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2006 FORMULA 1 GERMAN GP  

• WILLIAMS TO USE TOYOTA ENGINE IN 2007
• BEFORE RACE, SCHUMACHER'S HOME GP: "For every German driver, the home race provides extra motivation ... The psychological effect of driving here is huge. I always receive great support from our fans at Hockenheim and this lasts for the entire weekend. All the drivers enjoy competing in such conditions ...We want to turn the championship red and Hockenheim ought to be the next step. Naturally, we also need the supporters on our side as they are very important."
• Hockenheim Location:
• Half way between Frankfurt and Stuttgart
• Major upgrade in 2002:
• Circuit resurfaced and shortened from 6.82 km to 4.574 km with rapid sweepers and hairpins. The long tree lined straight is gone. The new layout gives better viewing by spectators. 67 lap race.
• Old circuit: high speed circuit with 2 long straights, 3 chicanes; 45 lap race
• Current Hockenheim Circuit:
• Downforce - medium; Full throttle - about 60%; Surface - smooth
• Hockenheim History:
• 1932 - circuit opened for motorcycle racing
• 1966 - Motordrom opened
• 1970 - first Formula 1 race; just 1 race then German GP moved to Nurburgring
• 1977 - Formula 1 returned to Hockenheim
• 2002 - major upgrade
• Hockenheim Winners:
• 2006 winner: Michael Schumacher, Ferrari
• 2005 winner: Fernando Alonso/Renault
• 2004 winner: M Schumacher/Ferrari Bridgestone
• 2003 winner: Juan Montoya, Williams BMW
• 2002 winner: M Schumacher/Ferrari Bridgestone
• 2001 winner: R Schumacher/Williams BMW Michelin
• 2000 winner: Barichello/Ferrari Bridgestone
• 1999 winner: Irvine/Ferrari Bridgestone

FERRARI RACE REPORT - SCHUMACHER 1ST, MASSA 2ND  (TOP OF PAGE)

• Fifth win and second one-two of the season for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro - a fifth win for Michael Schumacher too. This is the nineteenth German Grand Prix win for the Prancing Horse, number 188 from 735 races. For Michael Schumacher this is his eighty ninth win from 244 Grand Prix starts, the fourth at this circuit and his seventieth at the wheel of a Ferrari.
• Jean Todt: "A dream result! The race was trouble free, the car was perfect, the drivers impeccable with Bridgestone tyres clearly superior to their competitors. The moment from this day I will keep in my mind is the podium ceremony, that featured my three favourite drivers. Tomorrow, we will come down to earth and think about the next race in Budapest. I have always maintained that as long as it was mathematically possible, we would continue to pursue our objectives. That's what we are doing and what we will continue to do."
• "However, we really must keep our feet on the ground even more than usual. We have "only" had a one-two, even if that in itself is quite something! Finally on behalf of all at Ferrari I would like to pay a special tribute to Bridgestone on securing their one hundredth Formula 1 victory. Finally I am happy to point out that, today, three Ferrari F430 GTC took the first three places in the Spa-Francorchamps 24 Hours in the GT2 category."
• Michael Schumacher: "Superb! I can't begin to find the right adjectives to describe the car-engine-Bridgestone tyre package and the performance of the whole team. We worked hard at last week's Paul Ricard test and I am very happy that today that work bore fruit. I want to congratulate Felipe, who drove a great race. It was very important to have made up several points over our main rivals at the key moment of the season. I had no problems whatsoever all weekend and I have to say that winning here in front of my fans makes it a really special victory."
• "Already, during this morning's Driver Parade I got a great feeling seeing all the support I had in the crowd and I am happy to have been able to pay them back with this win. The fight for both titles is now very open. There are still six races to go and there is still room to push and put those in front of us under more pressure. I am confident and keen to get back on with the next few races."
• Felipe Massa: "We did an even better job than expected. I saw yesterday morning that we had a really good pace for the race; especially my speed on old tyres was very surprising. I was therefore convinced we would have an even stronger car for the race. That is how it turned out. After a good start and good first pit stop I saw that I had a big gap to the following cars and from then on I concentrated on looking after the car and bringing it home."
• "I drove an intelligent race in what was an important one for the team at this stage of the season, given our targets in both championships. Now it will be important for us to continue moving forward with this same momentum and concentration to the end of the championship. I hope that, in the short term, we can repeat this performance in seven days in Budapest."
• Ross Brawn: "It would be hard to ask for a better result! The cars were perfect, as were the Bridgestone tyres and the engine: everything worked to perfection. When I saw Kimi go in for his first pit stop, it confirmed what we had been expecting and from then to the end of the race it was a case of looking after the car and the tyres which we did without any problems."
• "In the last few races, we have introduced some new components on the 248 F1 and this result is down to all the hard work carried out by the Scuderia. Michael and Felipe were perfect and today we have made significant progress in both championships. There is every reason to be optimistic for the rest of the season, although we know we must stay calm and concentrate."

RENAULT RACE REPORT - ALONSO 5TH, FISICHELLA 6TH  (TOP OF PAGE)

