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2005 BELGIAN F1 GRAND PRIX SPA

2005 F1 GP:

R16 of 19, 2005 Belgian GP, September 11, Spa Francorchamps

• MINARDI SOLD TO RED BULL: Red Bull will buy Minardi F1 team and run 2 teams in 2006.
  RED BULL RACING: "At the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, an agreement was reached whereby Red Bull GmbH will take over all the company shares of the Minardi Formula One team."
• WILLIAMS TO SWITCH FROM MICHELIN TO BRIDGESTONE TYRES IN 2006
  F WILLIAMS: "After detailed consideration, we have taken a very positive decision, based on technical merit, to renew a relationship with Bridgestone who we previously worked with in 2000"
• RE SPA CIRCUIT:
  Villeneuve(Sauber): "Eau Rouge is probably the most exciting corner in modern F1. "
  Sato (BAR): "Spa is well-known as one of everybody's favourite circuits"
• PIZZONIA TO FILL IN FOR HEIDFELD AGAIN
• BEFORE RACE
• ALONSO NEEDS 3 MORE POINTS THAN RAIKKONEN TO WIN THE WORLD TITLE: "To me this is just another race, and if I do well, then fine ... I am not thinking about the championship, just about doing the best that I can"

• 2004 RESULT:
• 1 Kimi Raikkonen, McLAREN MERCEDES 44 laps
• 2 Michael Schumacher, FERRARI +3.1s
• 3 Rubens Barrichello, FERRARI +4.3s
• 4 Felipe Massa, Sauber +12.5
• 5 Giancarlo Fisichella, Sauber
• 6 Christian Klien, Jaguar

RACE RESULT

• 1 Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) McLaren-Mercedes 44 laps
• 2 Fernando Alonso (SPA) Renault
• 3 Jenson Button (GB) BAR-Honda
• 4 Mark Webber (Aus) Williams
• 5 Rubens Barrichello (BRA) Ferrari
• 6 Jacques Villeneuve (CAN) Sauber
• 7 Ralf Schumacher (GER) Toyota
• 8 Tiago Monteiro (POR) Jordan
• 9 Christian Klien (AUT) Red Bull
• 10 Felipe Massa (BRA) Sauber
• 11 Narain Karthikeyan (Ind) Jordan
  12 Christijan Albers (NED) Minardi
  13 Robert Doornbos (NED) Minardi
  14 Juan Pablo Montoya (COL) McLaren
  15 Antonio Pizzonia (BRA) Williams
  16 Jarno Trulli (ITA) Toyota
• DNF:
• David Coulthard , Takuma Sato , Michael Schumacher, Giancarlo Fisichella

RACE REVIEW:

