2007 BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX
SAKHIR - PREVIEW
The Honda Racing F1 Team heads from Malaysia to similarly
hot and sunny climes in the Middle East this week for Round
Three of the 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship in the
Kingdom of Bahrain.
With just one week between races and no opportunity for testing,
the trackside team will continue to focus on extracting as
much performance as possible from the RA107 for the next race,
whilst back at Honda's three bases of operation at Tochigi
in Japan, and Brackley and Bracknell in the UK, development
work continues apace in preparation for the start of the European
season.
SHUHEI NAKAMOTO - Senior Technical Director
"In Malaysia both Rubens and Jenson were able to finish
in a good position considering their starting positions. Although
our car is not competitive at the moment, we were able to
extract the maximum performance possible. As we are unable
to test before Bahrain we should expect another tough race
but back in the factory we are working relentlessly on developments
which should enable us to make steady improvements once we
begin the European season."
RUBENS BARRICHELLO
"With no time to develop the car for the next race,
our focus will be on doing the best job possible with what
we have right now. Despite the problems we have with the car,
we can still do better, particularly in terms of our qualifying
performance. If we can work on that it is possible to get
both cars in the top ten and closer to the points so there
is progress to be made whilst we're working on the bigger
developments back at the factory."
JENSON BUTTON ON THE BAHRAIN INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT
"Racing in Bahrain is always a great experience and
it's a circuit that I really enjoy driving. There are some
good fast flowing sections where you can really push the car
through the two chicanes at turns four and five and later
through the quick left and right at turns nine and ten. There
are also several overtaking opportunities, particularly at
turn one after the long straight, where you can make up crucial
ground as people tend to brake surprisingly early.
"Confidence under braking is the key to a quick lap
around Bahrain. You need to believe in the car's performance
and have no doubts that you can stop effectively. The most
challenging sector is probably turn fourteen which has a very
quick approach where you brake as you turn into the corner,
so you have to be careful not to lock the inside front wheel.
The sand blowing onto the tarmac can be a challenge as you
never know how the grip levels will change from lap to lap.
"As a country I really like Bahrain because it's quiet,
chilled and you can get away from everything in a wonderful
climate. I'm having a house built out there at the moment
which should be ready in time for next year's race."
BAHRAIN INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT
Race Distance 57 laps
Circuit Length 3.381 miles (5.417 kms)
Located in Sakhir in the south of Bahrain, the Bahrain International
Circuit opened in 2004 and hosted its first Formula One Grand
Prix in April of the same year. The development of the circuit
was funded by the Bahrain Government and firmly supported
by the Crown Prince of Bahrain, Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al
Khalifa, a lifelong motorsport enthusiast.
The circuit and its facilities are extremely impressive with
the track actually consisting of five separate circuits, including
a 2.5km oval and a 1.2km drag strip. The 5.417km clockwise
Formula One circuit features a 1km pit straight, 12 turns
including several low-speed corners which increases the technical
emphasis on aerodynamic efficiency and traction, and a relief
that ranges between 0 and 18 metres to create an undulating
track.
The hot weather usually experienced over the Grand Prix weekend
poses a challenge for both car and driver, and although the
humidity is generally lower than in the Far East, track temperatures
will be high.
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