• The Renault F1 Team endured its most difficult race weekend of the season at today's German Grand Prix at Hockenheim. The race was run in sweltering conditions, with track temperatures peaking at over 50C , a factor the team had hoped would work in its favour compared to the cooler temperatures encountered in qualifying.
• However, this did not prove to be the case and both Fernando Alonso and Giancarlo Fisichella experienced severe rear tyre blistering at different points in the race, during the first stint for Alonso and the second for Fisichella. In both cases, these problems were encountered at important strategic moments of the race and cost the drivers improved finishing positions.
• In spite of the challenges encountered in Germany, the Renault F1 Team maintains its leadership of both championships at the two-thirds stage of the 2006 season. Fernando has scored 100 points and leads Michael Schumacher by 11 points, while team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella is now fourth in the championship on 49 points. In the constructors' battle, the Renault F1 Team has scored 149 points and leads rivals Ferrari by 10 points.
• Fernando Alonso, 5th position "We were not competitive this weekend, but I did the maximum I could and so did the team. I think that without the blistering we experienced, the podium was a possibility for me today , even from seventh position. I got a good start and passed both Hondas, but the tyres then blistered in the opening stint and I lost too much time to be able to fight for third place."
• "Things were much better in the second and third parts of the race, and I was still pushing hard in the final laps when I went off because there was a chance of catching Button. When you look at the level of performance over the weekend, and consider the blistering, then the result is not too bad. But we did not have enough to fight Ferrari here, and that was the problem for us."
• "Now, we need to think positive and look to Hungary. The tyres we use there are totally different to what you need for Hockenheim, and I have confidence in Michelin to give us the right products. We need to improve our performance for next week, and fight back strongly."
• Giancarlo Fisichella, 6th position: "Both of the Renaults had the same problem today with tyre blistering, and for me it came in the second stint. After just a few laps, the car had become nearly undriveable. We need to investigate everything to find out why, but we also saw some other Michelin cars that were quicker than us today, and we were missing something in terms of performance all the way through the weekend."
• "On the positive side, we stayed reliable, got both cars to the finish and managed to score points on a very tough weekend for us. Now we need to look ahead to Budapest. Everything starts again for us on Friday, and we will be going there hoping to fight for the podium.
• Flavio Briatore, Managing Director:
• "The important thing after a difficult weekend like this one is to stay calm: we are still leading both championships but we are in a tough fight, as we expected at the start of the season. This was a difficult weekend for the whole team from beginning to end, and Fernando and Giancarlo did a great job to bring the cars home in the points. Now, we need to regroup at Enstone and Viry, analyse with Michelin what happened this weekend, and push hard to get back on top in Budapest."
• Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering:
• "It goes without saying that this was an extremely difficult race for us. We have not had the pace we would have wanted all weekend, and the tyre management in the race was even more difficult than anticipated with both drivers experiencing severe blistering at different points. With the next race only one week away, we need to use the coming days to make careful analysis of what has happened this weekend, and do everything in our power to rectify the situation for Hungary."

HONDA RACE REPORT - BUTTON 4TH, BARRICHELLO DNF  (TOP OF PAGE)

• The Honda Racing F1 Team's Jenson Button narrowly missed out on a return to the podium today after taking 4th place in this afternoon's German Grand Prix. He drove a committed race to maintain his 4th place starting position, despite running 3rd for much of the middle stint and again in the closing stages.
• There were mixed feelings in Hockenheim however after Rubens suffered an engine failure just 18 laps into the race. After a strong showing throughout free practice and qualifying, the team had been hopeful of a points finish for both cars. Nonetheless, Jenson's result earns a further five valuable points for the team who strengthen their 4th place in the Constructors Championship.
• Jenson Button: "I had a great race today and the first two stints were very enjoyable. To get past both Renaults at the start and then past Kimi during the race felt very good and I had a lot of fun out there. The last stint was really tough because I had massive amounts of tyre graining on the front left and a lot of rear locking, so I just couldn't fight off Raikkonen."
• "I'm really happy though. We've made a definite step forward here and we've been strong all weekend but we have to continue that into Hungary now which will be hard work. It looks like we're getting back on track though."
• Rubens Barrichello: "We made some good progress here this weekend, so it's very disappointing for me that we let that go with a bad start and an engine failure. In the first few laps the car was running well and with the strategy and long run pace we had I think we should have done well today."
• "Not long after my first pit stop the engine caught fire and there was oil on the tyres which caused me to spin and that was the end of my race. I just have to hope that we can carry this progress through to Hungary now because everyone has been working so hard to take this step forward."
• Gil de Ferran, Sporting Director:
• "Jenson achieved a good result for us today. After our strong qualifying performance yesterday, neither car had the best of starts, nevertheless both Jenson and Rubens were able to fight back during the first stint when the cars were handling well. Jenson was fighting hard for a podium, however the car's handling went away in the last stint and there was no way for him to maintain 3rd place."
• "It was disappointing that Rubens had to retire after such a strong weekend. Overall we are happy with 4th place and we come away from Hockenheim encouraged by the improved performance of both cars, the credit for which must go to the whole team who have worked relentlessly on a variety of new developments to both car and engine."

TOYOTA RACE REPORT - TRULLI 7, SCHUMACHER 9  (TOP OF PAGE)

• WHAT A DAY AT THE RACE
• Under somewhat cloudy skies, Panasonic Toyota Racing secured two more points at the German Grand Prix, which turned out to be a challenging, yet exciting race for the team. The third corner right at the start was the showplace of contact between Ralf Schumacher and David Coulthard. Upon colliding with David, Ralf's nose was damaged, thus forcing him to make an early pit stop for repairs. He lost 8 positions, but came back fighting and pushed through traffic before having to drive through the pit lane in lap 35 as a penalty for speeding during his pit stop. Considering he had four pit stops, he had a solid drive and finished in 9th place. Jarno on the other hand, had a great start after moving up 8 positions from 20th to 12th place. He gave a strong showing of the TF106B's potential and his driving ability by overtaking many cars and moving up the field the whole race to capture 7th place. Now the team will travel to Budapest, the beautiful city which is known as the 'Queen o
  f the Danube', to contest the final round of races before the well-earned summer break. The team hopes to repeat similar results to last year in Hungary, where Ralf and Jarno took 3rd and 4th place respectively.
• Jarno Trulli (Car 8, Chassis TF106/09B)
  Race Classification: 7th
  Gap: +26.544s (from race winner)
  Qualifying Classification: 13th
  Lap time: 1m15.150s (+1.372s in Session 2)
  Grid: 20th
• "As always, the German Grand Prix brings unexpected results and this weekend has not gone how we had hoped for. It is quite unfortunate that we did not qualify better yesterday. But even though I started from the back of the grid, we can be very happy with the performance of the car and the fantastic results. I had an incredible start and could do a lot of overtaking which made the race quite exciting for me. Our race pace was very quick and we can be encouraged by the results we ended up with today. I owe a great thanks to the team, because the car was very competitive and I think we have huge potential to bounce back at the coming races."
• Ralf Schumacher (Car 7, Chassis TF106/07B)
  Race Classification: 9th
  Gap: +1.00.351s (from race winner)
  Qualifying Classification: 8th
  Lap time: 1m15.923s (1.853s in Session 3)
  Grid: 8th
• "It is a very disappointing weekend for us because we could have achieved much better results. The start of the race was quite difficult and then I had the unlucky collision with David Coulthard in the third corner. The tyres locked up and I could not steer away from him. These things are normal racing incidents that can happen. The results are unfortunate for the team who have been working so hard to bring us forward. But I truly believe that had we been able to follow our original strategy, we could have reached a podium position. As you can see from Jarno's performance, we have shown that this is definitely possible. I am looking forward to Hungary to make things better."
• Tsutomu Tomita - Team Principal "The results of the race were unfortunately not as good as we were hoping for. But I have really enjoyed the race and found it to be quite exciting to see how our two cars could overtake many cars in the field. The most positive thing for me, was to see Jarno move up from 20th in the back to 7th place. He even had the fastest speed of 317kmh in the speed trap, and the drivers had the 4th and 5th fastest laps, which show how good our pace is improving. Unfortunately for Ralf, we had a few incidents, like his collision at the beginning and then his drive-through penalty, which cost him a lot of time. But he did his best to move up the field. I am very confident and sure about our car's performance based on today's race. We just need to make sure that this progress continues in a positive direction for us to be competitive among the top teams."