• RAIKKONEN, 1ST: "We did what we could today, and I'm thrilled to win here at Spa for the second time in a row. However Juan Pablo's retirement was a real shame and I feel sorry for him and the team as we could have left Spa with so much more as we really deserved a one-two."
• "Everything went well during the race with no real dramas and the car was great. When the safety car came out we took the opportunity to come into the pits and as Ralf was quite a bit lighter at this stage he was able to be in front of me."
• "However I didn't push to look after the Michelin tyres. Consequently when it dried out I was able to really push and caught up with a series' of fast laps. I claimed the lead after the second pitstop as I could stay out longer than Juan Pablo and that was it. However there are mixed emotions as we should have had a one-two today."
• ALONSO, 2ND: "It was a hard race for everybody this afternoon, with really difficult conditions, but we knew we had a competitive car and that we didn't need to take any big risks. Sometimes, these races can bring some big surprises, so I am pleased to come away with a normal result, which was exactly what I needed."
• "The rear end of the car was moving about a lot in the high speed corners, which made it hard to attack a lot in the quick parts of the circuit, so I just backed off quite early and made sure I would take home plenty of points. I didn't make any mistakes, and P3 was going to be perfect for me, then I saw Montoya's accident -- so P2 is even better, and it was nice to have some more help from McLaren."
• "We were debating all the way through the race, and especially in the last laps, whether or not we should take the dry tyres, but I think we did the right thing: we didn't need to take the gamble, and played it safe."
• "I want to say a big thank you to Michelin as well: we started the race in wet conditions, and finished with the track nearly dry, but the tyres they gave us were extremely quick all the way through. They have done a really fantastic job."
• BUTTON, 3RD: "It's fantastic to be back on the podium and I have to thank the team for their incredibly hard work to get us back into the game here. The first stint of the race wasn't easy. I had such bad oversteer I barely had to turn into the corners! At the first stop we adjusted the front wing which made things better but we were a little too optimistic in switching to drys so we had to come in again and change back to wets."
• "Double stinting the tyres really made all the difference for us though. I have to thank the entire team and Michelin for making this result possible. The pitstops were great and the Honda engine was faultless all weekend. We have some new developments for the next few races so I'm feeling really positive. Let's hope we have a few more days like today before the end of the season"
• FERRARI REPORT
• Jean Todt: "This was a chaotic and confusing race. We hoped to exploit the unusual weather conditions but this year, it seems that even the luck that can be a fundamental part of motor racing will not come our way. Maybe we have had too much of it in the past few years, but I hope we can now get back in credit on this score as quickly as possible."
• "At the start of the race, Michael was a front runner, while Rubens who had started from further back, was struggling a bit. When the Safety Car came, out we tried to gamble on dry tyres on Michael's car, but very quickly, he realised the car was impossible to drive in these conditions. So another stop was needed to go back to rain tyres, but Michael's race lasted just one more lap, when he was hit by Sato in the braking area for La Source."
• "This meant all our hopes rested with Rubens, who had moved into the points by this stage. His race was going normally, but when his rain tyres began to go off significantly, he had to pit again to fit dry ones with just a few laps remaining. The time he lost doing this and in getting the dry tyres up to temperature cost him fourth place."
• Rubens Barrichello: "Unfortunately we did not have enough speed today and that was a problem throughout the race. The decisions we made regarding tyre choice were good, as were the decisions about when to make the pit stops. That is the only reason why we managed to bring home some points. At one point we felt it was better to stay on the rain tyres as although they were getting slick they seemed to be working better."
• "Unfortunately, after this stage had passed, the tyres went off quite a bit and I had to stop to change them. Then I lost fourth position because getting the dry tyres warm at the end was very difficult and Webber overtook me very easily. Considering everything that happened today, coming home with four points is not bad."
• Michael Schumacher: "Every accident is unnecessary but this one seemed more unnecessary than usual. Obviously I am not happy about it, I did not see anything and just felt a bump at the rear of the car. It was stupid to finish the race like this when we had hoped that the mixed conditions might help us."
• "We decided to try the dry tyres but it was immediately obvious that it was like driving on ice. We tried to be competitive today and we got a bit closer to that goal, but not close enough."

