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2006 FORMULA 1 CHINESE GP  

• ALBERS RE-SIGNED TO NEW SPYKER F1 TEAM FOR 2007
  ALBERS: "This is just crazily exciting ... First I get to keep my place in the team, then it becomes a Dutch team and, best of all, they've agreed to pay me! It doesn't get better than that going into the third year of my F1 career."

RENAULT RACE REPORT - ALONSO 2ND, FISICHELLA 3RD     (TOP OF PAGE)

• Fernando Alonso, 2nd: "This was a difficult race for the team because we lost a very good opportunity today. I built up a good lead in the first 20 laps, but my front tyres were badly worn - and the conditions were difficult as the track was drying very slowly.
• "We made the decision to change the fronts for a new pair, and it was the wrong one – as we saw with Fisi and Michael, who kept all four tyres on the car and were much quicker. After that, the only thing we could do was go to dry tyres as early as possible – and hope to catch up the time to Michael.
• "In the end, there were not enough laps left. So it was a bad day, but this is a fantastic fight for the championship, and I go to Japan feeling really confident. We had the quickest car today, and we have two more good chances to win. I believe we can do it."
• Giancarlo Fisichella, 3rd: "This was a good race for me – and a good result for myself and the team. Finishing third means I go ahead of Massa in the drivers' championship, and the team is leading the Constructors' Championship again. I started with the biggest fuel load of any car at the front, so the first laps were quite tough – but the conditions came to me really well as the circuit dried.
• "We kept the same set of tyres at the stop, and I was able to be very competitive and pull away from Michael. But when I came out on dry tyres, the track was so slippery – and the tyres weren't at temperature yet.
• "I slid wide, and Michael got past. After that, we turned the engine down to save it for Japan, and made sure of the podium finish. After seeing how the car performed today, we know that we have the performance to win both titles, beginning next weekend in Japan."
• Flavio Briatore, Managing Director: "We are all very sorry for Fernando. He was simply fantastic today, and dominated in both the wet and the dry. After a performance like that, there is nothing more frustrating than to see a win slip through your fingers.
• "Giancarlo drove well to be on the podium, and his points mean we go back ahead in the Constructors' Championship. This evening, our main feeling is frustration. Looking further ahead, though, we had the quickest car today and both championships are equal. We know we have the team and the performance to win."

HONDA RACE REPORT - BUTTON 4TH, BARRICHELLO 6TH     (TOP OF PAGE)

• Jenson Button, 4th: "I'm really pleased to have finished where I started in 4th position. Initially the car felt really good; I was pulling away from the field well and staying in touch with the cars in front. Then I started to struggle with the rear tyres which were practically bald so I had to come in early for my first pitstop. I had no rear grip and because of that I was losing 3 seconds or more a lap.
• "In the dry there was only one line and from that point I was just in my element really! It was a lot of fun and reminded me of the karting days when I won the European Championships back in 1997.
• "Into the last corner I was in front of Rubens and de la Rosa and I came down the inside of Heidfeld, turned into the corner and when I looked into my mirrors I could see the people behind me were going straight on and into each other. There are a few areas where we are weak which we need to work on, but we are still fired up for our home race in Japan next weekend."
• Rubens Barrichello, 6th: "My race was OK, although my car was better on the wet tyres than the 'slicks'. It was a real shame that my last lap was ruined and there were some problems with the backmarkers so I lost time and two positions. Heidfeld was forced to make an avoiding manoeuvre in turn 2 but I was there on the track already and we touched, which damaged my front wing.
• "With the resulting loss of front downforce, I lost more time over the remainder of that final lap. There was more confusion at the hairpin, and again Heidfeld and I came together, but I managed to recover to finish the race. 4th and 6th is another good team result. We are looking competitive for our home race next weekend when I hope we can secure another good team result in front of the Japanese crowd."
• Gil de Ferran, Sporting Director: "What an exciting race! Although we didn't get the podium we were hoping for, having Jenson and Rubens in the points again is a good result for us considering the unpredictable and difficult conditions. After a good start from both drivers, the first issue we encountered was when Jenson started suffering an imbalance which was costing him a lot of time towards the latter half of his first stint.
• "As a result we brought him in earlier than scheduled to change the tyres. Rubens wasn't suffering with the same issues and we retained the same set of tyres on his first stop. The track was taking a long time to dry out and we just about hit the right time to change to dry tyres when both drivers had to come in for their second stop.
• "From then on, Jenson and Rubens were not only fighting each other but they were also challenging Heidfeld ahead as well as being pursued by De La Rosa. This fight culminated in a very exciting last few laps when it started drizzling with rain and they all shuffled positions. In the end this was a good result for us and hopefully we can go one step further in front of our home crowd in Japan."

2006 QUALIFYING

• Fernando Alonso, Renault, POLE: "It is fantastic to be back on pole for the first time since Canada. It was a difficult qualifying session, very busy and very complicated for all the drivers, but the Michelin tyres were fantastic and gave us exactly what we needed to do the job. Looking for tomorrow, nothing is certain with the weather, but I am confident we can be competitive in both conditions."

RENAULT QUALIFYING REPORT - ALONSO 1ST, FISICHELLA 2ND     (TOP OF PAGE)