2006 QUALIFYING

QUALIFYING, Kimi Raikkonen, Pole: "It was great to get pole today as the car has been working really well all weekend. We had some new developments at the test last week and it is clear that they have moved us in the right direction. Obviously today is only half the story, but I like this track, and we will have to see what happens in the race tomorrow."

McLAREN QUALIFYING REPORT - RAIKKONEN ON POLE  (TOP OF PAGE)

• Kimi Raikkonen will start tomorrow's Mobil 1 German Grand Prix from pole position having set the quickest time of 1:14.070 in the final qualifying session. Pedro de la Rosa's ninth fastest time of 1:15.936 means he will be lining up on the fifth row of the grid.
• Kimi Raikkonen: "It was great to get pole today as the car has been working really well all weekend. We had some new developments at the test last week and it is clear that they have moved us in the right direction. Obviously today is only half the story, but I like this track, and we will have to see what happens in the race tomorrow."
• "Unfortunately I went off the track on my last flying lap, I knew I was slower than on my first attempt, so I pushed a bit harder and ran out of space on the corner, it is one of those things, but it didn't make any difference."
• Pedro de la Rosa: "Qualifying three was a bit messy for me and ninth place is not what I expected after it had gone so well in the first two qualifying sessions. The car has been handling really well throughout the weekend and our Michelin tyres performed consistently."
• "Unfortunately Ralf Schumacher hit me at the hairpin and consequently my right rear tyre blew, obviously this was a misunderstanding of both parties. When I came into the pits there was rubber from the incident in my brake duct which caused a small fire. However I am looking forward to the race where we should be competitive."
• Ron Dennis: "Pole is a very good position to avoid any first lap incidents and allows Kimi the ability to race in clean air. I'm sure Pedro would have done better if it hadn't been for his collision with Ralf Schumacher. As you expect the team is looking forward to a competitive race."
• Norbert Haug: "A super qualifying lap by Kimi. Pole position at Mercedes-Benz's home Grand Prix is a nice reward for all the efforts of the team to further improve our technical package during the last few weeks. Our speed was good, and mostly the best in the Michelin camp, throughout all the sessions, and we chose an aggressive strategy."
• "Pedro's performance was hampered when his right rear tyre was punctured following Ralf driving into him. We are now looking forward to tomorrow's German Grand Prix when we want to perform well in front of the many Mercedes-Benz supporters."

FERRARI QUALIFYNG REPORT - M SCHUMACHER 2ND, MASSA 3RD  (TOP OF PAGE)

• Jean Todt: "It was a very closely contested qualifying, especially in the final part when the drivers were fighting not only for pole but also to get the best track position from which to produce a quick lap. We are satisfied with this result, which sees us with one driver on the front row and the other on the second."
• "Both Michael and Felipe produced a great performance and both the 248 F1 and the Bridgestone tyres were up to the task in hand. Now we come to the most important part of the weekend, which is of course the race. The factors that will decide the finishing order are the usual ones: reliability, tyre performance, team work, strategy and of course the performance of those at the wheel."
• "With seven races to go to the end of the championship and with the gap we need to close up in both championships, it is clear what are our objectives. I hope with all my heart that we can reach them, both tomorrow and come the end of the season."
• Michael Schumacher: "We know we can count on a very strong car-engine-Bridgestone tyre which should give us a good race pace, so we can be confident for tomorrow. We had no problems at all and things have gone well all weekend. The track will still rubber in a bit more, especially as it rained yesterday."
• "My somewhat aggressive entry into the pits? Nothing strange, I was just in a hurry, but I had a bit of graining which prevented me from pulling off the manoeuvre the way I wanted, but in the end nothing happened and that was also the case when it comes to the incident with Fernando in Q3. In certain situations, for example when you are changing tyres at the same time as your team-mate, you cannot see everything clearly and you have to rely on the team as to when to pull away from the pit stop."
• "Even though I have not had that much success in this race in the past, Hockenheim is one of my favourite dates on the calendar and I'm looking forward to racing tomorrow in front of so many of my fans."
• Felipe Massa: "Third place is definitely not bad, but I felt I could have done better. I had expected to be fighting for pole, after the car felt very strong on old tyres in this morning's free practice. But at least the good pace I showed in race trim this morning means I can be optimistic for tomorrow."
• "We have a very strong car-engine-Bridgestone tyre package and I hope everything turns out the way we expect it to, but the competition is very close so it will be a tough race."
• Ross Brawn:
• "We are happy with this qualifying result, although obviously we would have preferred to be on pole. However, with this format, the result of the third part of the session inevitably reflects the different strategies chosen by the teams."
• "We think our cars proved to be very competitive, as can be seen from the times set in Q1 and Q2 and the Bridgestone tyres also worked well. Track conditions are steadily improving and they even changed during the qualifying hour. We are reasonably confident about tomorrow's race."

