US Grand Prix – Preview
RACE RELATIONS
Following Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix, the Formula 1 teams
are currently flying south for the second part of the North
American double-header. Indianapolis, the historic heart of
American racing, has been the home of the US Grand Prix since
2000. The modern day F1 circuit uses part of the famous banked
oval before veering off onto a twisty infield section. Last
year's grand prix was a disappointment to the race fans after
worries about tyre safety resulted in most of the field completing
only the formation lap. That means the teams will be itching
to make up for that this weekend and show the American race-watching
public a real grand prix. After Jarno Trulli's points for
Panasonic Toyota Racing in Canada, he and team mate Ralf Schumacher
will be pushing hard to record another strong result on Sunday.
Ralf Schumacher (Car 7): "Of course
I have mixed memories of Indianapolis, not least from last
year. It was a tough decision for the teams not to race and
it was particularly hard on the fans who had travelled to
see the event. But it was the right decision because it was
clearly unsafe to race and the safety of the drivers has to
come first. It's in the nature of a racing driver to want
to race but I hope the fans will understand that it was just
impossible last year. Now we just have to hope that we have
a trouble-free race this time so that the American public
can look forward to seeing Formula 1 as it really is. The
organisers have done a good job with the circuit at the Speedway
and the challenge is to set up the car for good speed along
the oval section while retaining stability through the twisty
infield. The atmosphere is usually great at Indianapolis and
I hope it will be similar again this year."
Jarno Trulli (Car 8): "Last year's
US Grand Prix was an unfortunate weekend, and I was most sorry
for the spectators who had come to the event. But we had no
choice on race day because the risk to the drivers was too
big. Of course it was hard to step out of the car but even
though I was on pole, I would not have wanted to race under
those conditions. Now we will just hope for a better weekend
for everyone concerned this time. Indianapolis is a special
venue and I enjoy the atmosphere both at the circuit and in
the town because the people are so friendly. It has not been
a very lucky season so far for me but we have definitely improved
our performance as the season has gone on and the points in
Canada were very welcome. I'm really looking forward to finishing
the year well and I think I've earned the right to a change
of fortune. But most of all, I just hope we can put on a good
show in Indianapolis for the fans and try to erase the memories
of last year."
Pascal Vasselon – Senior General Manager Chassis:
"The incredible story of last year's US Grand
Prix shows just what a unique track Indianapolis is. The circuit
has conflicting demands that lead to impossible compromises
for both aerodynamics and tyres. You would like to run a Monza
low downforce configuration for the banking, which features
well over 20 seconds of full throttle. Then as soon as you
enter the infield you would like to be in Monaco high downforce
configuration. As for tyres, you need grip on the slow infield
section but you cannot go too soft because there is a very
high wear rate at the rear due to the rough asphalt on the
banking. Last year's situation occurred because of Indy-specific
tyre loading and track conditions which were difficult to
simulate on a test rig. Both tyre companies will have learned
lessons for 2006 and we hope for a much happier event this
time. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a purpose-built venue
the likes of which we don't have in Europe and a wonderful
venue for watching racing."
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