• The Renault F1 Team locked out the front row for tomorrow's Chinese Grand Prix during the most exciting qualifying session of the 2006 season.
• After a damp morning practice in which both cars looked competitive on Michelin's intermediate and dry tyres, the team began the wet qualifying session in confident mood. The rain continued on-off throughout the session, but the Michelin intermediate tyre performed exceptionally in every situation.
• Fernando Alonso topped the times in every part of the qualifying session, ultimately taking his sixth pole position of the 2006 season, while Giancarlo Fisichella will line up second -- repeating the Renault F1 Team's front row lockout from the 2005 Chinese Grand Prix.
• With weather forecasts remaining uncertain for tomorrow, the team is confident in its performance in all conditions but only too aware that today's performance is nothing more than a promising starting point for a crucial race in this season's championship fight.
• Fernando Alonso, Pole position: "It is fantastic to be back on pole for the first time since Canada. It was a difficult qualifying session, very busy and very complicated for all the drivers, but the Michelin tyres were fantastic and gave us exactly what we needed to do the job. Looking for tomorrow, nothing is certain with the weather, but I am confident we can be competitive in both conditions."
• "We haven't done much dry running yet this weekend, but from what we have seen, the car seems to be very competitive. If it is wet, we know we are quick -- but also that many more things can happen. Obviously, this is a great team result when the championship is so tight, but we haven't done the job yet. I will stay focused, concentrate on doing a good race -- and race for the win."
• Giancarlo Fisichella, 2nd position: "The car has been quick all weekend, and I am really pleased to be on the front row with Fernando. This is a great result for me because I am in a good position to catch up Massa in the championship, and for the team it is the perfect starting point. The conditions were very tricky during the session, and I spun in the second session -- so the pressure was on to get my lap done."
• "After that, it was a question of repeating the performance in the third part, and making the most of the opportunity to qualifying at the front. I think we have a strong strategy, and good performance in all conditions. I am looking forward to a very competitive race."
• Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering: "A qualifying performance such as this is always particularly satisfying, but with the championship so delicately poised, it is an extra bonus. Our grid positions give us the opportunity for a very good race tomorrow, but above all this weekend has shown that the Renault is very quick here, irrespective of weather conditions. This afternoon's session was particularly fraught, and the whole team is to be congratulated on a disciplined and faultless performance."
• "Thanks are also due to our partners at Michelin. Fernando's pole position once again demonstrated the quality of the Michelin tyre in wet conditions. We had seen it in Hungary, and today reinforced it. Even more gratifying is the fact that we also appear to have an extremely competitive dry tyre.
• Denis Chevrier, Head of Trackside Engine Operations: "This morning's damp and changing conditions in practice left us unable to make our usual calculations as to the relative performance of our competitors, and we went into qualifying with less information than usual as to our overall level of performance. Today's qualifying session was equally difficult to decode, but we are extremely pleased with the performances of both drivers." "On the engine side, we were pleased to see the new evolution of the RS26 V8 gave the drivers both the power they needed to be competitive, as the straightline speeds showed, and the driveability that is so important in wet conditions. The car has been working well since the start of the weekend, and Michelin have done an exceptional job. We now need to maintain our concentration, and focus on the most important part of the weekend -- tomorrow afternoon's race. We start it from the best possible position."

FERRARI QUALIFYING REPORT - SCHUMACHER 6TH, MASSA 21ST     (TOP OF PAGE)

• Jean Todt: "This was a very difficult qualifying session because of the weather conditions that did not suit our package. Michael drove exceptionally well and sixth place is the best he could do. We have limited the damage but of course it is disappointing that we are unable to exploit the potential at our disposal, given how things went in this morning's free practice."
• "Felipe also did his best, but because of his engine change, he will have to start from the back of the grid. However, one should never forget that the final word of a Grand Prix comes only on Sunday afternoon, after the race. Apart from the usual parameters - reliability, strategy, tyre performance, team work and driver performance - we will also have to take into account how the weather situation evolves."
• Michael Schumacher: "We did the best we could in these conditions as our chances were damaged by the rain and sixth was the best I could do. You could call it a damage limitation operation. We still have the race ahead of us and from the third row of the grid, we can still aim for a good result, given that in the dry, we have proved to be very competitive. This qualifying session has not compromised my chances of winning the world championship. Apart from tomorrow's race, there are still two Grands Prix to go and everything is still possible."
• Felipe Massa: "This was definitely not a good day. First off, I was starting with the handicap that I would be penalised with a ten place drop down the grid after the engine change and then the weather conditions certainly didn't help me. Obviously we are hoping that we won't have a wet race tomorrow, otherwise we will struggle. However, in the dry, the car is good and if those are the conditions we race in, then I can still hope to finish in the points."
• Ross Brawn: "A great performance from Michael on a day when the rain made life very difficult for us. Compared with the race in Budapest, we along with Bridgestone have made progress in these conditions, but still not enough to be competitive compared to the best teams running different tyres to us. A shame as in this morning's dry free practice we saw that our package worked really well. The weather forecast for tomorrow is for only a slight chance of rain for the period of the race: honestly we have to keep our fingers crossed and hope it turns out to be accurate!"

WILLIAMS FRIDAY REPORT   (TOP OF PAGE)

• Sam Michael, Technical Director, WilliamsF1: "We ran a largely normal Friday programme except for compensating for the adverse weather in the second session. Alex stuck to plan checking temperatures and tyres. All the new parts on the car are working well and we have quite a bit of data now to make our tyre choice. Nico did more running than usual as he hasn't driven here before. Unfortunately on Mark's car we had a hydraulic leak from the fuel flap, so we will attend to this tonight."
• Alex Wurz: "It was a good day today and driving was a lot of fun out there. I have never driven this circuit, and I attacked it right from the beginning. The car responded very well which means the aero update we have brought here is definitely a good step forward. In addition to this, both tyres we have chosen for this race are good and I think the tyre choice is going to be difficult for us, depending on how we apply our strategy tomorrow and on Sunday."
• Mark Webber: "It was obviously a pretty short day for me! We only had two runs planned anyway, but we couldn't get out for the second run because we had a hydraulic fluid leak. It didn't really cost us a huge amount and we still have plenty of work to do tonight to check how we can improve for tomorrow. The drizzly weather today also meant the track wasn't in its best condition, so I'm quite happy to pick up some additional running tomorrow."
• Nico Rosberg: "It was interesting out there, especially because of the weather conditions and also because I was learning the track as it is my first time racing here -- it's a nice track, really good fun. Tyre choice is going to be quite tough and we will have to study everything we have learnt today to see which way we will go."
• Simon Corbyn, Head of F1 Race Engineering, Cosworth:
• "The Cosworth CA2006 Series 6 engine powered Alex to fastest times in both Friday practice sessions for the 2006 Shanghai Grand Prix. We had no engine problems with any of the WilliamsF1 cars today."