RENAULT QUALIFYNG REPORT - ALONSO 7TH, FISICHELLA 5TH  (TOP OF PAGE)

• The Renault F1 Team endured a challenging afternoon during today's qualifying session for the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim.
• In ever-improving track conditions, and with temperatures steadily rising through the afternoon, both Renault drivers struggled for performance over a single lap during the qualifying session. Giancarlo Fisichella will start tomorrow's race from fifth position, while Fernando Alonso had hoped for more than P7 on his 25th birthday.
• However, in spite of the disappointing positions, both drivers reported the car to be well-balanced and easy to drive, which gives them confidence that they will be able to climb through the field during tomorrow's race.
• Giancarlo Fisichella, 5th position: "I think we did the maximum we could today with the engineers and on the track. Unfortunately though, some other cars were quicker this afternoon. There are some big gaps to the cars in front, so maybe we can expect some variation in strategy, but we will have to race hard whatever happens. It will be important to make a good start and then keep the pace. I am confident we will be quick on the long runs, so hopefully everything will come together in the race."
• Fernando Alonso, 7th position: "Today, I don't think we ever got our tyres working properly on the timed lap and even before the session, we knew it might be a little bit difficult for us this afternoon. Obviously, starting from seventh position makes our job quite a hard one, but I am still confident for tomorrow. I think we have competitive pace on the long runs, and now we need to believe in the choices we have made for set-up and strategy, and let the race unfold. Hopefully, we can make it to the podium tomorrow."
• Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering:
• "Fifth and seventh are certainly not the grid positions we had hoped for this afternoon, which is surprising as the balance of the car did not seem too bad for either driver. Rather, it was a question of grip today. Our tyres have started working better as the temperatures have risen this weekend, and a continuation of that trend tomorrow will certainly help our chances in the race."
• Denis Chevrier, Head of Trackside Engine Operations:
• "It is clear from this afternoon's qualifying session that we are not in our usual strong position in terms of our overall competitiveness. Although the run to the first corner is short at this circuit, making it hard to gain ground, we usually see plenty of action on the first lap , and both of our drivers will have to race aggressively to make up positions."
• "In terms of engine performance, this is a demanding circuit and we expect the temperatures tomorrow to be high. However, neither unit has yet missed a beat this weekend, and we intend to maintain our strong reliability record. We must now be confident that our car will be able to run at a quick, consistent race pace and wait and see how the race unfolds as the cars make their first pit-stops tomorrow."

TOYOTA QUALIFYNG REPORT - R SCHUMACHER 8TH, TRULLI 13TH  (TOP OF PAGE)

• HARD DAY'S WORK
• Panasonic Toyota Racing will head into tomorrow's German Grand Prix with unfortunate results after today's hour of qualifying at the Hockenheimring. After having an engine failure on Jarno Trulli's car during the third practice session, he went into qualifying pushing hard during Q1, but the team decided to save the tyres during Q2 and Jarno only went out once. He will now start from the 22nd place after having to drop back 10 positions on the grid, due to his engine change. Ralf on the other hand had a somewhat good day performing well in Q1 and Q2. However after securing a good qualifying time and 3rd place, he collided with Pedro de la Rosa, causing him to return to the garage. The team worked as fast as possible so that Ralf could go out again and as a result, he was able move to up to 8th place. Although Jarno will be starting from the back, he is still motivated to make the most of his race and fight to the front. Ralf will take advantage of his starting position to col
  lect as many points as possible to improve the team's championship rankings.
• Ralf Schumacher (Car 7, Chassis TF106/07B)
  Provisional Grid: 8th
  Free Practice 3: 16th, 17 laps completed
  Lap time: 1m17.419s (+1.791s)
  Q1: 9th, 7 laps completed
  Lap Time: 1m15.789s (+1.377s)
  Q2: 6th, 7 laps completed
  Lap Time: 1m14.743s (+0.965s)
  Q3: 8th, 7 laps completed
  Lap Time: 1m15.923s (+1.853s)
• "The weekend was going well for me until Q3, when the unfortunate collision with de la Rosa caused me to lose a lot of time. It looked to me that he was opening the gap for me to overtake on the inside and then he just turned in the last moment, where I could not react anymore. These things can happen and are just normal racing incidents. It was just a shame because the performance until then was good and I was in third position. But I really thank the guys for working fast to get the car out again so that I move up to 8th place. I think we really could have qualified much better for tomorrow, but this position can also be promising for attaining points."
• Jarno Trulli (Car 8, Chassis TF106/09B)
  Provisional Grid: 22nd
  Free Practice Session 3: 22nd, 2 laps completed
  No lap time
  Q1: 4th, 8 laps completed
  Lap Time: 1m15.430s (+1.018)
  Q2: 13th, 4 laps completed
  Lap Time: 1m15.150s (+1.372s)
• "This weekend seems to be challenging for me. Yesterday I could not go out as much during practice and then things started out problematic today during the third practice session. I went out to do some installation laps and noticed that the engine was feeling strange and then had to stop the car. The engine needed to be changed out and therefore decided to prepare the T-Car to save time in order to be ready for qualifying. Q1 started well for me and my pace was really good. The T-Car set-up was feeling ok, but during Q2 we decided to go out only once. It will be a difficult fight from the back, but I am confident we can make the best of it and push to the front."
• Pascal Vasselon - Senior General Manager Chassis
  "Unfortunately we had an unexpected engine failure on Jarno's car during the third practice session. We decided to change to the T-Car to be ready in time for the qualifying sessions. Obviously today's qualifying session was quite difficult for us and did not go as we planned. We were expecting better results, and hoped to be as competitive as in Magny Cours with both cars in the top six. We started quite well with Jarno in Q1 having a fast time, but we decided to only go out once in Q2 to save new tyres. With Ralf everything was going fine until his contact with de la Rosa. In the end Ralf did a good job taking 8th place with the fuel load that he had. We look forward to an interesting race tomorrow and a hard fight for points."

