this is a circuit that throws up some surprises, and suddenly cars that haven't been quick all year can be good in Spa. We hope that our F-duct will work straight away. I've been out of luck in the last three races, with no points in Silverstone or Budapest, so I'd like to get back to how we were racing earlier in the year: scoring regular points and fighting for good positions. The target for myself and the whole team is to close the gap to the top teams in the final races."