FERRARI FRIDAY REPORT   (TOP OF PAGE)

• Jean Todt: "Today's work schedule, as usual on a Friday, centred on evaluating the Bridgestone tyres on finding the best set-up. We must very thoroughly study the data we have gathered to prepare firstly for qualifying and, above all, for the race. A bad start to our Shanghai weekend: unfortunately, a problem was discovered on the engine in Felipe Massa's car and now it will have to be changed."
• "All in all, we should be competitive, partly thanks to the usual support from our partners, first and foremost, Bridgestone and Shell. China is fascinating and we are happy with the warm welcome we have had from our fans here over the past few days. Ferrari has great plans in this country and that is not just a reference to this weekend, but above all to our plans for commercial development."
• Felipe Massa: "There is little to say as this was not a good day for me. I did not go out on track this morning and then in my second run this afternoon, I had a problem with the engine and had to come back to the pits, where our engineers realised the unit would have to be changed. It's a shame, as the car seemed to be well balanced right from the start and I had been able to do some good times. Of course, dropping ten places on the grid will make my race much tougher but I believe I can still put on a good performance."
• Michael Schumacher: "It's nice to be in China and I am particularly happy to see the enthusiasm the fans here seem to show for me. Compared to last year, we are much more competitive and we hope to be able to pay back the fans with a better result than back then. The fight with our closest rivals seems to be very tight, even if we have not yet had time to take a close look at all the data. It is difficult to make predictions on tyre performance given today's weather. I like driving at this track: it is very tough with a big variety of corner types."
• Ross Brawn: "The day was spoilt by the problem with Felipe's engine, which will see him lose ten places on the grid. Now we have to look at the data and the engine itself to understand what happened. It is a real pity given our performance level is pretty good. The cars seemed to be well balanced and our overall situation seems quite positive. As every Friday, we worked on a comparison of the two types of Bridgestone tyre available to us. It is still too early to understand how the track will evolve for the race, especially given the track conditions we had today

RENAULT FRIDAY REPORT   (TOP OF PAGE)

• The Renault F1 Team made a solid start to the Chinese Grand Prix weekend in Shanghai, with Fernando Alonso and Giancarlo Fisichella finishing sixth and tenth respectively in the second practice session and as the third and fifth fastest race drivers.
• Neither driver ran in the morning session as changing track conditions were not suitable for accurate testing, while unsettled weather conditions and light rain in the afternoon made it hard to draw firm conclusions from the times. However, both drivers were pleased with the consistent performance of the Michelin tyres, and the R26 felt stable to drive -- although overnight tuning will further improve the balance. All in all, the team has enjoyed a promising opening day of the Grand Prix weekend.
• Fernando Alonso: "We had to adjust our programme a little bit because of the rain in the afternoon session, but we have a good baseline to work from with the car. It felt comfortable to drive straight away, so while we need to fine-tune things overnight, I am quite happy at the moment. This is a track I always enjoy, especially with the good memories from the championship win last year, and even with the V8 engines and the other changes since 2005, it still felt very good to drive today."
• "I think we need to be a bit cautious analysing the times, because the conditions today are quite different to what we expect for the race. So we will wait for tomorrow until we get a final judgement for the tyre performance, but so far the Michelins seem to be working well."
• Giancarlo Fisichella: "This was a promising start for me today. We improved the car a little bit during the session, in spite of the changing conditions owing to the rain, and the performance felt good. I didn't put together a full clean lap, so the lap-time could have been better, but the car felt consistent straight away and the tyres seemed good as well. It is hard to be certain in the judgement so early in the weekend, but I have a good feeling so far."
• Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering: "The changing weather conditions meant that our Friday programme was a little more challenging than normal. We chose not to run in the first session as the track conditions were changing a lot, which meant that it would have been difficult to get reliable answers on the tyre performance. However, the deteriorating weather in second practice made it hard to get much significant work done."
• "In spite of this, the runs we managed to complete showed that, as usual, the initial balance is good -- but not quite where we would like it to be for the race. However, our usual programme of overnight tuning should put us in a strong position for tomorrow.
• Denis Chevrier, Head of Engine Operations: "The changing track conditions this morning, and weather conditions this afternoon, mean that there are a number of question marks over the final times and how well they represent the relative performance of the different competitors. However, we completed our baseline work for the rest of the weekend, and both the lap-times and top speeds seem competitive. Both RS26 engines ran without any incident, and we now need to complete our usual overnight work before seeing how today's times translate in terms of absolute performance for the rest of the weekend."

McLAREN FRIDAY REPORT   (TOP OF PAGE)

• Team McLaren Mercedes drivers Pedro de la Rosa and Kimi Raikkonen finished today's second practice session in 12th and 21st positions respectively after setting times of 1m38.022 and 1m39.179. It started to rain slightly halfway through the second session. In the opening practice Pedro didn't take to the track whilst Kimi spun during his one scheduled run. In total Pedro completed nine laps and Kimi eight. As usual on a Friday both drivers focused on Michelin tyre choice and initial set-up work.
• Kimi Raikkonen: "A quiet start to practice today. The rain halfway through the second session did affect our programme slightly as we planned to run towards the end of that practice. However we obtained some initial useful data and will continue our work in tomorrow's practice after which we have to make our Michelin tyre choice. I had a small spin on my first run in the morning's session, but these things happen - it was just a bit slippery."
• Pedro de la Rosa: "We went through our programme with the Michelin tyres to gain some data to help us make the correct tyre choice. We decided to postpone our running until the second session, which was then affected a little bit by the rain which made it more challenging to evaluate the data. However we are confident that we will make the right tyre choice for the rest of the weekend. I like this track which I know from being the third driver on Fridays last year, and I look forward to the rest of the Chinese Grand Prix weekend."
• Ron Dennis: "We intended to do the minimum amount of running as usual on a Friday to conserve our engines and the Michelin tyres. We waited a little too long for the track surface to clean up, which resulted in both drivers being hampered by the damp track conditions caused by a sprinkle of rain. However, we experienced no problems and will continue our work in tomorrow's practice session."
• Norbert Haug: "Although today's ranking doesn't show it, we think that our basis is OK. We focused on race set-up work and our Michelin tyre evaluation programme, which was slightly hampered by the changing track conditions due to light drizzle in the second session."