2006 RACE PREVIEW
BMW  BRIDGESTONE  HONDA  McLAREN  RENAULT  SHELL  TOYOTA  WILLIAMS

FIA /F1 PREVIEW   (TOP OF PAGE)

• THE FRIDAY PREVIEW - LET THE MIND GAMES BEGIN
• The hot and sticky weather might be getting people down, but one thing nobody can complain about is the fantastic psychological war that is building up between world championship contenders Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher. With only two points between a win and second place, and the Spaniard nursing a 17-point lead with seven races to go, the mathematics favour the former if you take for granted the incredible reliability of the respective Renault and Ferrari. These two marques just seem to be bulletproof right now, which means that other factors must come into play if Schumacher is to have a chance.
• One is the performance of his team mate Felipe Massa, respectively second and third in the last two events as Schumacher won. The other is if Schumacher can get into Alonso's head and make him make mistakes. In an attempt to pile on the pressure, Schumacher said "I don't think that I have to state how charged up we are. I believe that it is clear for all to see. I can sense the same thing from the team. Our competitive spirit has been reawakened and we want the title. "Things can change quickly in Formula One and this means that even a big lead can suddenly vanish. We are all focused on our objective - to put pressure on our adversaries, make up ground and win again."
• Alonso, however, has remained his usual calm self. It takes a great deal to upset him publicly, and Renault are refusing to let Ferrari's recent development spurt destabilise them, too. "I am feeling very optimistic," said the world champion, 25 tomorrow. "We had a strong first half of the season, and they key thing now is to keep going and finalise the job. We are ready. I think we can finish 2006 the same way we started it."
• Schumacher would love to win at home, and has urged his German 'tifosi' to demonstrate their support (and thus perhaps unsettle Renault). "For every German driver, the home race provides extra motivation," he said. "The psychological effect of driving here is huge. I always receive great support from our fans at Hockenheim and this lasts for the entire weekend. All the drivers enjoy competing in such conditions. We want to turn the championship red and Hockenheim ought to be the next step. Naturally, we also need the supporters on our side as they are very important."
• However, contrary to common perception, he does not believe that the high temperatures will necessarily give him an advantage on his Bridgestone tyres, even though conditions will be similar to those at Magny-Cours where Ferrari's tyre gamble paid off and Michelin lost out. "No," he said, "I don't see it being an advantage or a disadvantage. Put it this way, we are talking mainly about the tyre side and it seems for both manufacturers that you may hit the point perfectly or you may not, and that's what decides who's winning or not winning. But we have got on top of some of our issues with the car and have been able to judge them better, so I hope we can use that to our advantage.
• "The competition is very high and it is very easy to go up one side and then fall over the edge on the other side. We have seen it in other races. Really, we have to take each race one by one."

RENAULT PREVIEW  (TOP OF PAGE)

McLAREN PREVIEW (TOP OF PAGE)

• Hockenheim is the host venue for round 12 of the 2006 FIA Formula 1 World Championship, the Mobil 1 German Grand Prix. Following the French Grand Prix nine days ago, Team McLaren Mercedes travelled to Jerez for a four day test with Kimi Raikkonen, Pedro de la Rosa and Gary Paffett all in attendance.
• The race, which is sponsored for the 16th consecutive year by Team McLaren Mercedes Technology Partner ExxonMobil, is the second home event of the season for Mercedes-Benz. With their headquarters located just an hours drive away in Stuttgart, a few thousand Mercedes-Benz employees will attend the Grand Prix at Hockenheim to watch the Team McLaren Mercedes drivers Kimi and Pedro in action.
• Many of them will be on the Mercedes grandstand and enjoy an entertaining programme comprising interviews and autograph sessions with all Team McLaren Mercedes drivers and all Mercedes-Benz DTM drivers, live music an the show stage and pit stop competitions. All ticket holders for the Mercedes grandstand will get a free pocket radio to listen to the practice, qualifying and race commentary by five-times DTM and ITC champion Bernd Schneider.
• The German Grand Prix was introduced to the sport in 1951 and originally took place at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Paying occasional visits to the Avus track and Hockenheim over the years, the latter became the permanent base for the German Grand Prix in 1977, with the exception of 1985 which saw the race return to Nürburgring for a year.
• When Team McLaren Mercedes driver Mika Hakkinen won the 1998 German Grand Prix, the most recent Team McLaren Mercedes victory at Hockenheim, he finished just 0.427 seconds ahead of his team mate David Coulthard. It was the closest finish in the history of the German race.
• McLaren secured its first victory at the event in 1976 with James Hunt at the wheel in a year that saw him become FIA Formula 1 World Drivers' Champion. Including this maiden victory, the team has won the German Grand Prix a total of six times.
• Kimi Raikkonen: "Our car has definitely been improving over the last few races, and we had another productive test in Jerez last week as the development process on the MP4-21 continues. Hopefully when we get to Germany we will be able to make the most of this on track. Since the changes were made to the Hockenheimring, it is now more about slow and medium speed corners than all out speed."
• "As a result, it is really important to have good traction on the exits of corners to make sure you find the speed you need on the short straights in between. Also, this cornering means the brakes are put under quite a bit of pressure so we will run with bigger brake ducts than normal and for sure braking stability is key."
• "I hope that following a result that was not what we were looking for in France, we are able to go to Germany and put on a great race for all the Mercedes-Benz employees and fans that will be at the track for the weekend, they are always very supportive so I hope they will get to see a good result for the team."
• Pedro de la Rosa: "It was great to be back racing in France, and I am really looking forward to getting back out there again in Germany this weekend. The car felt quick, and hopefully we will demonstrate that a bit better at Mercedes-Benz's home race. I last drove at Hockenheim in 2002, so I have been on the revised layout."
• "It is now more of a high downforce track, but you do need a compromise on the set-up to ensure you can challenge for position on the track by being quick on the straights. For overtaking, one of the best places would be between corners two and three, so the exit speed of turn two is very important."
• "There always seem to be exciting races here in Germany, and I am really looking forward to racing for the first time in front of the home crowd for Mercedes-Benz as a Team McLaren Mercedes driver. The noise that comes from the Mercedes-Benz Grandstand is fantastic and I hope we can give them something to cheer about this weekend!"
• "We had a productive test last week at Jerez, with the test break we did a lot of work on tyres for the next three races with Michelin and also continued the development programme of the MP4-21, and I am interested to see how the car will now perform at Hockenheim."
• Martin Whitmarsh, CEO Formula One, Team McLaren Mercedes:"France demonstrated that the MP4-21 has moved forward with regards pace, with Team McLaren Mercedes posting the fastest two times of the Michelin runners. We have completed the final test before the August break, with the next session scheduled to take place from Tuesday 29th August."
• "There was a big focus at the test on work with Michelin to ensure we go to Germany with a more competitive range of tyre choices. The track demands a high downforce configuration, and the MP4-21 ran well in this environment at Monaco and hopefully that will be a good indication of performance in Germany this weekend."
• Norbert Haug, Vice president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: "Hockenheim is a very special Grand Prix for the team and certainly the busiest one. We expect 6500 spectators on the Mercedes grandstand. We will offer them a particularly entertaining programme with maximum benefit at no extra cost. Of course our focus is on what happens on the track and we aim for a good result in our home race."
• "We made more progress during intensive tests at Jerez last week; at Magny-Cours, we posted the fastest lap of the Michelin teams and our race speed was amongst the best of the Michelin runners. However, we have to manage to start from the first two rows on the grid, this is the only way to turn this pace into the positions we expect."

