SAF1 TEAM 2007 TURKISH GRAND PRIX PREVIEW
An Interview with Kevin Lee, Chief Operations Officer
Qu: Kevin, as Chief Operations Officer, what are
your main responsibilities at SUPER AGURI F1 TEAM?
Kevin Lee: My role is predominantly factory based so a major
part of my job is to ensure that the factory does everything
possible to support the Race Team and give them all the back-up
that we can. The SUPER AGURI F1 Team is very small by current
standards, but we have an excellent group of people here who
constantly strive to do the best job possible with the resources
that we have. Our goal is to make sure that at each and every
race we give the race team the ability to race the fastest
and most reliable car possible.
Qu: The annual mid-season ‘testing ban’
has just ended, what happens at SAF1 Team during this period?
KL: The mid-season break does give the team chance to catch
breath, with many members of the travelling race team taking
the opportunity to have a holiday. But at the same time the
staff at the factory in Leafield are still pushing to maximise
the performance and reliability of the race car for the last
six Grands Prix of the season. We are working on the aerodynamics
of the car, detailing the set-up for the Italian Grand Prix
which is a very high speed and hence low drag circuit, while
also looking at performance items for the other remaining
races.
Qu: How is the team preparing for Round 12 of the
2007 Championship, the Turkish Grand Prix?
KL: The Turkish Grand Prix is the first of three races for
the cars during time which they will not return to the factory,
so there are additional factors to be taken into account during
the car preparation and spares logistics. We have some small
developments for the car coming through, which we hope will
enable us to continue at our current performance level and
consolidate our position in the Championship. Our result last
year was disappointing, one car spun off and Takuma was greatly
delayed after a first corner incident meant a lengthy pit-stop
for repairs, so this year we want both cars to see the chequered
flag having raced to their full potential.
Qu: The Istanbul Park Circuit is the newest of the
European venues that we travel to. How, in your opinion, is
it fitting into the Formula One calendar?
KL: I attended the Grand Prix in Istanbul last year and was
impressed with the facilities and I believe the infrastructure
has been further improved for this year’s race. The
timing of the race works well with it being the first Grand
Prix after the mid-season break and it's quite a trek for
the transporters, so the three week break allows them more
time to make the journey. In terms of the circuit itself I
think that it is one of the more interesting of the modern
circuits, with a mixture of slow and fast corners as well
as significant gradient changes.
Qu: Travelling to the Turkish track involves covering
two Continents, what special factors does this present to
the team?
KL: As I mentioned, the Turkish Grand Prix is effectively
the first in a run of three Grands Prix and the distances
involved means that the race transporters have no time to
return to the Leafield factory. Due to that the race trucks
will have to carry additional supplies of car parts and consumables,
the factory staff are already planning parts shipments direct
to Monza and Spa to replenish stocks. There is also a test
at Monza immediately after the Turkish Grand Prix, so that
will add further complexity to the logistics. Due to the size
of our team several of the Engineers and support staff attend
both the races and tests so they, along with the drivers,
will have a very busy schedule in the next few weeks.
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