Spanish Grand Prix
Circuit de Catalunya, 25-27 April 2008
PREVIEW
ROUND FOUR
Round four of the 2008 FIA Formula One World Championship
takes the Honda Racing F1 Team to Barcelona for the Spanish
Grand Prix. The 66-lap race is held at the 4.655km (2.892mile)
Circuit de Catalunya and marks the start of Formula One's
European season.
The track has staged the Spanish Grand Prix every year since
1991 and is also a renowned F1 testing facility, thanks to
its demanding and varied layout. The track has undergone various
'facelifts' in its 17-year history, the most recent of which
took place two years ago, when a chicane was added prior to
the final corner.
The Honda Racing F1 Team completed a successful four-day
test session at the track this week, where new mechanical
and aerodynamic components were evaluated on the RA108 car,
and the team enters the Spanish Grand
Prix weekend hoping to challenge for a points finish.
CIRCUIT DE CATALUNYA - THE TECHNICAL CHALLENGE
Such is the technical challenge provided by the Circuit de
Catalunya, that there's no hiding from a poor car, and, conversely,
a good car is likely to shine. It's a track where every aspect
of set-up needs to be right in order to be quick.
The teams do a lot of testing at Barcelona because it throws
up a bit of everything. The long pit straight demands good
aero efficiency, there are some very challenging slow speed
corners, off-camber and on-camber, and a couple of high-speed
corners. If your car is quick here, it should be competitive
at most tracks on the F1 calendar.
The circuit has changed quite a lot in recent years. A chicane
has been built at the end of the lap to slow the cars through
the final corner and the track was resurfaced in 2006. After
losing a lot of grip initially, the new asphalt has rubbered-in
and is now quicker than the old surface. However, it creates
a medium-to-high frequency ripple effect along the straights,
which can feel a bit odd for the drivers and gives some interesting
data.
Full throttle: 64% Brake wear: Medium
Downforce level: High - 8/10
Tyre compounds: Medium / Hard Tyre usage: Hard Average
speed: 207kph (128mph)
HONDA TEAM TALK
Ross Brawn, Team Principal
Q. How do you expect the Honda Racing F1 Team to
perform at the Spanish Grand Prix? "The team
has made good progress at each race so far this season, gaining
in confidence and performing better on each occasion. Our
recent development push on the RA108 with a new aerodynamic
package, suspension modifications and driveability improvements
showed pleasing results during the four-day test this week.
I expect these developments to add to our competitiveness
and improve our points scoring potential at the Spanish Grand
Prix and the races to follow."
Rubens Barrichello
Q. How did the RA108 perform during testing this
week?
"We had a very successful four-day test at the Circuit
de Catalunya and were able to work through a lot of test items.
Our main focus was the mechanical and aerodynamic developments
for the RA108 car at this race. We saw a significant lap time
improvement with the new upgrades which is very pleasing,
but as ever, we need to wait until the race weekend to determine
how this will impact our position on the grid. I'm confident
that we have continued to make good progress."
Q. You know the track well from testing. Does that
help you to extract more performance from the car? "Every
driver and every F1 team knows the Circuit de Catalunya well
as we use the track so often for testing in the winter months
and throughout the season. The test which takes place in advance
of the Spanish Grand Prix means that we are very well prepared
for the race weekend and have a lot of data on the set-up
and tyre requirements. However there are always variables
in the weather, the wind conditions and the resulting grip
levels so there is still a great deal of preparation work
to do during the practice sessions to extract the maximum
levels of performance from the car."
Jenson Button
Q. What are your hopes for the Spanish Grand Prix
weekend?
"Our performance over the first three races showed a
steady rate of improvement which was encouraging for the whole
team and has given us renewed confidence in the car. Although
I was not able to complete much mileage at the test this week
due to the weather, the team had three days evaluating the
new upgrades, so I am confident that we are in good shape.
The circuit here is very familiar so we will make the best
use of our time on track to fine-tune the set-up of the car.
We hope to be challenging for a top ten qualifying position
again which would put us in position for a strong race."
Q. What is the key to a quick lap around the Circuit
de Catalunya? "The key to a really quick lap
is having a car with good downforce; you need to feel confident
when you commit to the very high speed corners. Overtaking
can be a real challenge here and one of the best opportunities
is going into the first corner after the start. You can squeeze
by there once the race has settled down but it is very difficult.
The chicane can also be tricky as it is extremely slippery
and so very slow. One little mistake could cost you a lot
of time there."
LAP OF THE TRACK with Alex Wurz
"Over the years, the Circuit de Catalunya has lost some
of its edge because it's no longer the high speed challenge
that it once was. All of the fast corners have gone, except
Turn 3, which is still big G-force, very fast and very demanding.
"Of course, the track still remains an interesting place
to drive. The key to a quick lap is to find a good rhythm
and to make sure that your car works well in slow-speed corners,
which is most of sector three. In days gone by, Barcelona
required a high-speed car set-up, whereas now it needs a slow-speed
set up, and I think that's disappointing.
"You approach Turn 1 at about 310kph (193mph). You stamp
on the brakes and shift down to second gear for Turn 1, before
taking Turn 2 in third gear. Next comes one of the best corners
on the lap, Turn 3, before you're again braking hard for the
hairpin at Turn 4. Another hairpin follows, where it's easy
to lock up a wheel on the downhill approach, and you then
have two very interesting corners.
"Turn 6 is medium-speed and requires you to use a lot
of kerb on the exit, and Turn 7 is a right-hander taken at
about 215kph (133mph). It's important to carry a lot of speed
through Turn 7 because it leads you onto the back straight,
where you're back up to 300kph (186mph). The last part of
the lap is slow and it includes the new chicane before the
final corner. Again, it's very important to have a good exit
because you carry that speed all the way down the pit straight.
"The track was resurfaced a couple of years ago, so
the infamous abrasive asphalt is gone. As a result, the race
strategies are more or less the same as at other races because
tyre degradation is quite flat.
"I advise anyone visiting the race to check out Barcelona
because it's a cool city. I love it. The Catalan people are
very open and friendly, and Barcelona has a great culture
for art and food. If you have kids, take them to the Natural
Museum - they'll love it."
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