QUALIFYING

GRID, SEPT 10, 2005

• 1 Juan Pablo Montoya (COL) McLaren-Mercedes 1m 46.391
  "That was a nice and smooth lap. I was sitting in the car when I saw a few drops of rain and was thinking 'oh no'. However I think it just stopped when I went out and didn't affect my lap. The car was working well despite us only having limited time to work on the set-up, but we seem to have found the perfect balance between speed and grip. To get the front row is fantastic for both Kimi and I as it's just what the team needs at the moment. I think it will be an interesting race tomorrow, and I'm sure the weather will play some sort of role. From where I'm sitting it doesn't matter whether it's wet or dry, so let's see, and I'm sure it will be exciting either way."
• 2 Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) McLaren-Mercedes 1m 46.44
  "To have both Juan Pablo and myself on the front row is great and I'm really pleased. Second place is good, and we will work from there to get the best result we can. The car seems to be working well in both wet and dry conditions which is reassuring as it seems like it's going to rain tomorrow. My lap was OK, but I was not on the limit as there were a few drops of rain. I'm confident of a good result for myself and the team tomorrow ; we have definitely given ourselves the best possible basis today."
• 3 *Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA) Renault 1m 46.497
  "Obviously, I am disappointed about the engine change I had this morning, because this was a good qualifying for me. I had a nice lap, and the balance of the car was better than this morning. From what we have seen this weekend, we seem to be quite strong, and maybe closer to McLaren than we expected on Friday. Obviously, I will be starting from the midfield, but with the speed of the R25 here, I think I will be aiming for the podium again: it felt good last weekend, so I want to repeat it!"
• 4. Jarno Trulli (ITA) Toyota
  "I honestly think that was a great lap. There were a few spots of rain during my first sector so I couldn't quite push as hard as I would have liked. But in general the car felt very well balanced so it was possible to push right to the limit, and that's what I did. Every sector of this lap is difficult but it felt quick, so I'm happy with where we've ended up. We've spent the weekend working to adjust the car for the tyres. We hope we've made a good choice and it means we are feeling confident about the race whatever the conditions. We're expecting a wet race so the spray could make life difficult but we all just have to get used to it and try our best."
• 5. Fernando Alonso (SPA) Renault
  "I am pretty pleased with the position. At least we managed some running today, so we could enjoy driving here at Spa and start working on the technical programme. We made some changes before qualifying to improve the balance, and that worked well. It was a clean lap, so now I am in a good position for tomorrow. Things seem closer between us and McLaren than they have been in the last few races, and although it will be very difficult to beat them, maybe it's not impossible. We need to concentrate on the race now, and do a perfect preparation to be able to fight at the front and keep the pressure on."
• 6. Ralf Schumacher (GER) Toyota
  "That was a reasonable qualifying lap given that I've found the car slightly difficult to drive this weekend. We went backwards and forwards with the tyre choice all morning and we changed the tyres just before the session, so that made things difficult. But it was a clean lap and both Jarno and I are happy to be starting so high up the grid tomorrow. There were a couple of spots of rain on my lap but that had no effect on the time. There could obviously be a lot more rain in the race so that could make things harder but hopefully being quite near the front of the grid there will not be quite so much spray. We'll be pushing hard for more points to close the gap on Ferrari."
• 7. Michael Schumacher (GER) Ferrari
  "We said that we did not think there would be much of an improvement after Monza and so today's performance is pretty much what we expected. We did the best we could and it seems that I will start from sixth place, which is okay, although I would have preferred to stay seventh on the clean side of the grid. If it stays dry, we can only hope to fight for points, so obviously I prefer if it rains as that would make the situation more open. Today, we ran the car with a bias towards a wet set-up, which is reflected in the lack of top speed."
• 8. Felipe Massa (BRA) Sauber-Petronas
• 9. Jenson Button (GB) BAR-Honda
• 10. Mark Webber (AUS) Williams-BMW
  11. Takuma Sato (JAP) BAR-Honda
  12. David Coulthard (UK) Red Bull
  13. Rubens Barrichello (BRA) Ferrari
  14. Jacques Villeneuve (CAN) Sauber-Petronas
  15. Antonio Pizzonia (BRA) Williams-BMW
  16. Christian Klien (AUT) Red Bull
  17. Robert Doornbos (NED) Minardi
  18. Christijan Albers (NED) Minardi
  19. Tiago Monteiro (POR) Jordan
  20. Narain Karthikeyan (IND) Jordan
• *will start 13th after engine change penalty

TOYOTA QUALIFYING REPORT:

• Panasonic Toyota Racing will line up with two cars in the top five of the grid for tomorrow's Belgian Grand Prix after a storming performance in this afternoon's qualifying. On another day of mixed weather conditions at Spa-Francorchamps, the track stayed dry for the entire session. Jarno Trulli and Ralf Schumacher reaped the benefits, recording the 4th and 6th fastest laps respectively. Fisichella's penalty for an engine change means that both Toyota drivers will move up one spot. With both cars again on the clean side of the grid, Toyota will now head into Sunday's race aiming for another double points finish. The team currently stands in 4th place in the constructors' championship with 78 points, but it is aiming to reduce the gap to the top three tomorrow.

