2007 SANTANDER BRITISH GRAND PRIX PREVIEW
The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team travels to Silverstone,
which is located approximately 125km from the McLaren Technology
Centre in Woking and 35km from Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngines
in Brixworth, this week for one of the team’s home races
of 2007, the Santander British Grand Prix.
The race marks the mid point of the 2007 Formula 1 World
Championship, with a further eight Grands Prix remaining.
At this middle stage of the season, the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
team lies in first position of the Constructors’ table
with 114 points. Lewis and Fernando continue to lead the Drivers’
standings with 64 and 50 points respectively. This is the
first time that Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Corporate Partner
Santander has been the Title Sponsor of a Grand Prix, which
is considered by Santander as a key activity this year in
their commitment to Vodafone McLaren Mercedes and the sport.
FAST FACTS
Why is aerodynamic efficiency key at Silverstone?
Silverstone is renowned for its super high speed corners that
populate the first half of the circuit. These demand optimum
aero efficiency and a stable balance; this allows the drivers
to attack the fast corners and get a good lap time. In addition,
it is essential to have good mechanical grip for the latter
part of the track; so whilst the aerodynamic performance is
vital, so is a compromise with the set-up.
At the 2006 race, the lap times around Silverstone
were faster despite the use of V8 engines. Will the control
Bridgestone Potenzas have any effect on lap time this season?
At the race last year, the cars had more grip because of the
use of softer tyres, and this meant that despite the V8 engines,
lap times were faster and the cars were quicker in the corners.
The Bridgestone Potenza tyres are not as soft this year, and
as a result, the cars carry marginally less speed through
the corners, particularly at the start of the track. However
the difference from 2006 to 2007 will not be as marked as
from 2005 to 2006 lap times.
Why is the Maggots - Becketts - Chapel sequence so
renowned?
This complex is one of the most legendary sequences in Formula
1. At the start of the track, the S bends see the drivers
flicked left through Maggots, before an immediate right-left
flick of Becketts that leads you into Chapel. This slightly
longer right hander is followed by a sweeping left that takes
you onto the long Hanger straight. This series of high speed
direction changes see the cars pushed to their limits and
the drivers put under heavy g-force, as they try to hook up
the apexes. It is one of the best locations to watch a Formula
1 car in action.
When did motor racing arrive at Silverstone?
Silverstone was the host venue of the first race in the history
of Formula 1, which took place on 13th May 1950, The then
4.7km track had originally been an airfield. Since 1950, 40
British Grands Prix have been hosted at Silverstone, with
Aintree and Brands Hatch running the event on five and twelve
occasions respectively. McLaren has won 13 out of the 41 British
Grands Prix it has entered to date. The team has won four
of the last eight races including Juan Pablo Montoya's maiden
win for the outfit in 2005, David Coulthard’s victories
in 1999 and 2000, which was a double victory ahead of Mika
Hakkinen, and Mika’s win in 2001.
TEAM QUOTES
Fernando Alonso
"After the race at Magny Cours, which was always going
to be challenging following qualifying, we came away with
a decent result considering and we are now focusing on a more
positive weekend at the Santander British Grand Prix. Silverstone
has always been a special race for me as it is one of the
biggest Grands Prix of the year and has a unique atmosphere.
The fans have a big passion and knowledge for the sport; and
it is always a pleasure to race in front of the British crowd.
This is even more the case this year as it will be the first
time in front of lots of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes employees
who will be attending the race; it definitely gives extra
motivation. It was a special win for me last year; it was
very competitive and tough, but that is always the way at
Silverstone. It is great fun to race here as there are some
great corners; Copse is one of the fastest we race through.
We drive it flat out; it is very quick in the entry with a
short apex and you have to get the line just right. Because
of all the speed, the car needs to have good handling balance.
The track surface is quite bumpy and this can mean visibility
is quite bad at some points of the track and you need a good
ride height. Overtaking is also possible; probably the best
places to do this are through Stowe, Vale and Club."
Lewis Hamilton
"Without a doubt, the Santander British Grand Prix will
be the biggest race of the year for me, as it’s my debut
home race. It is going to be another new experience, I expect
the atmosphere will be incredible and I cannot wait to race
in front of my home fans. To win at this race would be immense,
but we have to be realistic with our expectations. This is
one race out of 17 and as with all the Grands Prix, I will
do my best to win for the fans, but the most important thing
for them is to enjoy the whole weekend whatever the result
will be. Silverstone always seems to have great races. I certainly
had fun here last year as you can really push the limits.
That weekend with GP2 last year is something I will never
forget; the response from the crowd was like nothing I had
ever experienced before and I can’t wait to get back
out on track. The Silverstone circuit is very different to
Magny Cours due to all the high speed corners. It still needs
a set-up compromise to make sure we have high speed stability
for first section and grip for the latter part with the slower
corners such as Priory and Brooklands. You are also under
heavy loadings for much of the lap, so it is quite tough.
I hope everyone enjoys the race and the team has a great result."
Martin Whitmarsh, CEO Formula 1, Vodafone McLaren
Mercedes
"We had a mixed weekend in France but were able to score
points towards our Championships challenges. Whilst we did
not take maximum points, we are not disheartened, there is
more performance coming to the MP4-22 and Fernando and Lewis
both drove well in France and they will continue to get more
out of the package. We are also confident that the issue with
Fernando’s gearbox was a one-off and we are working
to eliminate any recurrence. The Santander British Grand Prix
is going to be a big event for the team. The expectations
of the British fans for the team are high . Fernando, Lewis
and the whole team will be pushing hard to fight for the victory,
but there are no guarantees in this sport. We hope all the
spectators enjoy the race and that the team continues to build
on its lead in both Championships. The Silverstone circuit
is traditionally pretty tough on tyres, however we collated
some useful data at the recent test with Bridgestone which
will aid our strategy decisions regarding tyres."
Norbert Haug, Vice President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
"The Silverstone circuit has a unique layout; there is
nothing similar during the entire Formula 1 season. Silverstone
is called ‘The Home of British Motor Racing’ and
this year we will see there spectators and more enthusiasm
than ever - because of Lewis and the performance of Vodafone
McLaren Mercedes during this season so far. We have won four
out of the last eight races at Silverstone; as well as we
four out of this year’s Grands Prix so far. However,
Magny-Cours showed that there is no guarantee of race wins.
Ferrari was stronger there and this means that we have to
improve further. Silverstone will be the first of our two
races on home ground; the second will follow two weeks later
at the Nürburgring. Many of the employees in Woking,
Brixworth and Stuttgart will have the opportunity to see the
team in action and to support them. In both races we will
have more fans to keep their fingers crossed for us than in
the previous races - apart from Spain where we enjoyed the
support from Fernando’s fans. Our team will do everything
to match the high expectations."
SANTANDER BRITISH GRAND PRIX INFORMATION
Circuit length 5.141km / 3.194 miles
Race distance 308.355km / 191.604 miles
Laps 60
Number of corners 17
Inaugural Grand Prix 1950
VODAFONE McLAREN MERCEDES STATISTICS
Fernando Lewis Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
Race Starts 96 8 622
Race Wins 17 2 152
Pole Positions 16 2 128
Points 431 64 3273.5
Podiums 41 8 406
Fastest Laps 10 1 133
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