2006 RACE PREVIEW
BMW  BRIDGESTONE  FERRARI  HONDA  McLAREN  MICHELIN  RENAULT  SHELL  TOYOTA  WILLIAMS

FERRARI PREVIEW   (TOP OF PAGE)

• The saying goes that a year is a long time in politics and the past twelve months have demonstrated the saying also holds good in Formula 1. In 2005, the Shanghai rendezvous marked the end of a tough season in which Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro failed to hang on to the titles it had monopolized in recent years. Testing carried out in the run up to that year's two events in the Far East was already focusing on the clean sheet of paper that was 2006 and in commercial terms, China was a very new market for the Prancing Horse road cars.
• Roll the clock forward to this weekend's event and a very different picture emerges. The Shanghai event will not be the finale, but instead marks the start of the final trio of grands prix and Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro is very much in the hunt for both the Drivers' (with Michael Schumacher) and Constructors' titles. Therefore, last week's testing, had a sharp focus with new mechanical and aerodynamic components and Bridgestone tyres all being evaluated for use in these important races.
• And as for the sale of the gran turismo cars, one month after last year's Chinese GP, Ferrari announced the creation of its Asia-Pacific Division to cover twelve markets in that part of the world and that is due to be fully operational in the next month. Current sales figures for this region are around the 800 car mark, representing approximately 13% of the company's global sales.
• Shanghai will be hosting the third Chinese Grand Prix, showing that the world of Formula 1 was quick to realise the potential of the Chinese market, along with its enthusiasm for top level motor sport. Ferrari President and CEO, Luca di Montezemolo was only recently here in Shanghai when the media and important customers were given a sneak preview of the new 599 car, "This market is a key one for us and we tackle this crucial area, knowing that this year, 2006, we have to date sold 120 cars in China, which is around double of what we sold last year," revealed the President.
• Montezemolo also highlighted an interesting fact about Ferrari customers in this part of the world, in that the Chinese are the youngest buyers with an average age of 36, as opposed to the more normal 48. They are young and enthusiastic, which is why the Chinese sales network now features thirteen outlets.
• This enthusiasm for the Prancing Horse naturally includes its on-track activities and the forthcoming Grand Prix is eagerly awaited by the local race fans. "The Chinese Grand Prix has given us the opportunity to understand just how close the Ferrari fans are to us," comments Matteo Bonciani, Ferrari's Communications Director for Asia-Pacific.
• "Their enthusiasm is easier to understand when you learn that the Scuderia Ferrari Club Shanghai, is the biggest in the entire world, boasting no less than two thousand members. The enthusiasm is growing and we expect many more Scuderia Ferrari Clubs to pop up in other Chinese cities soon. As the Chinese Grand Prix approaches, fans are calling us at our new offices all the time and we literally seem to have a "hotline" with the greatest support reserved for Michael Schumacher."
• "The Chinese fans are no different to tifosi the world over in that they like to wear their "colours" hence the huge popularity of the Ferrari merchandise Store in Xintiandi, with another due to open in Beijing shortly. There is a huge thirst for knowledge and information about Ferrari and Formula 1 and, with this in mind, Ferrari Managing Director Jean Todt's first official function in Shanghai will be to take part in a Thursday press conference at the new Ferrari showroom in downtown Shanghai where he will meet Chinese automotive and financial media.
• So can Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro deliver the result that its thousands of Chinese fans are hoping for this Sunday? Certainly, if races were won thanks to hard work and effort alone, then both Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa can expect a good weekend. The last two weeks have seen the Prancing Horse team carry out some intensive testing, at four locations - Fiorano, Mugello, Paul Ricard and Vairano - with four drivers - Michael, Felipe, Luca Badoer and Marc Gene. This quartet completed a total of 4709 kilometres and, showing there is no let up in his desire to win nor his determination to fight for the title, Michael Schumacher did almost half (2175 km) of the total distance covered.
• On the technical front, the Scuderia will tackle the next two grands prix in the Far East, with a new aerodynamic package and a new front suspension. Furthermore, in the light of the fact that it is the engine specification that completes this forthcoming Chinese Grand Prix that must be delivered to the FIA for "freezing" in accordance with 2007 technical regulations, it has undergone two long-run tests; one at the Paul Ricard circuit and the other at Mugello.
• In order to be accepted by the FIA, the engine in question must complete two grands prix weekends as per the current rules. Tyre partner Bridgestone has also been working hard, supporting the team at all these tests and part of the time has been spent evaluating wet weather tyres at Fiorano and Paul Ricard, to be ready for all eventualities.
• Although the two championships will be the main focus of attention, Michael Schumacher will be keen to win here if for no other reason than the fact that a Chinese victory does not feature on his curriculum vitae. However, even without a Shanghai trophy in his collection, the Shanghai International Circuit has decided to honour the seven times world champion by naming a section of the circuit's grandstand after him. The ceremony and photocall take place at the circuit this Thursday.

BRIDGESTONE PREVIEW   (TOP OF PAGE)

• Bridgestone aims high for Shanghai
• After extensive tyre testing at the Mugello and Silverstone circuits recently in Italy and the United Kingdom, Bridgestone Motorsport heads this week to the Chinese city of Shanghai for Round Sixteen of the FIA Formula One World Championship where title protagonists, Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro's Michael Schumacher and Renault's Fernando Alonso are set to go head-to-head.
• Formula One pays just one visit a year to the impressive Shanghai International Circuit and with tyre performance playing a crucial role in each team's overall performance package, the latest tests and the team's simulations will have been pivotal in deciding which tyre specifications to take to China this week.
• Every point counts and with just three rounds of the season remaining, Bridgestone shod Schumacher is just two points behind the drivers' championship leader. His teammate, Felipe Massa, lies in third place, just five points ahead of his nearest challengers.
• In the constructors' championship battle, Ferrari will be looking to extend the three point lead gained after their win at Monza while fellow Bridgestone runners, Panasonic Toyota Racing and WilliamsF1, are looking to climb up the points standings with some good finishes. The Super Aguri F1 team and recently acquired Spyker MF1 Racing team meanwhile will also be looking to impress as the season draws to a close.
• Hiroshi Yasukawa, Director of Motorsport:
• "With just three rounds to go, we are now at a crucial point in the season. Ferrari is battling for the drivers' and constructors' championships while for our other four teams, every point gained is essential. Consequently, our staff have been working tirelessly and we are looking forward to the final stages of what has been an extremely exciting season. The city of Shanghai has always provided us with a very well run event with fantastic facilities so we are looking forward to providing the spectators with a great race."
• Tyres for China 5.451km
• The 2006 tyre regulations permit each driver seven sets of dry weather tyres, four sets of wet weather tyres and three sets of extreme wet weather tyres. Approximately 1,200 Bridgestone Potenza Formula One tyres have been sent from the Technical Centre in Kodaira City, Tokyo, to the Shanghai International Circuit.
• Hisao Suganuma, Bridgestone Motorsport Technical Manager:
• "The Shanghai Circuit has a unique track layout in the shape of the Chinese character for Shang. Consequently, one corner is like a corkscrew and this can put the left front tyres under some strain. At the previous two grands prix in China we have seen quite high levels of graining on the front lefts so controlling the graining will be a key factor this weekend."
• "On the whole, the track is a medium speed circuit with a relatively long straight and a fairly smooth surface very similar to the surface in Turkey. Therefore, although we are looking for a strong compound to cope with the graining, Bridgestone's tyres for China will be using compounds from the softer end of the range in order to get a competitive edge."
• "We recently completed several tyre programmes at Mugello [Italy] and Silverstone [UK] where the good weather enabled us to assess a number of different tyre specifications for the China and Japan Grands Prix. For the coming weekend, the Bridgestone teams will be using tyres from the current range which have not only shown good graining durability but also the high performance levels which the teams will need to be competitive."