FRI PRAC # 1, SEPT 9, 2005

• 1 Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) McLaren-Mercedes 1m 48.206
  2 Alexander Wurz (AUT) McLaren-Mercedes 1m 48.216
  3 Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA) Renault 1m 48.619
  4 Ricardo Zonta (BRA) Toyota
  5 Mark Webber (AUS) Williams-BMW
  6 Jenson Button (UK) BAR-Honda
  7 Jarno Trulli (ITA) Toyota
  8 Michael Schumacher (GER) Ferrari
  9 Ralf Schumacher (GER) Toyota
  10 Vitantonio Liuzzi (ITA) Red Bull

2005 RACE PREVIEW: BELGIAN GP

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

BAR-HONDA PREVIEW:

• Jenson Button: "I have had mixed fortunes at Spa. For my first race there in a Formula One car back in 2000 I qualified in P3 which was great. Last year we qualified reasonably well, but during the first corner incident at the start of the race I lost my front wing and had to come into the pits. The car was then running well and I was looking good for a podium finish, but then a tyre blew out on the straight and I had quite a big accident. However, I am really looking forward to going back there as I think that we should have a car that works well on this type of circuit. It's also nice to go back to Spa because of its history and it's a great drivers' circuit. It has certain types of corner that no other circuit in the world has, so I am looking forward to it and hope that the weather will be good to us this year."
• Takuma Sato: "Spa is well-known as one of everybody's favourite circuits because it is challenging and there are a lot of high-speed, flowing corners. It gives you a fantastic feeling driving around it in a Formula One car. The downforce requirement is a unique one. It isn't as low as for Monza and not as high as for other circuits - in fact the wing level is very similar to the one we use in Montreal. We recently completed a successful test using this set-up and so we hope that we have a strong package for the next grand prix."
• Gil de Ferran, Sporting director: "Spa is one of everyone's favourite stops on the F1 circuit as it represents the ultimate test for both team and driver. It is one of the more traditional tracks on the calendar with some of the most challenging corners any driver will experience. From a team standpoint, Spa represents an interesting challenge since there is one part of the track that is very handling-oriented, whilst at the same time there is also a strong requirement for straight- line speed. We have some engine and aerodynamic upgrades for this race so hopefully we can look forward to a more competitive weekend."

FERRARI PREVIEW:

• The 2005 Formula 1 World Championship bids farewell to Europe this weekend, before tackling the final three rounds overseas. And what better venue than Spa-Francorchamps, the last remaining true road course on the calendar.
• Located in the Hautes-Fagnes region of southern Belgium, the circuit first hosted a motorcycle grand prix in 1921, with an inaugural car grand prix following four years later. Back then, the track measured 14.5 kilometres and although it is now reduced in length to 6.976 km, it is still the longest of the championship.
• In recent times, Spa has carved an obvious niche for itself in the hearts of Ferrari fans as the circuit has special significance for the Scuderia's most successful driver ever, Michael Schumacher. Although it is located in Belgium, it is the nearest GP track to the world champion's hometown of Kerpen.
• It was the scene of his Formula 1 debut in 1991, his maiden win twelve months later and a further five victories since then. Ferrari has won here a total of 13 times, starting with back-to-back wins in 1952 and '53 for Alberto Ascari.
• The 1961 Belgian Grand Prix produced a fantastic result for the Scuderia and contributing to it was Belgian driver, Olivier Gendebien. In those days, the grid formation was 3-2-3 and Gendebien made it an all- Ferrari front row, qualifying third behind Phil Hill, who went on to become the first ever American F1 world champion that year and Wolfgang Von Trips.
• The following day's race produced a result that would be impossible today with two car teams, as Ferrari took an incredible 1-2-3-4, courtesy of Hill, Von Trips, Ritchie Ginther and local man Gendebien.
• But the most successful Belgian to fly the Prancing Horse colours was Jacky Ickx, who delivered Ferrari five wins out of a career total of eight (but never at his home track,) driving for Maranello in F1 from 1970 to '73. Ickx is undoubtedly one of that select band of drivers who seemed destined to win the world title, but somehow missed out: he came second in 1969 (to Jackie Stewart) and in 1970 (to Jochen Rindt.)
• But it was in sports car racing that his skills, particularly in the wet, really shone through and in the days when drivers had a more eclectic approach to life, he drove in both disciplines for Ferrari.
• Although Michael Schumacher's record at Spa-Francorchamps is second to none, the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro man has also had his fair share of disappointment here. In the 1998 Belgian Grand Prix, in atrociously wet conditions, he ran into the back of David Coulthard's McLaren- Mercedes, while leading, eliminating both men from the race.
• In 2000, track conditions were so bad that the race began with a rolling start behind the Safety Car. Michael had started from the second row and then inherited the lead when Mika Hakkinen spun but continued. On lap 40, the Finn was catching the Ferrari which, on the day, was a slower car than the McLaren. As both men headed up the hill to Les Combes, Michael legitimately moved across to the right to protect his line and at over 300 km/h both cars nearly touched.
• Next time round, on the same piece of track, the situation looked about to repeat itself, but there was a complication in the form of Ricardo Zonta's BAR in the middle of the track. Michael made a split second decision to go to the left of the Brazilian, but then, in what is still one of the most talked about overtaking moves in recent years, Hakkinen somehow found room to dive down the other side of Zonta and into the lead, going on to win.
• Twelve months later and Schumacher was back to his winning ways and the 2001 Spa victory was another landmark, as it took his total of grand prix wins to 52, thus making him the most successful driver of all time, overhauling Alain Prost's previous record of 51.
• Last year, Michael was beaten fair and square by Kimi Raikkonen, but this was also a significant Belgian Grand Prix for the German as it was here, at his favourite circuit, that his second place finish was good enough to ensure he took an amazing seventh Formula 1 Drivers' World Championship title.

