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2006 FORMULA 1: EUROPEAN GP

• FRANCK MONTAGNY'S F1 DEBUT - HE REPLACED YUJI IDE (SUPER AGURI)2006 RACE
  Montagny failed to finish.

2006 RACE RESULT:

• DNF:
• Ralf Schumacher Toyota 52 laps
  Juan Pablo Montoya McLaren 52 laps
  Takuma Sato Super Aguri-Honda 45 laps
  Franck Montagny Super Aguri-Honda 30 laps
  Christian Klien RedBull-Ferrari 29 laps
  Jenson Button Honda 28 laps
  Mark Webber Williams-Cosworth 22 laps
  David Coulthard RedBull-Ferrari 4 laps
  Vitantonio Liuzzi Toro Rosso-Cosworth 2 laps

FERRARI RACE REPORT (TOP OF PAGE)

• Second win of the season for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, again with Michael Schumacher. This is the Scuderia's fifth victory in the European Grand Prix, the 185th from 728 Grand Prix starts. Michael Schumacher took his eighty sixth career win, the fifth at the Nurburgring. A first ever podium for Felipe Massa.
• Jean Todt: "A great result after a very close fight. The sixteen points we got today are no miracle, but come from a perfect combination of many elements: two drivers of the calibre of Michael and Felipe, the team, the chassis, the engine, the high-performing Bridgestone tyres and the fundamental support from Shell, in terms of fuel and lubricants."
• "This success, following on from the win in Imola, is further encouragement to give our all, already starting next weekend in Barcelona, as we try and reach the goals we set ourselves at the start of the season. There is still a very long way to go, but we intend doing all we can to be in the running right to the end of the Championship."
• Michael Schumacher: "A great race, great strategy and a great performance from the whole team. I am happy for all of them and I think the result shows we are back, with car, engine, tyres and fuel all working superbly. At the start, I was in Alonso's slipstream and I thought I was safe in second place as I could not see anything in my mirrors, but then luckily, I realised that Felipe was coming alongside me very quickly, but I managed to stay ahead."
• "Apart from that, my only moment was when I ran a bit wide in turn 6, before the first pit stop. I pushed too hard as I thought I could catch Fernando there. It's a very nice feeling winning my home grand prix. Unfortunately though, we have only made up two points on Fernando, but every point counts. I am also pleased for Felipe, getting his first F1 podium today and now I am looking forward to another good fight in Barcelona."
• Felipe Massa: "I am very happy. Today, I stood on the podium for the first time and it was a really great feeling. I am also happy that this coincided with a win for Michael, as it shows the team is really in the fight for the title. We have to give it our all, race after race. I made a great start to such an extent that I found myself alongside Michael, but as he had the inside line at turn 1, he was able to stay ahead."
• "The strategy worked very well and the Bridgestone tyre performance was fantastic. Only in the final stages, when I had taken on a used set, was I unable to push to the maximum. I got close to Alonso, but I had Kimi closing on me quickly. There were a few difficult moments, but I managed to keep third place, while also trying to get by Fernando. Now, I am tempted to keep my race suit on: the champagne smells nice!"
• Ross Brawn: "We are very very happy. It was a challenging race, although we knew we had the pace to win if we made the correct decisions at some keys stages of the race. The team and the drivers did a perfect job. The Bridgestone tyres were very strong throughout the race and we got good performance from the whole package."
• "Shell has done a great job with all the fluids in the car and that all came together and helped our performance today. It's clear we are going to face a tough challenge for the rest of the season, but this is a great way to start it."

RENAULT RACE REPORT (TOP OF PAGE)