BMW PREVIEW (TOP OF PAGE)

SHELL PREVIEW (TOP OF PAGE)

• ENGINE OIL : · Shell Helix SL-0932 will be retained by Scuderia Ferrari for the German Grand Prix. This formulation of engine oil is used for optimal engine performance. Its flexible characteristics have allowed its use under varying track conditions thus far in 2006.
• · Hot weather combined with Hockenheim's notoriously high speeds, means the engine oil will play a key role in protecting the Ferrari engines as well as dissipating heat from the engine.
• GEARBOX OIL : · Hockenheim's current layout features high-speed straights, medium and low speed corners in the forest section and the twisty stadium sector focusing on the starting grid and pits. This can be a workout for the gearbox, especially in Hockenheim's traditionally hot ambient conditions. Gearbox oil must play a key role in combating high gearbox temperatures.
• · Shell Spirax L-10193 will again be protecting the 248 F1 gearbox when it takes to the track this weekend.
• FUEL: · Fresh from fuelling two straight Ferrari victories, high performance Shell V-Power ULG 62L/4 will be powering Scuderia Ferrari this weekend.
• SHELL FACT: · Shell Formula One fuel and lubricants are analysed by Shell technicians in an on-site laboratory that goes to every race.
• · The X-Ray analytical technique used for the lubricants is so accurate that differences between the drivers’ styles can be detected.

HONDA PREVIEW (TOP OF PAGE)

• Round twelve of the 2006 FIA Formula One World Championship, the German Grand Prix, takes place at Hockenheim this weekend. The fourth of this season's five sets of back-to-back races sees the F1 calendar move to Germany and then Hungary before the now traditional summer break at the beginning of August.
• Since the French Grand Prix, the Honda Racing F1 Team have completed a successful test in Jerez to prepare for the next three races, concentrating on chassis and engine developments, further development of the aerodynamics package first used in France and intensive tyre evaluations in preparation for the three hot races coming up in Germany, Hungary and Turkey.
• The German Grand Prix will also mark Honda's 300th Grand Prix since the company first entered Formula One in 1964 as a works team. Since then, Honda has been involved in three generations of F1 participation: 1964-1968 as the initial works team, 1983-1992 as an engine supplier and from 2000 supplying engines to the then B*A*R Honda and Jordan teams, before taking 100% ownership of the Honda Racing F1 Team for the 2006 season.
• In over forty years of F1 participation, Honda has won 71 races, taken 173 podiums and 77 pole positions. The Honda Racing F1 Team will be hosting a party in the F1 paddock on Friday evening to celebrate the 300 milestone, welcoming drivers and partners past and present, along with the F1 media, as a thank you for all the support the company has received over the years.
• Rubens Barrichello: "My first victory in Formula One came at the Hockenheimring back in 2000 so this circuit is very special for me, even though the layout changes mean that it is a different venue now from the track that I used to enjoy so much. It's still a good circuit for the drivers and the fans however, because overtaking is possible, particularly on the long straight with late braking, which can make the racing more exciting. Your car needs to work well at Hockenheim, and with the hot and humid weather that we usually get, it can be a particularly challenging race for the car and the driver."
• Jenson Button: "Hockenheim is a circuit that I always enjoy and I have some great memories from previous races here after finishing on the podium in 2004 and 2005. There are some decent overtaking opportunities around the circuit and I enjoyed a good battle with Michael Schumacher for third place last year. It will be very difficult to achieve a similar result this time but testing went well in Jerez last week and we hope to see an improvement in our performance in the next few races."
• Gil de Ferran, Sporting Director: "Hockenheim is one of the more historic circuits that we go to, and it is quite appropriate that we celebrate our 300th GP at such a venue. Although the track layout has changed over the years, one main characteristic remains: it is a track quite conducive to overtaking, regularly producing great races. It is an interesting combination of slow and medium speed turns which, like the previous few races, will provide many challenges for us to cope with, particularly temperature and stresses on the rear tyres."
• "Both our drivers have done well there in the past, and so has our car, which is always positive. We were encouraged by the test in Jerez last week and it seems that we have made a step in the right direction. Hopefully these results will translate well for the weekend."