BRIDGESTONE PREVIEW:

• Hiroshi Yasukawa, Director of Motorsport:
• Hisao Suganuma, Technical Manager:

JORDAN PREVIEW:

• Narain Karthikeyan:
• Tiago Monteiro:

McLAREN-MERCEDES PREVIEW:

• Norbert Haug, (Mercedes-Benz Motorsport): "Spa has everything for an interesting and challenging race track from long and fast straights like Kemmel to long and sweeping corners like Pouhon and tight hairpins like La Source. The weather often is like crazy here at Spa, and when it rains, the long track isn't necessarily wet everywhere. Only two out of the last ten Grand Prix weekends at Spa have not been affected by the changeable weather, the last one was six years ago. It was very unpleasant what happened to Kimi last weekend at Monza and without doubt we have to further improve our reliability quickly to become absolutely efficient. Our balance out of the last ten races shows that we're developing in the right direction although stagnations occurred during this process."
• RAIKKONEN: "The Drivers' Championship is still a real challenge for me, and as the season has shown so far this year, there is no guessing what will happen and nothing is over yet. There are still four races to be won this season and forty points up for grabs, so I will fight hard with the team for maximum points every weekend. Spa is the best track we race at, it has every challenge, from steep slopes, flowing bends, tight corners and of course Eau Rouge. You are pushing and are on the edge for the whole lap to be quick. It is great fun and you get a massive buzz when you put in a quick lap time. Because of this you need a really good set-up and it is a very fine balancing act. The only downside is the weather, which can be very unpredictable and different from one side of the track to the other. This can mean we have some interesting situations with strategy, but it is the same for everyone. It was a great race for myself and the team last year, and hopefully we can repeat the result in 2005."
• MONTOYA: "It was great for the Constructors' battle to get a strong points total at Monza. The gap to Renault is very close, there are a lot of points still to be won and the car feels fast, so we shall see. I love Spa, it is one of my favourite tracks and we always have classic racing, although hopefully my race this year will be less eventful than last year! Set-up at Spa is all about compromise, but in a more specific way than at some of the tracks. We need aero and mechanical set-up that makes sure we are quick on the straights and through the fast corners and also to have good mechanical traction through turns such as La Source and the Bus Stop chicane. In addition to being the most exciting and famous corner we race through, maintaining speed in Eau Rouge is also key to have the pace along Les Combes on the run down to the main overtaking opportunity."

RENAULT RACE PREVIEW:

• ALONSO: "Spa is my favourite place to drive an F1 car. You can't say one corner is better than the others because I enjoy the whole lap - people know Eau Rouge best, but the entire place is fantastic in a Formula 1 car. It is a long lap, so you see a good difference between a good and bad car; between a good and bad engine; and also between good and bad drivers."
• FISICHELLA: "I am really excited about going to Spa, especially with this car. Spa is the best circuit for all the drivers I think, we love it. There are some amazing sensations, especially through Eau Rouge where you have the compression and then the steep uphill section. In the last couple of years it was taken flat, and it is a fantastic sensation ; but hard to explain. It is totally different to how we normally feel in the car."

