Canadian Grand Prix – Preview
ATLANTIC MOTION
After five European races in a row, the Formula 1 teams now
face the logistical challenge of a flyaway double-header.
This weekend's Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal will be followed
by the US Grand Prix at Indianapolis. That means that the
22 cars and all the extra equipment are currently flying out
across the Atlantic Ocean en route to the island in the St
Lawrence Seaway where the race takes place. The race is always
popular with drivers, mechanics and everyone else involved
in the sport because the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is situated
minutes from downtown Montreal. Ralf Schumacher and Jarno
Trulli will be determined to bring home some strong results
for Panasonic Toyota Racing from their adventures in North
America.
Ralf Schumacher (Car 7): "We haven't
enjoyed particularly good results of late but I'm sure we
will continue to improve. The TF106B has made another step
and while we still have work to do to reach the level we would
like, we are going in the right direction. We have made progress
with the mechanical side of the car and our Bridgestone tyres
have also improved. In terms of performance we are at a good
level, we just need to pick up some better finishes. The Canadian
Grand Prix is always a good place to come to race. Montreal
is a beautiful city and the atmosphere is always great for
the race weekend. The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is known for
fast straights and heavy braking. I have had some good results
there in the past including my win five years ago so we'll
hope to score again this weekend."
Jarno Trulli (Car 8): "Because we don't
test at Montreal it is always difficult to predict how we
will get on there but the Canadian Grand Prix is always one
of my favourites of the year. The atmosphere both at the circuit
and away from it in the town is great. We tend to run low
downforce so the car feels lighter and you have to be precise,
but the track has a good flow to it. Of course this has not
been a successful season for me so far. The car performance
is strong but I have been hit by a lot of bad luck. I narrowly
missed out on a podium in Monaco and then I had the engine
problem in qualifying in Silverstone. So I am still without
a points finish this year but I haven't been able to do much
about it. All motor racing is the same – you just have
to have patience and hope that you get what you deserve in
the end. So I am still pushing and that is what I will continue
to do until my fortunes change."
Pascal Vasselon – Senior General Manager Chassis:
"In terms of atmosphere the Canadian Grand Prix
is one of my favourites together with Monaco. The Circuit
Gilles Villeneuve provides a very specific layout, featuring
very long straights and almost exclusively slow corners. So
the contrast between the two extremes of speed makes it the
hardest circuit of the season for brakes. The challenge is
to achieve good high speed braking stability without too much
low speed understeer. In dry conditions, you tend to use tyres
from the softer end of the range to favour traction. In the
wet the circuit grip is very low because of the smoothness
of the tarmac, it leads to the selection of compounds with
very good warming up. Overtaking is not easy but possible,
and most moves tend to take place at the last chicane. We
are planning an interesting aerodynamic update for the race
so we are looking forward to having a chance to evaluate it."
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