Subscription

Car Racing

Motorcycle Racing

Racing in Oz

Shop

2005 BRITISH F1 GRAND PRIX

QUALIFYING & RACE PREVIEW

2005 F1 GP: R11 of 19, 2005 British GP, July 10, Silverstone

QUALIFYING

GRID

• 1. Fernando Alonso (Spa) Renault 1:19.905
  "It was a good lap today, and there was a really nice balance on the car. It is quite unexpected for me to be on the pole, to be honest, but the team did a great job overnight to improve the car, and it felt quick straight away this morning. That meant I went into qualifying with a good level of confidence, and I could really attack on the timed lap. Looking to tomorrow, I think we will see more similar strategies than in Magny-Cours, which will make it hard for people behind to make up positions, but it is still a long race here and anything can happen. It is hard for Kimi to suffer another penalty, but from our side, it doesn't change anything in the approach: we have done our maximum so far this weekend and got pole; we will do exactly the same tomorrow."
• * Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) McLaren 1:19.932 *will lose 10 places due to engine change*
  "It's frustrating having to change engines and incur the 10 place penalty again, but we showed in France last weekend what is possible. There is nothing I can do but get on with things, push as hard as possible and hope our strategists got things right. The lap was OK, but I ran a bit wide in one of the quick corners. Also, as the engine failure happened early in the second session, I was unable to run with new tyres then which made things more challenging during my flying lap. In racing anything can happen and we will do our best and hope for an exciting Grand Prix tomorrow."
• 2. Jenson Button (GB) BAR 1:20.207
  "It's a great feeling to be at the front and be able to fight with the Renaults and McLarens. We didn't quite expect it - we've had a tough time this year. But I think we can do some pretty good things from there, and it can only get better from here."
• 3. Juan Pablo Montoya (Col) McLaren 1:20.382
  "It was an OK lap time. I could have been one or two tenths quicker, but was a bit careful coming into the first corner because of the wind and all of a sudden lost a lot of grip when I turned in at Becketts. However the rest of the lap was pretty good and I pushed like crazy. Qualifying is important here at Silverstone and whilst it's a disadvantage to be out early, I still managed to get on the second row and I hope it will be a strong race for me."
• 4. Jarno Trulli (Ita) Toyota 1:20.459
  "I'm happy because that was a good lap from me. I suffered a bit with understeer, which maybe cost me a few tenths. But the balance was still good and I could push hard. It's a shame we're not even further forward, but the second row is a good space to start and it means we can look forward to a positive day tomorrow. We've had a good weekend all round and we did some effective work on our race set-up this morning. So I'm confident that we should have fewer problems tomorrow in the race than we saw last week at Magny-Cours and we can bring home a better result."
• 5. Rubens Barrichello (Bra) Ferrari 1:20.906
• 6. Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita) Renault 1:21.010
• 7. Takuma Sato (Jap) BAR 1:21.114
• 8. Ralf Schumacher (Ger) Toyota 1:21.191
• 9. Michael Schumacher (Ger) Ferrari 1:21.275
• 10. Jacques Villeneuve (Can) Sauber 1:21.352
• 11 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) McLaren
  12. Mark Webber (Aus) Williams 1:21.997
  13. David Coulthard (GB) Red Bull 1:22.108
  14. Nick Heidfeld (Ger) Williams 1:22.117
  15. Christian Klien (Aut) Red Bull 1:22.207
  16. Felipe Massa (Bra) Sauber 1:22.495
  17. Narain Karthikeyan (Ind) Jordan 1:23.583
  18. Christijan Albers (Net) Minardi 1:24.576
  19. Patrick Friesacher (Aut) Minardi 1:25.566
  20. Tiago Monteiro (Por) Jordan