RENAULT PREVIEW  (TOP OF PAGE)

• Renault tech file: Shanghai
• China is one of the modern breed of Formula 1 circuits and offers some unique challenges to the teams and drivers. Although it does not feature much elevation change, there is a wide variety of challenging corners , from slow hairpins to high speed sweepers, and some extremely tricky sections. As is generally the case with the most modern circuits, it is also very wide, which can make it difficult for the drivers to find the right line. The facilities are excellent, and provide the teams with the best possible conditions in which to approach the race weekend.
• Chassis
• Tyres: In general terms, Shanghai is a tough circuit for the tyres. Not only are the front tyres heavily loaded by corners such as turn 1 (left front), 7 (right front) and 8 (left front), but the numerous slow corners mean the rear tyres are worked hard under traction, accelerating away. Turn 13 also deserves a special mention, where the front left tyre is heavily loaded through this 270 corner, all the while accelerating and putting high lateral and longitudinal loads through the rear tyres. It is always a difficult challenge to find the optimum solution in terms of tyre choice for this circuit.
• Aerodynamics: As with many modern circuits, Shanghai includes a mixture of high-speed corners and long straights which means the level of aerodynamic downforce has to be judged very carefully to protect position on the straights, without compromising grip in the corners. Just as in Bahrain and Hockenheim, aero efficiency comes to the fore, and ideal levels of downforce are sometimes compromised in favour of straightline speed to avoid being overtaken in race conditions. The engineers will pay careful attention to the cars' relative straightline speed during practice in order to choose the optimum aero level for qualifying and the race.
• Suspension: In mechanical terms, it will be important to find the correct compromise that gives the driver confidence in the car's handling over the full race distance. Shanghai is a circuit that features a lot of braking from high speed, some fast corners and plenty of acceleration phases. Combined with a number of changes of direction at both high and low speed, it means we will generally run a stiffer, more reactive set-up at the front of the car , and then make the springing softer at the rear, for optimum traction and braking stability. In particular, we concentrate on making the car stable under heavy braking and on partial throttle openings, as the driver is often having to turn and brake/accelerate simultaneously, for examples in turns 1&2 or turn 8.
• Engine
• Power: The less powerful engines, combined with stickier tyres, mean that the engines spend a higher percentage of every lap at full throttle than they did in 2005. However, the impact of this change is lower than average in Shanghai , owing to the fact that the circuit includes a large number of slower corners, and relatively few high speed turns at high throttle openings. For the 2006 season, the average increase in the time spent at full throttle has been of the order of 17%, whereas at Shanghai it will be only 11%, meaning a total of 61% of the lap is spent at maximum throttle.
• Cooling: This extra time spent at full throttle also demands increased cooling, as the engine is rejecting more heat proportionally than the V10. However, with ambient temperatures in Shanghai expected to be in the mid to high 20s, this will not pose any problems given that the team has already negotiated the demands of the hot European summer without any problems.

McLAREN PREVIEW (TOP OF PAGE)

