2006 Canadian Grand Prix - Preview
Coming off the back of a promising performance at its official
home race, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, Midland
Formula 1 Racing will be looking to build on that momentum
when it crosses the Atlantic to compete at its second, informal
home race, the Canadian Grand Prix.
Although MF1's operational base is situated across the road
from the Silverstone Circuit in Northampton, Midland Group
Chairman and MF1 team owner Alex Shnaider is a Canadian citizen
who resides in Toronto. With Montreal only a short flight
away, Mr. Shnaider has invited a number of friends, family
and colleagues to enjoy the Grand Prix as his guests.
The venue for the race is Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, located
on Ile Notre-Dame in downtown Montreal. It is situated on
an island in the St. Lawrence River that is subject to extremes
of climate, and for this reason, the track surface can be
quite bumpy and always starts the weekend in a 'green', or
low-grip, condition.
Technically, this circuit is the first of the true medium-downforce
circuits on this year's Formula 1 calendar. Despite relatively
low average and minimum speeds, it does include a particularly
long straight leading to a heavy braking area. The final corner
presents its own set of challenges, with a tricky exit that
forces drivers to negotiate their way past a barrier that
has come to be known as the 'Wall of Champions', named for
the illustrious victims it has caught out over the years.
Both Tiago Monteiro and Christijan Albers completed the race
in their rookie seasons last year, finishing in 10th and 11th
positions, respectively.
Tiago Monteiro (POR), Car #18: "Montreal
is a very different circuit from Silverstone. It's an extremely
tough track, not only because of the heavy braking required
for the slow corners, but also because of the huge kerbs,
which really punish the cars and the drivers. It's the kind
of track where we might struggle a bit more than usual, because
the straights are very long and you need very efficient aerodynamics
to reach the highest possible top speed. All in all, it doesn't
present us with the best set of conditions for our kind of
car but as usual, we'll just have to deal with it. I think
that for the past three races we've shown much better-than-expected
pace, so once again we will do everything possible to be competitive."
Christijan Albers (NED), Car #19: "Montreal
is one of my favourite circuits and I cannot wait to drive
it in the M16. Last year, I had an amazing lap when I qualified
my Minardi in 15th position on the starting grid - one of
my best laps in 2005, as matter of fact. I now have a completely
different car - a much better one - and I will do my very
best to show again why this circuit is so special. The team
has made good progress at the recent test and our new aero
package looks promising. Everyone is working like crazy to
improve and I will try to deliver a strong result, as this
is one of the races where the driver can really make an extra
difference. This is a home race for team owner Alex Shnaider,
and I'd like to wish all of Midland's guests a great weekend."
Giorgio Mondini (SUI), Test and Reserve Driver: "I
am very much looking forward to driving in Montreal, a challenging
high-speed circuit that really demands the best out of the
car and the driver. We are coming off a very productive test
at Silverstone, with some positive developments being made.
So I am optimistic that with a bit of luck, we can continue
challenging for better positions this coming weekend."
Alex Shnaider, Team Owner: "It's always
a pleasure to attend my home race, the Canadian Grand Prix,
an exciting event with an unparalleled atmosphere. I am very
encouraged by the progress the team is continuing to make
and I would like to wish everyone who has worked so hard a
successful weekend."
Colin Kolles, Managing Director: "We've
made good progress in the last few races, and after 3 days
of testing last week at Silverstone, I hope we can continue
to close the gap and qualify both cars in the top 16 in Montreal.
It's an attainable goal, and if we keep working hard, good
race results will also be sure to follow."
James Key, Technical Director: "Montreal
will be the first circuit this season for reduced downforce
and drag settings, so we expect to see the highest end-of-straight
speeds so far at a race weekend. As ever, good aero efficiency
will be important. However, there are a number of aspects
to this circuit which will require close attention on the
first day of practice. Braking energy levels are very high
at Montreal, so management of brake cooling and wear will
be critical, although it is likely to be a little easier than
last year, with the reduced top speeds and increased cornering
speeds we've seen in 2006. In the low-speed sections, we will
have to contend with chicanes with high kerbs as well as the
requirement for good traction coming out of the hairpin towards
the end of the lap, all of which will require high levels
of mechanical grip. With the short pit lane, multi-stop strategies
may also be an option, as there will be a number of overtaking
opportunities. Overall, we expect to see some tight racing
at this event. The team had an encouraging week in Silverstone
and we need to ensure that our progress continues at the current
rate at every race. Having said that, there is still a lot
of work to do to put us regularly among the mid-field runners,
so we will keep our heads down and keep pushing on with the
development work."
Dominic Harlow, Chief Race and Test Engineer:
"The toughest aspect of the circuit is undoubtedly the
braking; it is probably the most severe on the calendar, with
high braking power and repeated stops from high speed to a
series of slow, low-gear corners. Obviously, traction and
braking stability is vital, and this normally leads to a setup
compromise towards some understeer in the chicanes. Kerbing
performance and the ability to quickly change direction are
also important, and with the street circuit layout there is
little room for error on the corner exits. This race forms
the first segment of a two-race 'double header' and with a
busy ten days ahead for the team, we will continue to push
forward with our package for what we hope will be an enjoyable
challenge for everyone."
Johnny Herbert, Sporting Relations Manager:
"Having had our most competitive weekend thus far and
a positive test at Silverstone last week, we are hoping to
carry our momentum to the fabulous Gilles Villeneuve circuit
in Montréal. This is a track that you can adopt a somewhat
riskier strategy, and I hope this will work to our advantage.
The hard work is starting to pay off, with our qualifying
and race pace having moved up a gear. As we continue to develop,
a big 'thanks' must go out to all at the factory and wind
tunnel who keep pushing us in the right direction. They are
the unsung heroes of this team."
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