SAUBER RACE PREVIEW:

• Jacques Villeneuve: "Spa is a great track! I've got memories of some adventures there, though it's never been lucky for me. It's definitely a track where you can feel stronger than the rest if you go through the corners flat. It's one of the last high-speed circuits that we have and it's a very long lap."
• "It's got a good rhythm and it follows the layout of the land. You turn because there's a mountain, so there's a reason for the layout. It's not like most modern tracks, which are like parking lots that you put cones around to create as many corners as you can with no logic or rhythm. This one has both. It's like you're driving to your house in the mountains!
• "Eau Rouge is probably the most exciting corner in modern F1. It has a little kink to the left and then you start turning right as the track starts going up. You pull a lot of g force through there and the car scrapes the ground, so you get a little bit sideways."
• "At the same time you don't see the exit of the corner so you're just turning right and then suddenly you're turning left and at that point the car gets very light. All that - flat out! It's a really exciting corner to do. Going flat-out there doesn't actually make your overall lap faster, but it does make you feel proud. Pride is stupid, but it is important!"
• Felipe Massa: "Spa is a brilliant circuit, and I don't just say that because last year I was able to finish fourth and score my best finish up to that point. It is still definitely the best circuit that we go to and my favourite."
• "It's not just Eau Rouge that makes it special, though that will be interesting this year with the reduction in downforce since 2004. It might still just be flat, but it won't be easy flat. Then there are all the other very quick corners, and the fact that here the driver really can make a difference in the cockpit."

TOYOTA RACE PREVIEW:

• Ask your average grand prix driver what his favourite circuit is, and the chances are he will give you a one-word answer: 'Spa'. So it is a safe bet that there will be a few smiling faces in the cockpits of the 20 Formula One cars as they pummel round this circuit in Belgium's Ardennes region next weekend. Spa-Francorchamps is the venue for the Belgian Grand Prix, the last European race of the 2005 F1 season. It's the archetypal drivers' track - hills everywhere and a mixture of sweeping bends and tight corners. It is a test not only for the drivers, but also for the engineers who revel in the challenges this classic circuit provides. A superlative race strategy by the engineering team in Monza resulted in a seven-point haul. Panasonic Toyota Racing heads to Belgium in 4th place in the constructors' championship on 78 points, just eight points behind the top three and looking to end the European season on a high.
• GO WITH THE FLOW
  According to Jarno Trulli, the secret to being quick around Spa is to find the rhythm of the circuit, joining together all the different corners into a flowing lap.
• Jarno Trulli (Car 16): "I always look forward to our trips to Spa, and I think every other driver on the grid has the same feeling. It's one of the most difficult tracks in the world and that makes everything more interesting from the inside of the cockpit. It's a technical circuit and that means it also shows how good a driver really is. Over the course of a lap you face pretty much every kind of corner there is, and there are lots of chances for making up time. It's a much longer lap than most, and it's harder to find the limit than anywhere else. You have to concentrate hard throughout the lap, but it's also all about finding the rhythm of the circuit. So far I've always gone pretty well there, so I will be looking forward to the challenge again this weekend. It's always difficult to know what to expect before you get to a race but things went well in Italy so let's hope for another good result."
• DON'T RAIN ON MY SPA RAID
  The weather is always a factor at Spa-Francorchamps - and Ralf Schumacher reveals you can even go through a full range of conditions in the course of a single lap.
• Ralf Schumacher (Car 17): "For many drivers, Spa is the best circuit on the calendar, and I'm no exception. The dramatic Eau Rouge is one of the most recognisable corners on the calendar, with a compression as you come into it and then a steep climb out. It has been likened to threading a needle and that's not a bad analogy. The high-speed Stavelot and Blanchimont corners are also satisfying to drive. It's a 'real' circuit. The other major factor at Spa is the weather. The Belgian Ardennes seem to have a climate all their own and you are never quite sure what you are going to get. When the weather changes, it can be dry in one part of the circuit and wet in another, so you have to be careful. This year the race is a couple of weeks later than usual, so I'd be very surprised if we get through the weekend without rain. We haven't had a wet race all year, so it could be interesting for the drivers, the teams and the tyre companies."
• ENGINEERING COMPLETION
  Spa-Francorchamps provides the ultimate test not only for drivers, but for the engineers, who face unique challenges around the Ardennes hills.
• Mike Gascoyne - Technical Director Chassis: "Spa-Francorchamps is the most challenging circuit we go to during the season, both from a driving and an engineering perspective. The track combines some very high speed corners - including the fantastic and legendary Eau Rouge - with low speed corners like La Source and the Bus Stop. There is a mixture of standard track and normal road with significant elevation changes. The biggest challenge comes from finding the most competitive set-up to cope with the varying speeds during the lap. The high speed sections lead to a tendency to reduce wing level, which makes corners like Eau Rouge demanding. But we have to make sure that we have a good top speed on the return to the Bus Stop and the flat-out left-hander Blanchimont. The circuit is also demanding for engines, especially over the long section towards Radillon and back to Blanchimont. We expect our package to suit the Spa-Francorchamps track. This year season our car has suited almost all types of circuit, so I expect this trend to continue."