• Team McLaren Mercedes travels to the People's Republic of China this week for the third Grand Prix held at the Shanghai International Circuit. The race sees Formula 1 leave Europe for the final three fly-away races of the 2006 season. Following the Chinese Grand Prix, the sport moves to Japan next weekend and then the culmination of the year in Brazil on Sunday 22nd October.
• The Shanghai International Circuit is northeast of the city, the track has the shape of the Chinese symbol 'Shang', which translates as 'high' or 'above'. China first hosted international motor racing in the mid nineties, with the BPR sports car championship that raced on a temporary street circuit in downtown Zhouhai, southwest of Hong Kong.
• Shanghai's first international race was also on a temporary street track when a DTM event took place in Pudong close to the centre of the city in July 2004, two months before the inauguration of the Shanghai International Circuit.
• Since 1986, DaimlerChrysler has been represented in China with its own Mercedes-Benz subsidiary. Last December the company launched the production of E-Class models in a purpose built plant in Beijing in co-operation with Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Company (BAIC). It is also planned to manufacture the next generation of the C-Class there.
• The plant which has been officially launched on 15 September, has a production capacity of 25,000 Mercedes-Benz cars per year. Meanwhile, a total of 140,000 Mercedes-Benz cars run on China's roads. The country is the fastest growing market for cars worldwide. In 2005, about 2.7 million passengers have been sold in China, this was an increase compared to 2004 of more than 25 percent.
• Kimi Raikkonen: "The Shanghai track is great to drive, it is quite wide so can be good for overtaking in places. You do need good mechanical grip for the slower corners, this is really important for turn 13 as it exits out onto the long back straight, that is over one kilometre, so having good speed as you leave the corner is vital. The final hairpin, turn 14, at the end of the back straight is probably the most obvious overtaking opportunity."
• "You can get into a slipstream, as speeds reach nearly 330km/h, and the go for position under braking as you drop down to around 85km/h. Turn four is also pretty important, as you need to take quite a precise line through turn five, which is very long to be quick. So far in China I have finished in third and second and my aim for this year is to take the top step of the podium with Team McLaren Mercedes!"
• Pedro de la Rosa: "Since the Italian Grand Prix three weeks ago, we tested at Silverstone for two days. My programme with the team focused on Michelin tyres for Shanghai and Japan, alongside set-up for both races, it was a good session. I am now really looking forward to getting back to driving in Shanghai. I drove there last year on Friday with the team, and really enjoyed the track. It is the kind of circuit that you understand really quickly, so can start pushing to the limits right away."
• "I completed 50 laps last year, so I have some good experience of the track and can't wait to race on it. The track has some pretty fast straights, and our set-up will be medium downforce, but towards the lower end to ensure we are quick along these sections of the track whilst also being fast on the slower, windy sections."
• Martin Whitmarsh, CEO Formula One, Team McLaren Mercedes:"During the three week gap since the Italian Grand Prix at the start of September, the team has been out on track at Silverstone with Pedro and Lewis Hamilton working through preparations for the Chinese and Japanese Grands Prix. It was a productive couple of days and although we are arriving in China in a different position to last year when we were battling for the Championship, we are going to fight as hard for the victory."
• "The two races at the Shanghai track to date have both seen some very close and exciting battles and Team McLaren Mercedes would like to continue this trend. The car felt strong in Monza, the performance had increased and there was some positive work completed at the Silverstone test. It is going to be hard however, the Shanghai International Circuit is a tough track, but we will push to the maximum."
• Norbert Haug, Vice President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: "Not only is China one of the most important markets for automobiles worldwide; the Grand Prix there is also of great importance to us, because DaimlerChrysler has been manufacturing models of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class in China since December 2005. In addition, we launched a new plant there 11 days ago, which is able to produce up to 25,000 Mercedes-Benz E- and C-Class cars per year."
• "Within a competitive environment, we want to present ourselves positively to the interested Chinese spectators and TV viewers. Therefore, we have intensely prepared ourselves for the third-to-last World Championship race of the season. The circuit, with its two long straights and both very fast and slow corners; is demanding for brakes and engines. More than 70 percent of the almost 5.5km lap will be run under full throttle. Two years ago, in the Chinese Grand Prix debut, Kimi was third and 1.5sec behind the winner, in 2005, he placed second, four seconds behind."

BMW PREVIEW (TOP OF PAGE)

• The Formula One World Championship 2006 is entering its final stages with just three grands prix to go. After visiting China and Japan on successive weekends (1st and 8th October), the teams travel to Brazil a fortnight later for the final race of the season.
• The three venues have little in common. The tight spaces of Japan and Brazil contrast with the vast expanses of the Shanghai International Circuit. The facility on the outskirts of China's industrial powerhouse is simply enormous, the track layout imaginative and challenging.
• The BMW Sauber F1 Team has seen its F1.06 cars finish in the points in 13 of the 15 races so far in 2006 and has exceeded its own expectations for the season with two podium places. The team warmed up for the races in Asia with a three-day test in Jerez and is looking to put itself in the mix for World Championship points once again.
• Sebastian Vettel, who was the third driver for the BMW Sauber F1 Team in Turkey and Italy, will continue in this role for the remaining three races in China, Japan and Brazil.
• Nick Heidfeld: "This is only the second time I'll have raced in Shanghai, as I was injured for the GP last season. However, I found our first year there a great experience. Shanghai is a fascinating city and the atmosphere by the river is particularly special. But it's also full of contrasts. On the one hand, you have the hyper-modern and probably fastest-growing city in the world, while a few meters down the road there is abject poverty and the people don't even have toilets."
• "The circuit is very impressive. Although it's so modern, it still has genuine character. The first time I had a look around, it gave me the feeling that it had always been there - it fits in so well. The first corner after the start/finish straight is very unusual. You approach it at high speed and don't lift off on the entry. But then the corner tightens up more and more, forcing you to shift down into second gear."
• Robert Kubica: "I'm really looking forward to the race in Shanghai. This will be the first time I'll have lined up for the BMW Sauber F1 Team outside Europe. I've only ever raced once on Chinese soil, and that was in the former Portuguese colony of Macau. The street circuit there is by far my favourite track. In 2004 and 2005 I finished second there in the legendary Formula 3 race."
• "The layout of the Shanghai International Circuit looks very interesting and it is characterised by a couple of very original corners. When I drive it for the first time, I will be able to draw on the F1 race experience I've now built up. It will be my fourth grand prix and I hope it will be a successful one.
• "The Chinese mentality is very different from our European way of life, but I have very good memories of my previous stays and I'm really happy to be going there again. I will arrive in Shanghai one week before the event in order to acclimatize not only to the time change and the heat, but also to the surroundings."
• Sebastian Vettel:
• "When I think of China I think of small people, the Great Wall, cheap electronics, a foreign language, foreign culture and writing which leaves me totally blank. I've only been to Hong Kong and Macau before. In Hong Kong there are sometimes some unusual smells in the air, but it was nice to see the city."
• "There is a Walk of Fame like the one in Hollywood, with hand-prints from people like Jackie Chan, and that was fun. Macau is one of my favourite tracks, but I've not yet seen anything of this huge country where so many people live. It would be nice to see beyond the cities.
• "The circuit is a new one and looks quite tricky. I have seen a lot of drivers on television making a lot of mistakes. There's a high-speed straight, another straight and a hairpin corner. It will be difficult to find the right braking point. I'm looking forward to gaining a lot of new experiences in China."
• Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director: "Our performances in the last three grands prix show that we are in the ascendancy. Nick's third place in qualifying at Monza and the two podium places - through Nick in Hungary and Robert in Italy - are a good deal more than we could have expected in our first season. It's still a new experience for our team to be cheering our own driver on the podium. But it's a great feeling!"
• "With three races of the season to go, we're in fifth place in the constructors' standings. That also puts us ahead of schedule, but defending this position will not be easy. The up-coming circuits will present us with fundamentally different challenges from Monza, where we looked in great shape. Now the aim is to take the momentum we've built up with us to Asia, get into the top-ten again in qualifying and pick up points in the race itself."
• "The sheer expanse of the Shanghai facility was still extremely impressive on our second visit there in 2005. Handing China a round of the World Championship opened up a new dimension for all the companies involved in Formula One. The Chinese market has huge growth potential for the BMW Group, for example, with business up 36 percent on the same period the previous year in 2005, and by as much as 41 percent in 2006. BMW has its own production plant in China, where the 3 Series and 5 Series are built."
• Willy Rampf, Technical Director: "Shanghai is one of the circuits which places even greater demands on the cars' aerodynamic efficiency through the switch to V8 engines. Its long straights and generous width make the track a nice one for overtaking, as long as you have good straight-line speed. Running too little downforce, however, will loose you time through the predominantly slow and medium-speed corners."
• "Over the past few weeks, we've been working particularly intensively in the wind tunnel and will be introducing one or two modifications which should enable us to continue along our positive progress curve. To this end, the third driver will have an important role to play on the Friday in developing a set-up which will ensure both good qualifying performance and consistent lap times in the race itself."

