MF1 RACING
2006 AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX PREVIEW
MF1Racing arrives in Melbourne - the third and final leg
of the season's first 'flyaway' block of races - refocused
and ready to compete at the Australian Grand Prix.
The two-week gap since the previous race has allowed the
team sufficient time to sort out the mechanical issues that
forced both drivers to perform manual launches in Malaysia.
Markus Winkelhock returns for his second Friday testing and
reserve stint with the team after an impressive debut in Bahrain.
Improved reliability, coupled with some subtle performance
enhancements, should boost the M16's ability to cope with
the Albert Park street circuit's brake-burning combination
of short straights and low- to medium-speed corners.
Tiago Monteiro (POR), Race Driver, Car #18:
"I love this city, and I have very fond memories of this
circuit. This was, after all, where I made my F1 debut last
year. I tend to like street circuits - this one and Monaco
are the only two on the calendar that use public roads - because
they're unforgiving and they give the drivers a chance to
make more of a difference. I also think this track suits our
car a little better than the previous two. Downforce is still
a big factor, but there isn't as much of an emphasis on straight-line
aerodynamic efficiency. We've made big gains in that department
since last year, but nobody sits still in Formula 1, and we
still have some work to do. But if we've done our homework
and the car is running the way that it should, I'm pretty
confident we can have a much better race here."
Christijan Albers (NED), Race Driver, Car #19:
"Unlike Tiago, my first memories of this track are not
so nice! I retired with transmission problems after only 16
laps, so I'd rather forget about that. But I'm really looking
forward to this year's race, and fighting alongside the team
to get some more performance out of the car. I really think
we're going to do better here, because our car tends to work
better on this type of track. This is a really hard-braking
circuit, and our stability under braking keeps improving all
the time, so I expect to have some good battles. There should
be some good wheel-to-wheel racing, with plenty of overtaking
opportunities. Spectators should enjoy this race, and hopefully,
we will, too!"
Markus Winkelhock (GER), Reserve Driver:
"This is a similar situation to Bahrain, in that I've
never been here before, so everything is new. I've tried to
familiarise myself with the circuit by doing some laps on
Playstation and watching a recording of last year's race,
and I think that was quite helpful. I'm also going to do a
few laps on foot or by bike, examining all the corners carefully,
so hopefully that will speed up the process a bit. I'm going
to have to take it easy on my first few laps, though, because
unlike Bahrain, there aren't any wide run-off areas - the
walls are quite close to the track, so you can't afford to
make any mistakes. I may not have actually driven here before,
but just from looking at it, I have a feeling I'm going to
enjoy this track."
Dominic Harlow, Head of Race and Test Engineering:
"From a technical point of view, Melbourne represents
a different challenge from the previous two races. This is
a street circuit that's put together specifically for this
weekend, so it has its own set of demands on the cars and
drivers. It tends to start off quite 'green' [slippery] and
then improve a lot during the weekend. We've got quite a few
new parts for this event, so we're hopeful for some improved
performance, both from the engine and chassis side of things.
The weather here tends to be more unpredictable than at most
circuits, so if any rain comes along, we'll be sure to take
advantage of those conditions."
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