WILLIAMS-BMW RACE PREVIEW: (*Heidfeld is still suffering from headaches after his crash during practice at Monza; Antonio Pizzonia will once again fill in here at Spa.)

• *Nick Heidfeld: "Although Spa is not particularly far from my home town of Mönchengladbach, I haven't raced there much, which is a shame because Spa is one of the most beautiful circuits on the calendar. It has numerous fast corners and is wonderfully embedded into the landscape. Not only does this create a special atmosphere for the spectators, but also for the drivers. Personally, I find Eau Rouge one of the most unusual corners and I always tell everyone to view the race from it. The compression does not cause any physical problems, but the g- forces are unique. Drivers are used to sideways g-forces, or those experienced under braking. I've tried bob sleighing before and going through Eau Rouge feels just like you're sitting in a bob. Spa is notorious for its unpredictable weather. I'm hoping for rain because we don't get many wet races, although Spa might not be the best venue for it. Similar to the former long forest straight at Hockenheim, the high speeds cause the water, blown up by the cars, to become trapped between the trees instead of being blown away by the wind."
• Mark Webber: "Clearly Spa is one of the most spectacular circuits we go to all year and I've always enjoyed driving an F1 car there. It has everything. It's very quick, hugely challenging, the location is great and the undulations are absolutely fantastic. At this time of year, the weather can play a big part of the weekend so you never really know what's going to happen. I've driven in races there when it's been raining on one part of the circuit and dry in another. That only creates a problem though when visibility is bad, which it can be coming back from the Bus Stop from Blanchimont, and into Eau Rouge as well. Then Spa is dangerous. I'm not worried about rain though, last year was wet and it was fine. I also always enjoy driving long, fast laps in a race, which Spa demands, so I'm really looking forward to it."
• Sam Michael (Technical Director, WilliamsF1): "With so much natural terrain creating challenging corners and sequences for the drivers and engineers, Spa is a truly great circuit. Of course Eau Rouge and Blanchimont are great corners, but there is so much more to the track. The Bus Stop chicane, for example, has created some fantastic overtaking situations in the past. Set-up is geared towards high and medium speed stability to ensure that when the cars make their way back from the far stretches of the circuit they are quick through the flowing parts of the track. At the same time, the car must be strong over the curbs through the chicane. The weather will also play a significant role over the weekend, with rain sometime falling on different parts of the circuit while not on others. We have further aerodynamic developments to the rear of the FW27 for this race and Michelin will be bringing two new tyre compounds for us to select from."
• Mario Theissen (BMW Motorsport Director): "These days, the term 'natural circuit' applies to only one Formula One track, and that's Spa-Francorchamps. Firstly, the track follows the landscape rather than the other way round. Secondly, the austerity of the Ardennes can throw up sudden weather changes that are very hard to forecast. Last year, wets were needed for qualifying. Spa demands a great deal from the BMW engines. The engines running in our cars in Spa will be the two that have already completed the Monza race. At 1,821 metres, Eau Rouge is the longest full-throttle section of the season, if taken flat out. In addition, Spa has a number of gradients making it a great challenge for both drivers and technology."

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