SHELL PREVIEW (TOP OF PAGE)

HONDA PREVIEW (TOP OF PAGE)

• The Honda Racing F1 Team heads east to Asia next week for the final double-header of the 2006 Formula One season, the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, followed one week later by Honda's home race, the Japanese Grand Prix at the Honda-owned Suzuka circuit.
• The team has continued to push the development of the RA106 car and RA806E engine right up to the end of the season with six days of intensive testing in Jerez over the past two weeks. These tests provided the final opportunity for race drivers Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button to prepare for the three remaining flyaway races as they focused on the continuing development of the latest specification Honda engine for the last two races, intensive tyre and aerodynamic evaluation programmes, as well as electronic controls upgrades.
• With over thirty tonnes of freight packed up and sent on its way to Shanghai for the Grand Prix next weekend, the Honda Racing F1 Team will first make a pit-stop in Tokyo this weekend as Jenson Button and James Rossiter drive the RA106 at the Japanese Automobile Federation 'Mega Web' Motorsports Festival in Odaiba Bay.
• Rubens Barrichello: "The Shanghai circuit is extremely impressive but more importantly it has a challenging track layout. The venue holds some pretty special memories for me as I won the very first Grand Prix there from pole position in 2004 which was a great weekend. With three races left of the season, my aim is to put the car into a podium position and I believe that we can deliver the performance to achieve this."
• "The tests in Jerez have been very positive with developments on the aero and electronics packages, plus intensive evaluation of the tyres for Shanghai and the final races. Importantly the car and engine were very reliable and we hope that this will enable us to continue the strong performance that we have shown over the last three races."
• Jenson Button: "The Chinese Grand Prix has quickly become one of my favourite races on the calendar and the atmosphere at the race for the last two years has been fantastic. The circuit is very technical and quite demanding for the drivers but also fun to drive, with the stand-out feature being the length of the corners, particularly turn one which is tough on the neck."
• "We had a good result in Shanghai in 2004 when I finished in P2 behind Rubens and I think that the track will suit our car this year. Our final test of the season in Jerez went well this week and we hope to end the season on a high note with some good performances at the final three races."
• Gil de Ferran, Sporting Director: "Both of our drivers have been very successful in the Chinese Grand Prix in previous years and Shanghai is a great addition to the calendar for our team. We go to China encouraged by our recent race performances and our most recent test in Jerez which was our last opportunity to evaluate all the developments that we intend to use in the final three races."
• "The Shanghai circuit is a very striking facility with a mixture of long straights and an interesting combination of low and medium speed corners. The main feature is the length of some corners which present a unique and difficult challenge, particularly turn one where the drivers start turning at full throttle at about 280 kph and continuously brake and turn for about six seconds until the slowest part of the corner. Hopefully we can maintain our steady progression in performance and be fighting at the front of the field yet again."

WILLIAMS PREVIEW (TOP OF PAGE)

