2008 SPANISH GRAND PRIX PREVIEW
Formula 1 racing arrives in Europe for the first time in
2008 as the 11 teams arrive at Barcelona’s Circuit de
Catalunya for the Spanish Grand Prix.
The 2008 race is the 40th Formula 1 event to be staged in
Spain, with 37 Spanish Grands Prix and two European events
taking place to date. McLaren has won the Spanish round on
eight occasions including four times with Mercedes-Benz.
The first motor sport event in Spain, the "Copa Catalunya"
road race over 27,885kms, was staged in the Barcelona area
in 1908. The Spanish Grand Prix appeared on the World Championship
calendar for the first time in 1951. However, it was not until
1969 that a Grand Prix race was staged regularly in this country.
Five circuits have hosted the race, Circuit de Catalunya,
Jarama, Jerez, Montjuich and Pedrables.
The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-23 has completed a total
of 6,680kms of testing at the Circuit de Catalunya prior to
the 2008 race.
LEWIS HAMILTON
You have been testing at the Circuit de Catalunya
earlier this week, do its characteristics suit the MP4-23
and do you expect to be competitive there?
“It’s always difficult to predict these things
as all the teams are continuously progressing. Winter testing
there was positive and this week we have covered a good amount
of laps. I feel we have a competitive package at the track;
the car seems to work quite well. We have a range of new components
coming on board for this race which we tested this week and
had some positive results, but we are not alone in doing this!
The Circuit de Catalunya is a great track; we can’t
ever lose it from the calendar. It always sees competitive
racing and there are so many enthusiastic fans there all the
time which makes for a great atmosphere.”
What are the key challenges at this race?
“The Circuit de Catalunya is a challenging track for
the engineers and drivers. It has changed a little bit in
character prior to last year’s Grand Prix. One of the
key factors at this circuit is achieving a good balance through
the variety of corners. Turn Two is a big corner and it provides
a good challenge from both a driving and set-up perspective.
With the end of the circuit now being tightened up a fair
amount we have got to get that balance so we will get good
high speed corner performance and traction coming out of the
low speed corners. There are a range of different challenges
and technically it is an interesting circuit.”
How have you spent your time since the Bahrain Grand
Prix?
“I have been pretty busy since the last race, I have
spent some time with the team at the McLaren Technology Centre,
a couple of days of promotional work, I’ve done quite
a bit of training and then I went to the Barcelona test. After
that, I went home to do some more training. We have the opportunity
in this gap to get some good work done in this area.”
HEIKKI KOVALAINEN
Can you describe the main characteristics of the
Circuit de Catalunya and why is this circuit so popular with
teams and drivers?
“This circuit is one of probably the two most important
test tracks we use, together with Jerez. It is a real performance
tester; you need to have a really good aero performance in
the car to go fast round here, which is why we always come
here as it allows us to understand how well our aero package
is performing. It also has some very heavy breaking areas,
so it is good for evaluating this and some good corners to
understand the balance of the car. Also, the slower chicanes
mean we can test how the car changes direction. It has a good
range of challenges so you can test everything. Also, usually
the weather is good here.”
This is characteristically a high speed circuit,
where are the best places for overtaking opportunities?
“I think turn 1 is best because you can drag the other
car out of the new chicane that is quite slow, along the pit
straight. Apart from that is it very difficult, you can probably
think about overtaking into turn five, maybe into turn ten
if you get a good run into turn nine, that is about it really.”
How have you spent your time since the Bahrain Grand
Prix?
“It is really preparing physically for this race, because
we have a bigger gap, we are actually trying to increase the
fitness level. We do some power work, some speed work, a bit
of cardio. That has been the priority. I have been to Woking
for a couple of days and spent some time with the engineers.
Apart from that, nothing special, just trying to make sure
that when we arrive here for the race we know where we are
and have a good starting point for the weekend.”
MARTIN WHITMARSH, CEO FORMULA 1, VODAFONE McLAREN
MERCEDES
Many people see the Barcelona race as a benchmark
for the level of competitiveness for the rest of the season,
why is this and how do you think the MP4-23 will fair?
“The Spanish Grand Prix sees us entering the European
season and Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, along with all the other
teams, will be in Barcelona with significant upgrade packages
on the cars. The cars remain relatively consistent over the
course of the fly away races and this race weekend is the
first opportunity to understand how we have moved forward
with performance and developed the MP4-23 in comparison with
our primary competitors. We are confident that we have improved
the performance of the car, but this week’s test was
not an accurate indicator of performance, so we will need
to wait for the race to establish how the MP4-23 will fair.