WILLIAMS PREVIEW (TOP OF PAGE)

• Formula One returns to Europe for the twelfth round of the Championship this weekend and the second visit of the year to German soil. The famed Hockenheimring is the venue and will celebrate its 30th German Grand Prix on raceday having made its first appearance on the calendar in 1970.
• Built by Mercedes in 1939 as a dedicated test facility, Hockenheim has had a chequered history over the years, its legendary but arguably dangerous layout through the Rhine forest finally succumbing to major modifications in 2002 to improve safety standards.
• Williams cars have raced on the classic track a total of 27 times over its history, collecting nine victories, nine pole positions and nine fastest laps making it the most successful Formula One team to have ever competed in Hockenheim.
• Between the races
• The two week break between France and Germany afforded the team a four day test in Jerez, Spain, last week. Nico and Alex carried out two days apiece, during which the pair completed an intensive schedule of tyre compound testing as well as brake and cooling work and set-up options in preparation for this weekend's event as well as the Hungarian Grand Prix.
• Mark, meanwhile, has enjoyed a fairly quiet week. On 19th July, he attended an RBS sponsor day at Silverstone but is now using the time before Germany to concentrate on his fitness in preparation for the Mark Webber Pure Tasmania Challenge in November and is hoping to get out on his kayak more regularly to add a new dimension to his usual training programme.
• Making the car go faster
• Following the tyre overheating issue experienced on Mark's car in France, the team, together with Bridgestone, has been working hard in Jerez to resolve the problem and to eliminate any potential for a re-occurrence at future races. In conjunction with the continual development cycle, both FW28s will also benefit from updated bodywork, diffusers and front wings in Hockenheim.
• Hockenheim from a technical perspective
• Many would argue that the major facelift in 2002 left the 2.8 mile Hockenheimring a bland expanse of tarmac. The passage through the heart of the Rhine forest may have been re-engineered, but that which remains still demands exacting standards of driving and engineering precision.
• Like so many of the tracks on the calendar, the circuit is a conundrum, one at which the drivers and their engineers spend most of the weekend searching for an often elusive set-up which can accommodate the low and medium speed corners as well as the high speed straights.
• Measuring 1.38km, the sweeping Parabolica is the longest straight of the lap and will see the engines rev at full throttle for 17.1 seconds at speeds of 320kp/h. With the cars running at full throttle for up to 70% of each lap, Hockenheim ranks only second to Monza in the speed stakes and demands engine durability.
• Located in the southern part of Germany, ambient temperatures are predictably high and promote track temperatures in excess of 50°C. As a result, the thermal loads placed on the tyres, particularly the rears, will be especially high at this race, while the physical pressures exerted on the drivers are as equally demanding.
• Mark Webber: "I expect we'll experience similar temperatures in Germany to those we had in Magny-Cours. The track itself is pretty featureless and is not one of the most exciting places we visit. However, it has provided some interesting races in recent years thanks to the long back straight which flows into the hairpin and which provides good overtaking opportunities."
• "The stadium section is obviously a famous feature of the Hockenheim circuit and, because it's the only part of the track which hasn't changed in the last few years, it proves a popular spot for the spectators. Given Michael Schumacher and Ferrari's recent form, I don't think there'll be any shortage of German fans there to cheer them on."
• "Although our results didn't reflect it at Magny-Cours because I wasn't able to complete the Grand Prix due to a tyre issue and Nico started the race with a 10-place grid penalty, it was clear that we were just on the fringe of the points and improving our performance. Of course it is frustrating, it would be good to be running a bit closer to the front, so that is exactly what I'll be trying my hardest to do at Hockenheim."
• Nico Rosberg: "It will be great to race in Germany in front of people that I know and people that speak my language. I really enjoy the track and have great memories of it having won many races there over the years. After a promising test in Jerez last week, I'm confident that we can achieve a good result in another of my home races."
• Sam Michael, Technical Director, WilliamsF1:
• "After the French Grand Prix, we've been working hard at the factory, in the wind tunnels, and at the test in Jerez, to further understand and improve the performance of the FW28. In particular, we've been working closely with Bridgestone to resolve the tyre issue we suffered in France due to excessive inside shoulder temperatures on the rear left tyres."
• "Good progress was made on this at Jerez and we have now changed the set-up to ensure this doesn't happen again. Jerez marked the final test before the summer testing ban and we made some good progress testing various mechanical and aerodynamic parts, some of which will be run in Germany this weekend."
• "Hockenheim is an interesting circuit, with mainly slow and medium speed corners, leading towards a softer set-up as the requirement for high speed stability is reduced. Due to the many traction events, the circuit is also quite hard on tyres, so the tyre companies are usually wary of blistering and make adjustments to the compound accordingly."
• "Hockenheim has a great overtaking section at the hairpin so often provides some good racing action for the fans during the Grand Prix. Strategy will either be a two or a three stop on Sunday and can play a crucial role at this event."
• Simon Corbyn, Head of F1 Race Engineering, Cosworth:
• "Cosworth simulations predict that the CA2006 engines will be at approximately 70% full throttle per lap at Hockenheim this year. In terms of full throttle time, we expect Hockenheim to be the second most demanding circuit on the 2006 calendar after Monza. It is therefore a track that is a tough test of engine reliability, but also one where strong engine performance can be a significant factor in overall car performance."

TOYOTA PREVIEW (TOP OF PAGE)