• With the European season at an end, Formula One's next stop is Asia and the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday 1st October. Debuted on the calendar in 2004, this year's race will be only the third Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit, one of the most remarkable venues visited all season.
• The state of the art facility, located in the north-western suburbs of the city, is in size and scale the most impressive venue anywhere in the world, the bold architecture unparalleled in F1. With just two races to go before the season finale in Brazil, the team is working hard in an effort to re-establish its competitive form.
• Between the races
• With no testing responsibilities prior to Shanghai, both Mark and Nico enjoyed a few days at home before traveling to China for a busy week of marketing engagements in the lead up to the race. Nico's first commitment is on Tuesday in downtown Shanghai where he will be launching the first official Oris Nico Rosberg Limited Edition watch. At the same time, Mark will be joining Neil Pryde's award-winning ship, Hi-Fi, twice the winner of the Asian Yachting Grand Prix Championship.
• Mark will be joined on board by skilled members of the Hong Kong Sea School for a day of sailing around Hong Kong with RBS. On Wednesday, Nico will take a trip down the financial district of Guangzhou in his Formula One car, an event arranged by Allianz, while Mark will be favouring a two-wheeled method of transport over his race car when he joins China's premier cycling squad, The Marco Polo Team, for a day of fitness challenges in Beijing.
• Both drivers' final commitment en-route to the GP weekend will be their attendance at the Royal Bank of China for the official unveiling of the dual branding that RBS and the Royal Bank of China will share on the car this weekend.
• Making the car go faster
• The team completed a four day test at Silverstone last week with Alex Wurz and Narain Karthikeyan. Using an FW28A chassis, with the Cosworth engine, Alex concentrated on testing a new aero package that will be rolled out for the final rounds of the season and comprehensive tyre evaluations to assist the team in selection at the track. All FW28s will benefit from new front wings and barge boards in China, as well as minor bodywork modifications.
• Alongside preparations for China, Japan and Brazil, the test team carried out the first track test of the Toyota-powered interim Williams FW28B. Completing 745kms and experiencing only minor teething problems, the debut outing of the new engine and 2007-spec gearbox, two months' ahead of last year's schedule, proved promisingly successful.
• Shanghai from a technical perspective
• Resembling the Chinese symbol for "high", Shanghai's track layout is a demanding mix of straights, turns and hairpins. Over the 5.4km lap, the drivers will negotiate seven left- and seven right hand turns, the tightest of which being turn one, entered into flat out but exited in second as the corner squeezes tighter and tighter before a left-hander into turn two. With so many slow and medium speed corners over one lap, the car must have perfect balance, achieved through an efficient aero package.
• Although dominated by corners, Shanghai has two long straights (the longest being between turns 13 and 14 which stretches to 1,175m) which will see drivers reach speeds of 327km/h and raise the average lap speed to 205km/h. The engineers must, therefore, provide a set-up which also offers high top speeds and low drag levels without compromising the cornering stability.
• Similar to Istanbul Park, the track at Shanghai measures, on average, between 13 and 15 metres in width (20 metres at turn 13) so offers ample room for overtaking manoeuvres and the perfect setting for a riveting race on Sunday afternoon.
• Mark Webber: "I like going to China. It's a very nice city and the track is amazing, it's probably one of the best we compete at all season. A Tilke-designed circuit, it's inevitably very demanding for the drivers and the car, but I enjoy driving there. The race only made its debut on the calendar in 2004, but the fans are getting more and more interested in Formula One, which is great because it's such an important market for us. It wasn't a great result for the team in Monza so we'll be looking to finish the season with some points scoring finishes."
• Nico Rosberg: "I've had a quiet time since Monza, just relaxing at home and concentrating on my training. I haven't raced at Shanghai before, so I obviously don't know the track at all. I went to the race there last year, just to see how a Grand Prix weekend goes in preparation for this year, and thought that the track looks great. I'll have my work cut out for me on Friday to learn the circuit as quickly as I can, but overall I'm looking forward to driving there and I'm really hoping we will have a good weekend."
• Sam Michael, Technical Director, WilliamsF1: "Shanghai circuit has a unique layout, with a good mixture of corner speeds and straights. It is quite twisty in areas, particularly at the first corner where the track continues to tighten up, which can often catch some drivers out. Combined with a few straight sections around the lap, Shanghai requires a high downforce configuration on the car. The car must be well balanced and have the ability to change direction quickly. Previous races have shown that overtaking opportunities are available in China, most notably going in to the second to last corner of the lap. Strategy will most likely be two stops."
• "We had a positive test at Silverstone last week where Alex tested a revised aero package that we will bring with us for the final three rounds. We also concentrated on tyre testing in preparation for these races and are confident of our selection. This season has been tough for the team, so some good results in Asia and Brazil would be welcome and well deserved for everyone at Grove, and for the crew at Cosworth, who have all worked so hard this year."
• Simon Corbyn, Head of F1 Race Engineering, Cosworth: "Shanghai circuit's most significant feature is the combination of relatively long straights and several key, tight corners which drop the engine down to low speeds, such as those seen at the hairpin at turn 14. These low, mid-corner engine speeds potentially pose drivability and traction control issues, but no problems have been flagged on our test cells in Northampton. The wide engine operating speed range of the latest CA2006 engine, coupled with Cosworth's experience of engine tuning without the use of variable inlet trumpets, will be advantageous in Shanghai."

TOYOTA PREVIEW (TOP OF PAGE)

• The European season is over and the last three races of the 2006 Formula One calendar will be flyaway events, beginning with this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix. The event is still relatively new, having arrived on the calendar as recently as 2004. The Shanghai International Circuit is based just outside China's biggest city and boasts facilities that rank among the finest that the teams visit during the season.
• After Jarno Trulli's seventh-place finish at Monza, Panasonic Toyota Racing will be looking to bring home as many points as possible from the last three races. The technical team is confident of a return to better performance in China and the team's race drivers Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli will be pushing hard for the best possible result.
• Ralf Schumacher: "I have good memories of last year's Chinese Grand Prix, when I took my second podium for Toyota. That was the result of great strategy work and it was a great way to cap off my first year with the team. I still haven't seen much of the city of Shanghai but I do remember that the traffic is crazy!"
• "The Shanghai International Circuit is an impressive facility, with a combination of technically challenging corners without being too high speed. It was well designed and it has some features that are unique, especially the long corners. Turn 1 is so long that you almost complete an entire circle so you need to be committed to stay on the limit all the way round without making a mistake."
• "The whole circuit is very wide so there are chances to overtake, particularly at the end of the long straight into turn 14. That makes the track a fun place to race and I look forward to trying to bring home another good result this Sunday."
• Jarno Trulli: "Unlike most of the drivers on the grid I have only competed in one Chinese Grand Prix - I missed the first event in 2004 because I had only just joined Toyota. So last year's race is my only experience of the circuit and my only visit to Shanghai - I did race in Macau when I was in Formula Three."
• "At last year's grand prix I was impressed both by the city of Shanghai and by the facilities at the circuit. I didn't have the best of races because I lost ground when the safety car came out at just the wrong time for me. But I still enjoyed trying the Shanghai International Circuit which has some good features. It is a mixture of slow twists and long straights so it is a challenge to find a suitable compromise for race set-up."
• "Turn 1 is unique, and it takes you from top gear to first as you go round it. There are a couple of passing chances, one at the end of the long back straight and also into turn 4. After my two points in Italy, we will go to China hoping to score well to set us up for the final leg of the season."
• Pascal Vasselon - Senior General Manager Chassis:
• "Both the city of Shanghai and the circuit are extraordinary places. The facility is huge and the paddock bungalows are like nowhere else on the calendar. The track itself is average on most parameters like braking, downforce and tyre compounds but it features two very special corners which are entirely unique to the Shanghai International Circuit."
• "At the end of the start-finish straight there is a very long right hander and there is another one at the back end of the circuit. The main consequence is that it puts the emphasis on graining and wear on the front left tyre. At Turn 1 you also see the highest loads on the steering system from the entire season because of the combination of very high cornering and braking accelerations all together."
• "At the other end of the circuit, the exit from the second long right-hander is crucial for speed along the long straight. That means, unusually, that the cars have higher average speeds along that straight with high levels of downforce. We were slightly further back the grid than we expected at Monza but we hope that will be a one-off due to the unique demands of the circuit. At Shanghai we hope to improve and return to challenging the top cars."

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