There has been a three week gap since the race in
Bahrain where Vodafone McLaren Mercedes has been able to test
at the Barcelona circuit, how did this compare to the test
just before the start of the season?
“A key difference is that the track and ambient temperatures
are a little bit warmer and therefore more representative
of the race conditions than pre-season, when it was very cold.
In addition, the car was new to all of us when we were testing
in the winter, it is now an established package and like any
car it has its strengths and weaknesses. There is a very comprehensive
package of components and systems that were fitted to the
car at the test, hopefully to build on the strengths and reduce
the weaknesses, but we will see how far forward we have been
able to take the car. As always with these test sessions there
are a range of variables such as tyre specifications and fuel
loads. In addition it was decided by the teams and Bridgestone
that we needed to spend some time developing the 2009 slick
tyre. In order to test those in a representative manner you
have to estimate the level of downforce that will be available
under the 2009 aerodynamic regulations, and we do not know
what the other teams are doing in that regard. Whilst we confined
this testing to one day, this was not the case across all
the teams which led to a range of times during the whole week.
As a result it is difficult to make an accurate assessment
as to where everyone is.”
What areas of the MP4-23’s development have
the team being focusing on in the build up to the race, and
at this test in particular?
“The emphasis has been on the aerodynamic performance,
developing downforce, balance and aerodynamic efficiency.
In parallel we have developed the suspension systems and the
chassis. We have come away from three races with no testing
where inevitably we discovered vices that were not analysed
before the start of the season. This period has provided an
opportunity for the drivers and race engineers to focus on
a bit of set-up work as well for this race.”
NORBERT HAUG, VICE PRESIDENT, MERCEDES-BENZ MOTORSPORT
What are the development possibilities after the
engine homologation for the remainder the season?
“The engine rules have been specified until the end
of 2012. Following the Malaysian Grand Prix, every manufacturer
delivered a reference engine for homologation to the FIA.
From this time onwards no more modifications of the engine
are possible, except for the development of fuels and lubricants,
and for improvements of the peripherals components. The engines,
which have been used in the Bahrain Grand Prix, will also
be used in the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix within the cycle
of two race weekends.”
What are the challenges of the Circuit de Catalunya
for cars and engines?
“The track at Barcelona with the long front straight
and with long sweeping corners as well as tight bends is one
of the most demanding of all circuits in terms of aerodynamic
efficiency. It is also challenging for the engines. About
70 percent of a lap will be run under full throttle and after
the new chicane before the start and finish straight, about
13 seconds will be run under full throttle. Barcelona is the
circuit which all competitors know best, because it’s
the test track all teams use the most, and they have a lot
of data from there.”
Why is Barcelona as a test track so popular among
all Formula 1 teams?
“It’s a rule that those who can win here are capable
to do so at all the other Grand Prix circuits. The track is
particularly demanding for a Formula 1 car’s aerodynamic
efficiency. Therefore, many teams focus on the Circuit de
Catalunya at Barcelona when they test, and therefore, they
have more experience there than at any other circuit of the
current Grand Prix calendar. Prior to the season, we completed
here considerably more than 1,000 laps during the test days
corresponding to more than 5,000 kilometres. Moreover, we
tested from Monday to Thursday in the week prior to the race
and completed another 1,600 kilometres on the Circuit de Catalunya.
What is the importance of fuels and lubricants concerning
the development of the engines?
“As a consequence of the significant restrictions by
the new engine rules, the significance of fuels and lubricants
has of course increased. Accordingly, the improvements in
this sector are important. Developing more and more efficient
lubricants in co-operation with our Partner ExxonMobil, we
concentrate on reducing friction, and with fuels, the focus
is on optimising combustion. As everywhere in Formula 1, we
explore the practicable limits.”
VODAFONE McLAREN MERCEDES STATISTICS
Lewis Heikki Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
Race Starts 20 20 634
Race Wins 5 0 157
Pole Positions 7 0 134
Points 123 44 3205.5
Podiums 13 2 417
Fastest Laps 2 2 137
CIRCUIT DE CATALUNYA INFORMATION
Circuit length 4.655 km / 2.892 miles
Race distance 307.104 km / 190.825 miles
Laps 66
Number of corners 16
Inaugural race 1951
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