RENAULT QUALIFYING REPORT

• Fernando on pole and Fisico seventh - but sixth on the grid after Raikkonen suffers ten place penalty.
• Fernando Alonso took his fourth pole position of the year this afternoon in qualifying for the British Grand Prix. Running last in the hour-long session after his victory in France, the Spaniard put together a mistake- free, aggressive lap to claim top spot by several hundredths of a second from championship rival Kimi Raikkonen.
• Team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella qualified seventh fastest, his lap compromised by poor grip levels and some small errors. Nevertheless, the Italian will start from the third row tomorrow after benefiting from the ten position penalty Raikkonen will serve following an engine change this morning.
• Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering: "We saw another fantastic qualifying effort from Fernando this afternoon to claim his fourth pole position of the season. We should not forget though that Giancarlo put in a good effort considering the strategy he is running. Of course, we have benefited from Kimi's bad luck this morning but I am sure that like in Magny-Cours, we will soon see him in the hunt at the front of the field in race conditions."
• Denis Chevrier, Head of Engine Operations: "Our running this morning suggested to us that our level of performance was competitive with our rivals, and that has apparently been confirmed this afternoon -- although we have the usual unknown of the fuel loads different cars are running, that still has to be played out. However, we have gone about our race preparations in our normal, serious fashion and it is fantastic to see one car starting from the best possible position, and the other very much in the hunt for the podium."
• "Of course, the weather remains an unknown factor, as the temperatures have stayed stubbornly low all weekend, but we expect tomorrow to be much hotter, which will certainly present the teams with some performance and reliability challenges. Overall, though, it has been a good afternoon -- and it is pleasing to take a first pole position with our new C specification engine."

McLAREN QUALIFYING REPORT

• Ron Dennis: "The grid positions merely reflect our race strategy which, of course, in the end is what determines the outcome of the race. Both Kimi and Juan Pablo did exceptionally good jobs which, as in France, will only become apparent as the race unfolds."
• Norbert Haug: "A very good lap of Kimi's. After we had to change his engine following the oil pump drive failure Kimi made the best out of the situation qualifying with the second best time, 27 thousands of a second behind Fernando Alonso's pole time. Juan Pablo also did a good job being fourth fastest after having to go out for his qualifying lap as the fifth car today when the track conditions were by far not at their best."
• "Sorry for Kimi and his team, the mechanics had to work extremely hard to make his qualifying lap possible. I hope they will get their reward tomorrow. Of course, changing the engine on two consecutive weekends is not what we had planned. I'm sure that everybody at Mercedes-Ilmor will work extremely hard and precise to avoid such failures in the future."

FRI PRAC, JULY 8, 2005

• 1. *P de la Rosa McLaren 1m 18.530
  "I'm very pleased with our overall performance. The car works very well here at Silverstone. The two long runs in the second session with 17 and 16 laps provided us with plenty of useful data, which should give my team mates a basis for the rest of the weekend. The Michelin tyres are performing well, but we still have to work a little on the balance at high speeds. We made some changes to the car's set-up between the sessions which worked very well."
• 2. *R Zonta Toyota 1m 18.964 +0.43s
  "It was good to be back in the car after my break at last week's French Grand Prix, and that was a positive day for us. This track is very demanding for drivers with fast corners and it's enjoyable to drive here. As usual for the first day of a grand prix weekend, the track was very slippery to start with. But the car felt good both during the morning session and for the longer runs in the afternoon. We found some tyres that were quick and consistent over longer runs. This track changes a lot depending on the weather, but so far so good."
• 3. JP Montoya McLaren 1m 20.252 +1.7
• 4. K Raikkonen McLaren
  "An uneventful practice which is always a bonus. We had a good basis from the last time we tested here at Silverstone, but there is still some work to do before everything is perfect. It was quite windy which caused some understeer which we tried to balance out. I'm not 100 per cent happy with the car at the moment but the lap times seem to be OK, so hopefully we can put in a strong challenge for pole position tomorrow."
• 5. R Schumacher Toyota
• 6. J Trulli Toyota
• 7. F Alonso Renault
• 8. V Liuzzi Red Bull
• 9. D Coulthard Red Bull
• 10. M Schumacher Ferrari
• 11 Button 12 Webber 13 Fisichella 14 Klien 15 Barrichello 16 Massa 17 Villeneuve 18 Heidfeld 19 Sato 20 Doornbos 21 Albers 22 Monteiro 23 Karthikeyan
• *reserve driver

2005 RACE PREVIEW: BRITISH GP

BAR - BRIDGESTONE - FERRARI - McLAREN - RENAULT - SAUBER - TOYOTA - WILLIAMS

BAR-HONDA PREVIEW:

• Jenson Button: "My home Grand Prix at Silverstone is always very special to me as I am extremely patriotic and it feels just like coming home. Last year we had a very good experience at the British Grand Prix, as the team and myself had a huge number of the fans, which was a great feeling. After the excitement of Magny Cours, where we had a good result, it feels great to be back in Britain to prepare for our home race. It goes without saying that it would be fantastic to achieve another podium this weekend. I love racing at Silverstone and we completed a very positive test there in June in preparation for the race."
• "It's incredibly moving to drive in front of my home crowd, especially with the sea of Union Jacks down the start-finish straight. Most importantly, this is a weekend when the whole team get to experience the cars at a race weekend and share in our achievements, so I am very excited about the race and hope that we will be able to put on a great show for everyone."
• Takuma Sato: "The British Grand Prix is very important to us, for two reasons. Firstly because it is the team's home grand prix, and also for me personally because it feels like my second home as I have competed in many British Junior races and have lots of great memories of Silverstone. Even if the weather is not great, I really enjoy the atmosphere at the circuit! It has very fast, flowing corners and the combination of the Esses is very similar to Suzuka, which is very challenging. The slow speed complex offers close racing opportunities and all together it is a fun circuit to drive. The fans are also extremely supportive of the team, so I am really looking forward to Silverstone next weekend."
• Gil de Ferran, Sporting director: "Following an encouraging performance in France we come to Silverstone in an upbeat mood. It is a very fast circuit that should suit our cars. There is nothing particularly new on the car to speak of for this race, but we are running updated versions of engines and aero packages since the last Silverstone test."
• "The changeable weather can always be an unpredictable factor during the British Grand Prix weekend, which can make things quite interesting on the pit wall! Obviously this is Jenson's and our team's home Grand Prix, so there is a lot going on, which in a way puts a little more pressure on everyone. On the other hand its very motivating to perform in front of the home crowd. Since our factory is just down the road and a lot of our guys live locally, most of our factory-based team will be in attendance."

BRIDGESTONE PREVIEW:

• Hiroshi Yasukawa, Director of Motorsport: "With our F1 headquarters based in Langley, UK, the British Grand Prix is one of two home races for Bridgestone Motorsport and we shall be looking for a good result. The car-tyre packages of all our teams, Ferrari, Jordan and Minardi, are getting stronger with each race and Ferrari in particular should be strong at Silverstone this weekend. Their qualifying and first lap performance has improved significantly and they tend to run well on high speed circuits."
• "I am also looking forward to seeing GP2 run at Silverstone. With drivers from no fewer than 16 countries, we have seen some thrilling, wheel-to-wheel action over the past few races and I am hoping that we shall see at least one of them graduate to Formula One next year."
• Tyres for Silverstone
• Bridgestone Motorsport's Potenza Formula One tyres will arrive at Silverstone by truck from its UK headquarters in Langley, Slough. Produced at Bridgestone's Tokyo production facility, they comprise of two grooved dry weather specifications per Bridgestone team and the same wet and extreme wet weather specification for all three Bridgestone teams.
• Hisao Suganuma, Technical Manager: "The Silverstone Grand Prix circuit is a challenging circuit with both high and very low speed sections. A good lap time, however, comes from the high speed part of the track and the stability of the tyres at Silverstone will be important for car handling. The track surface is quite abrasive which means we may see high tyre wear and because there are several high speed corners, tyres have been chosen from the medium to hard end of the compound range."
• "We are expecting to be competitive at Silverstone having tested there a few weeks ago and got some good indications of which tyres to choose. Of course at Silverstone, the weather can be a bit of a lottery and we could have anything from 35 degrees on track, if sunny, to cool and wet weather. Whatever the weather though, we'll be ready!"

FERRARI PREVIEW:

• M SCUMACHER: "The Silverstone circuit calls for very good balance, even better than at Nurburgring. Everything related to the set up has to be in perfect harmony. However, reaching this objective is the stimulus for new challenges. Another positive aspect of Silverstone is that there are lots of real F1 fans and this, naturally, pleases me. Without a doubt, we intend to give the fans a good show. In this case, this means that we will be racing for the win."

McLAREN-MERCEDES PREVIEW:

• RON DENNIS (CEO): "We had a fantastic qualifying lap times in our test, our car seemed to be very competitive here . We go there with the understanding that we have the speed to win. We would have liked to have won, but we are looking forward to Silverstone - it should be a great race"
• Norbert Haug, (Mercedes-Benz Motorsport): "Silverstone is a classic on the Formula One calendar for our team before the German Grand Prix on 24th July which will be the second of two back-to-back home Grands Prix. The last tests at Silverstone went well and the results looked promising. As always Silverstone might spring a few surprises, hopefully rain will not be one of them."
• "With the start into the second half of the season our entire team wants to transform the potential of the technology, drivers and team into more good results. We have the capability to win races as Kimi's three victories from his last five starts had shown. Juan Pablo can also compete up front which he has proved in his last two races at Montreal and Magny-Cours, although he had been disqualified in Canada and had to retire with a hydraulic problem in France."
• "The next three weeks with three Grands Prix will bring intensive strain on the Formula One teams and this might also influence the competitiveness and the points standings."
• RAIKKONEN: "I always enjoy the British Grand Prix, Silverstone is a great track to drive and always seems to have entertaining races. Hopefully this will be the case again this year and I will be able to be one step higher on the podium than in 2004. We get to drive some of the best corners of the season. You have Copse, which is probably the fastest corner all year with speeds not dropping below 265km/h as you take it flat out and on the limits, however it is blind! That then leads to one of the best complex of corners we have at any Grand Prix track, the Maggots-Becketts-Chapel S-bends.
• With the high speed direction changes, jumping kerbs and so on, it is a great place for the fans to see Formula One cars in action. Though here, aerodynamics and chassis balance are important and you need to be super quick in this section to get a good lap time."
• MONTOYA: "Following France, I am looking for a strong result at the British Grand Prix. The MP4-20 feels really strong and should suit the Silverstone track. This year will be my first home race at Silverstone with Team McLaren Mercedes, I understand a lot of people from Woking and Brixworth will be going to the race and hopefully we can give them something to celebrate."
• "The circuit is a great challenge; you have to really push the car to the limits. For the three long straights and fast, flowing corners we need power, but this needs to be balanced with the good traction for the medium grip slower bends at the back of the circuit. As a result we will have a medium to low downforce configuration. Silverstone is a track where you can overtake, the best place is under braking into Stowe and there are also chances at Vale and Club."

RENAULT RACE PREVIEW:

• FISICHELLA: "It's a great circuit. We know it really well because we test a lot at the track, but every team has a lot of experience there. The weather is not usually so good, which makes the weekend quite unpredictable and you can sometimes lose a lot of practice time through bad conditions, but the circuit layout is nice -- lots of fast corners which make it really exciting for the drivers. It is definitely one of my favourite circuits."
• ALOSO: "Silverstone is like a second home race for the team -- and I only live forty minutes away in Oxford! The team's factory is in Enstone, so for at least half the team this is their home race, and we always want to perform well there. What's more, Silverstone is always a big race in the calendar, and at this point in the season, it is important for our challenge in the championship as well."

SAUBER RACE PREVIEW:

TOYOTA RACE PREVIEW:

• The grand prix circus will this week make the quick hop over the channel from France to head for the British Grand Prix. The second race of a punishing schedule of four in July comes at Silverstone, the event's permanent home for nearly 20 years. The venue has many traditions, from the delights of the local traffic to the welcoming British summer weather which so often puts a dampener on proceedings. The circuit also enjoys a customary 'will it, won't it' battle with the sport's authorities over its slot on the calendar, but it has survived so far. Panasonic Toyota Racing currently stands in 4th place in the constructors' championship with 53 points. Now it heads to Britain hoping to pick up another strong result after its double points finish at last week's French Grand Prix. That result means both Jarno Trulli and Ralf Schumacher will have good starting positions in qualifying on Saturday.
• CALL THE COPSE
  After picking up four points at the French Grand Prix, Jarno Trulli is looking to add more to his tally of 31 from the year as he heads to Silverstone for round 11 of the championship in 4th place.
• Jarno Trulli (Car 16): "Like Magny-Cours, Silverstone is another technical circuit, demanding both for the cars and the drivers. The track contains every type of corner, so it is difficult to come up with a set-up for the whole lap. As usual you need a well balanced car and you have to find a compromise between the aerodynamic and mechanical sides. If you can make it respond in both fast and slow corners you can push to the limit. From a driving point of view, Becketts is the most enjoyable part of the circuit, but there are other corners where you need to be committed if you want to improve your lap time, like Bridge and Copse. Stowe is important, as is the slow section at the end of the lap. The wind is another major factor at Silverstone because the surrounding area is very flat and that can affect handling. Of course, the weather can then throw anything at you in one race, so we have to be prepared for anything. I've been on the front row at Silverstone before, so we'll !
  see if we can keep up our strong run from 2005 in both qualifying and the race."
• WIND UP TOYOTAS
  The rain is one thing, but even in the dry Silverstone, a former airfield, is flat and prone to gusting winds. Ralf Schumacher will hope to bring home more points after picking up two in France.
• Ralf Schumacher (Car 17): "At 5.14km in length, Silverstone is quite a long, demanding circuit for drivers and engineers alike. Being flat, it is prone to changeable wind levels which can really disrupt a driver's quick lap. If the car is turning into wind, the front end can feel quite good, but if it turns away from wind, the car can rapidly become loose and unstable. The wind effect is especially strong through Copse, Becketts and down to Stowe. Technically those faster corners require a good aero efficiency and commitment from the driver, while the track's slower corners demand good traction. We must take into account a wide range of set-ups during Friday free practice because even if the forecast says it will remain dry, there is always the chance of a shower. I had a run of good fortune at Silverstone in my early F1 years from 1997 through to 2000 when I finished in the top 6 each year. With the TF105, we have a good chance of scoring points at every event this year, so!
  I am confident my points tally will be better off by the chequered flag on Sunday."
• DRAG OR FLY
  Teams run a high downforce package for the British Grand Prix, but they have to watch out for losing speed down the straights because of drag.
• Mike Gascoyne - Technical Director Chassis: "At Silverstone we run fairly high levels of downforce, but not as high as Monaco where we run the highest downforce of the season. Unlike Monaco, Silverstone also has long straights so the extra penalty caused by drag will limit straight line speed. That means the package has to be efficient and not produce unwanted drag. The weather is quite a significant factor with isolated rain showers quite a likelihood over the weekend - even in July! If we know that the race will be run in heavy rain, we will run with more downforce. We would also raise the ride heights to avoid any chance of aquaplaning and we will soften the car to aid traction, especially at the rear. It can be an advantage to test at Silverstone but only if you meet similar conditions at the race weekend. This year we haven't done that much testing there but we have a substantial database from previous races and tests. After six points in France, we have secured good st!
  arting slots for qualifying and we are confident of achieving yet another strong result."