• Williams & Toyota agree Formula One engine supply
• 27 July 2006, Oxford & Köln. WilliamsF1 and Toyota Motorsport GmbH today confirmed that an agreement has been reached yesterday evening between the two parties for a three year Formula One engine supply partnership. The agreement will see WilliamsF1 powered by Toyota engines commencing with the 2007 season.
• Under the terms of the agreement, WilliamsF1 will use the same specification of engine as Panasonic Toyota Racing. Both Williams and Panasonic Toyota Racing see significant benefits from a relationship based on robust on-track competition and close off-track co-operation.
• On the announcement of the agreement, Toyota's Executive Vice President Kazuo Okamoto said, "We are delighted to be supplying Williams with engines from 2007 and working alongside a team rich in history and Formula One spirit."
• John Howett, President of Toyota Motorsport, added: "We are pleased to be selected as the engine provider to Williams and look forward to establish a strong relationship with them. We look forward to both teams using each other as a comparative benchmark from which each can improve its own performance and to competing with each other at the front of the grid."
• For his part, WilliamsF1's Team Principal, Frank Williams commented, "This agreement is the cornerstone of Williams' challenge for the World Championship. Toyota is an impressive and remarkable industrial giant, with the most phenomenal reputation for achieving the goals it sets itself. We are proud to have secured their support in our efforts to return to our competitive best."
• HEIM ON A ROLL
• Fresh from Panasonic Toyota Racing's points finishes at the last three races, the German Grand Prix is the next European stop of the 2006 F1 calendar. This summer visit to the circuit at Hockenheim usually guarantees blazing hot weather so the run of scorching grand prix is likely to continue. The TMG factory is based in Cologne so this event is one of the 'home' races for the team and many of the company's employees will be in the grandstands. Ralf Schumacher will also be racing in his home country so he and team-mate Jarno Trulli will look to make the most of the improved pace shown by Toyota in recent race weekends.
• Ralf Schumacher (Car 7): "It's always nice to come back to Hockenheim and I really enjoy the atmosphere, particularly because it is my home race. The fans are especially vocal in the stadium section, where the grandstands mean that there are people on all sides. On the old circuit through the forests the stadium used to be the main place to watch but now the whole track can be seen by the spectators. I like the revised track layout and the wide corners are good for driving fluently and maintaining a good rhythm. We normally expect hot weather for the race so tyre choice is important but our Bridgestone tyres have been excellent in recent races so I hope we can keep up our improved form. I had a good race at the circuit last year and worked my way up from 12th on the grid to 6th place thanks to good strategy work from the team. We did well in France and we should hope for another strong result on Sunday."
• Jarno Trulli (Car 8): "Ever since I first competed in German Formula 3 I have enjoyed racing at Hockenheim. Of course it used to be all about low downforce and high speed but the circuit changed completely when they changed the layout in 2002. Now it is a technical track where setting up your car is very important. You need to have pace through the quicker sections but you must also get the most out of the many slower corners. The only passing opportunity comes into the hairpin at the end of the long straight so you need to have good straightline speed in the race to make sure you don't lose out. Last year I had one of those incident-filled races where everything happened, starting with a puncture at the first corner, so this year we will look to make up for that. Our form has been greatly improved recently due to very good work from the team both at the race tracks and at the factory. I was unlucky in France but now we must look to give everyone another strong result to cele
  brate."
• Pascal Vasselon - Senior General Manager Chassis: "When we produced the TF106B the target was to allow for aerodynamic improvement. Since then we have had updates at most races and we have another one planned for the German Grand Prix. That means we will hope to keep up our improved performance of late. Hockenheim is one of the three hottest venues that we visit during the season, along with Budapest and Sepang, and the track temperatures can be in excess of 50 degrees Celsius. The old track through the forests was unique but the new layout is quite typical for an F1 circuit. From tyre side it is challenging for both the construction and the compound, with a predominance of rear limitation. It's down to the long straight, which is actually like a long corner. You have one good overtaking chance at the hairpin after the straight because the preceding corner is also slow and cars can run close to each other. This is Toyota's second home race of the year and there will be lots of the company's employees in the grandstands so it will certainly be special for us."

BRIDGESTONE RACE PREVIEW (TOP OF PAGE)

• Bridgestone Motorsport arrives at the Hockenheimring this week after a run of two particularly successful race weekends which saw the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro team take two very dominant wins and two podiums, breathing life into their championship titles challenge. Panasonic Toyota Racing has also emerged as a stronger contender in the past few races with top four finishes in the United States and French Grands Prix.
• Conditions for the tyres during both these races were extremely hot and arduous but after close work with four of the five Bridgestone teams over the past week at Paul Ricard in France and Jerez in Spain, Bridgestone is looking to maintain this run of strong tyre performance. The WilliamsF1 team in particular has worked closely with Bridgestone to solve its recent drop in form and is expecting better results this coming weekend.
• Also keen to further its development is the MF1 Racing Team which arrives in Germany this week with suspension and aerodynamic upgrades on the M16. The Super Aguri F1 Team meanwhile is debuting not only its new challenger the SA06 but also Japanese driver Sakon Yamamoto, who takes over race duties this weekend from Franck Montagny. The SA06 car features a lower centre of gravity and the rear suspension has been optimised for efficient use of the team's Bridgestone Potenza F1 tyres.
• Hiroshi Yasukawa, Director of Motorsport: "Racing in Germany is extremely important for Bridgestone. Not only is it a key road tyre market for us but it is also a home race for three race drivers from Bridgestone shod teams: Michael and Ralf Schumacher and Nico Rosberg. We fully anticipate that this weekend's race will be a hard fought one but we hope that for them, it will be a particularly rewarding one. Furthermore, the Bridgestone teams have generally been growing in strength as the season has progressed and I am eager for them to do well here this weekend."
• Tyres for Germany - 4.574 km
• The 2006 tyre regulations permit each driver seven sets of dry tyres, four sets of wet weather tyres and three sets of extreme wet weather tyres. Combined with the increased number of teams running with Bridgestone in 2006, approximately 1,200 Bridgestone Potenza Formula One tyres have been sent from the Technical Centre in Kodaira City, Tokyo, to the Hockenheimring.
• Hisao Suganuma Bridgestone Motorsport Technical Manager: "In the past, the Hockenheim circuit has been heavily modified and top speeds reduced. However, there are still several high speed sections and some very tight hairpins. This makes it a tough track from a tyre perspective. The stadium section of the track requires very good grip so we need a tyre which can provide the necessary grip and performance in both high and low speed conditions on a track surface of medium roughness."
• "At Hockenheim there is also the weather to contend with as it can vary from cool to really quite hot temperatures. Taking all these factors into consideration, Bridgestone is providing its teams with specifications in the medium to soft compound range. These specifications were decided following recent testing with the Bridgestone shod teams."
• "Super Aguri completed a shake down at Silverstone of their new car, which we are looking forward to seeing race for the first time this weekend, while Ferrari was in Paul Ricard and Toyota, Williams and MF1 Racing were in Jerez. The Paul Ricard and Jerez tests were particularly helpful, giving us data not just for this weekend but also for the next races in Hungary and Turkey."

(TOP OF PAGE)