WILLIAMS-BMW RACE PREVIEW:

• Nick Heidfeld: "Like Barcelona, Silverstone is well known by all the drivers and teams as everyone does a lot of testing there. I find the track quite challenging because it has a couple of fast corners, one I particularly enjoy is Becketts. I also like the English fans who know a lot about the sport and seem to be real enthusiasts. Although the weather at Silverstone can sometimes be even worse than that at the Nurburgring, I quite like driving in the rain and a wet track always provides more fun for me."
• Mark Webber: "Silverstone is always a place I enjoy going to. Because I've lived in England for a long time, I have many friends that always come to support the teams I have competed for at the British Grand Prix. I have many good memories of Silverstone. In 1997, I raced in F3 for Alan Docking Racing, whose team was based there, while I won there when I was driving in F3000. Last year's F1 race was good and, last, but not least, home is only 40 minutes away! I have also done a lot of cycling round that area so I know the place pretty well. The circuit itself is massively demanding. It's a high speed circuit, not too dissimilar to Barcelona. As we know, weather can play a huge role at Silverstone, but it would be good to have decent conditions. I really hope we'll be more competitive next weekend and have a good race for one of the team's home GPs."
• Sam Michael (Technical Director, WilliamsF1): "After France, we head to the UK for our home race, the British Grand Prix, and the final part of the double header. Silverstone is a high speed circuit, with fast changes of direction and three straights that reward power. It also has a slow speed complex to finish off the lap. Aero efficiency is important at Silverstone, with the cars' set-up geared towards helping high speed stability while not losing too much grip in the complex. To give our drivers the best chance at the British Grand Prix, we have some further aero and mechanical upgrades for the cars. The chassis development has been pushed really hard this year to improve the FW27. 2005 has been the hardest and fastest development year we have ever had and the improved chassis proves the hard work is yielding results.Overtaking is possible at Silverstone, as was demonstrated a couple of years ago. The teams' strategy decisions will be clearer now that the qualifying format has settled down again."
• Mario Theissen (BMW Motorsport Director): "Silverstone is one of the most traditional venues on the race calendar and, even after all this time, it remains one of the most popular circuits. At WilliamsF1's home race, we want to make sure we get a good result. Having four races within one month, July presents a real challenge for everybody involved, especially because we have already had two back- to-back races recently, including an overseas trip. Given the hectic schedule, any development of the chassis is even more remarkable. The new aerodynamic package, having made its debut in Magny-Cours, should bear more fruit at Silverstone. The three straights of the Silverstone circuit reward engine power. With 58 per cent full throttle per lap, Silverstone ranks slightly higher than the average F1 track. Nick and Mark will both have new BMW P84/ 5 engines for the British Grand Prix."

BACK to TOP OF PAGE

Advertising Enquiry