• The Renault F1 Team scored a strong double-points finish this afternoon at the Nurburgring in the 2006 European Grand Prix.
• Fernando Alonso took his third second-place finish of the season after starting from pole position. The Spaniard made a clean start to lead the opening two stints of the race, but Michael Schumacher shadowed him throughout, and was able to respond each time Fernando pushed to open a gap.
• Ultimately, the Ferrari ran a longer second stint and made the most of its performance advantage to emerge in the lead after the second pit- stops. Fernando then turned down his engine to preserve it for its second race weekend, and held his position.
• Giancarlo Fisichella had an eventful race from eleventh position, and came out on top from a number of wheel-to-wheel battles with his rivals. The Italian found himself blocked behind rival cars for most of the race but, thanks to some aggressive driving, excellent pit-stops and a couple of retirements, climbed to sixth position at the finish.
• After five rounds of the 2006 season, the Renault F1 Team leads the Constructors' Championship with a total of 62 points from five races. Fernando Alonso has scored 44 points from a possible fifty, and holds a thirteen-point advantage over Michael Schumacher. Giancarlo Fisichella has scored 18 points, and remains in fourth position in the championship.
• Fernando Alonso: 2nd "It was an interesting race for me this afternoon. I had a good start from the pole position, and controlled the pace during the first stint. The first stop went OK, but we came in a couple of laps earlier than the Ferraris on the second stop, and they had the speed to move ahead. After that, I just turned down the engine to look after it for next weekend in Barcelona."
• "I think second place is a fantastic result from this race, though. Ferrari were a bit faster than us today, and while our tyre performance was OK, they certainly had more speed. However, I am optimistic we can turn that around in Barcelona, and I can't wait to race in front of my home fans."
• Giancarlo Fisichella: 6th "It was not an easy race for me. Starting from eleventh position, you always know that it will be hard to get through the field and you can spend a long time stuck behind slower competitors. That is what happened to me today. I only had one or two clear laps in the entire race, so it was hard to show my real pace, but we had a good strategy and managed to gain positions."
• "The second pit-stop was a really nice point: I was very aggressive on the pit-entry because I knew it was my only chance to pass Villeneuve, then the team did another fantastic job with the pit-stops and got me out very quickly. I had a nice fight with Montoya in Turn 1 as well, it was not easy, but I managed to hold my position. At the end of the race, I was quicker than Barrichello but not by enough to overtake. Still, I have added more points to the total, and I hope we can have a smoother weekend in Spain in five days' time."
• Flavio Briatore, Managing Director: "This was a good race for us overall, but a weekend where we were fighting against rivals who were just a bit faster. We took points from McLaren-Mercedes, only lost a few to Ferrari and Fernando limited the damage in the drivers' championship by finishing right behind Michael. Fernando didn't put a foot wrong today, and Fisico did a great job to gain places on this track."
• "We have to admit, though, that the combination of Bridgestone and Ferrari was too strong for us today -- and in those conditions, finishing second is like winning. Congratulations to Ferrari, but we hope to be fighting for the victory again in Barcelona.
• Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering: "As we had expected, it was a very tough race this afternoon but it unfolded much as we had predicted. We knew that by taking the fight to Michael, we would also have to be looking over our shoulders for Massa and Raikkonen, and that was exactly how it turned out for Fernando. The critical part of his race was before the second stop."
• "We needed a gap of several seconds but however hard we pushed, Michael was able to respond and close up again. It was therefore well before the second stop that we were aware he would come out in front of us, barring problems. After that, we turned down Fernando's engine because we knew the threat from behind could be contained. Overall, his second place is not too disappointing when we take the long-term championship view."
• "As for Giancarlo, he had a very busy afternoon. As is normal when starting eleventh, we left a very open strategy to try and make up ground. Although it allowed us to jump ahead of a few people -- including Villeneuve who had put us there in the first place -- a power steering problem on the car in the closing stages meant it was hard to achieve much more."

WILLIAMS RACE REPORT (TOP OF PAGE)

• Sam Michael, Technical Director, WilliamsF1: "It was good for Nico to get a couple of points by finishing 7th after starting 22nd due to the engine penalties. He drove solidly all day, putting in the lap times when it mattered and might have done even better if he hadn't encountered traffic."
• "On Mark's car, we had a loss of hydraulic fluid although the exact cause is unknown at this time. Up until then, he'd done a fantastic job as well, with a really good first lap. As he was on the same pit strategy as Nico, so there is no doubt he would have finished in the top four or five."
• Nico Rosberg: "Ultimately I've got to be pleased with today. Two points starting from dead last and we were pretty quick in the race. Our strategy was just perfect. In the first stint I didn't feel as comfortable in the car but after the first pit-stop, we made some changes and all of a sudden it was working perfectly!"
• "I could attack and I was battling with Renault and McLaren. I even thought about passing Fisichella in the closing laps, but I didn't want to jeopardise my position. So over all, I am happy but in the future we of course would be better off starting races a bit further up!"
• Mark Webber: "It was going fantastically until what we think was a hydraulics problem meant that I lost all the controls. I'd made up seven places and I was still carrying lots of fuel, enough to get me a long way into the race, so I'm sure it would have been easy to score some points today. From here, if we fix the hydraulic problem, I am sure we will run near the front."
• Simon Corbyn, Head of F1 Race Engineering, Cosworth Ltd: "Cosworth had no concerns with either of the CA2006 Series 4 engines in today's European Grand Prix. Nico drove a strong race to collect two points and Mark was unfortunate not to be able to capitalise on his great start to the race."

2006 QUALIFYING:

• Q: Fernando, it looks to have been a difficult weekend so far, but in the last 15 minutes of qualifying, it all happened for you.
• Fernando Alonso: Yeah, it was not easy this morning to find the balance, nor yesterday, but I think we did a good job with the car. We made some changes overnight and now for qualifying. They seemed to work OK. Qualifying is always a bit stressful and difficult, especially Q2 when you cannot make a mistake, otherwise you are out. We are really close in the top ten normally. In Q3, everything worked fine for us today, no problems, no traffic, and completely the opposite of the last four qualifying sessions when I've had a little bit of everything in Q3.
• Q: Michael, very quick all weekend. Dramatic last few minutes for you; tell us about those last two runs.
• Michael Schumacher: The first one wasn't that clear in terms of traffic and preparation. Neither was the second; again there were quite a few cars just in front of me, but nevertheless, I'm on the first row with a strong package, good race pace, so it should be interesting tomorrow.
• Q: Felipe, also looking strong all weekend and carrying on the good work from Imola.
• Felipe Massa: Yeah, it's definitely very good for us to start on the first and second row. I think I did a good lap. It was a little bit windy; during the whole qualifying session it was not so easy to do a good lap. I'm quite happy to be here and as Michael said, we feel quite strong for the race. We have a good package, so hopefully tomorrow the pictures will be very good as well.
• Q: Thoughts on the race tomorrow, Fernando. Ferrari are very close, looks like a good motor race.
• Fernando Alonso: Yeah, it will be an interesting race, to see what happens. I think we have good race pace. They also have a good pace in the long runs, so hopefully it will be close and I hope to fight for victory. You never know what will happen in the end but at least it seems that we are there again and competitive and this is the important thing, to always be on the podium.
• Q: Fernando, first front row, first pole this year; bit of a strange statistic...
• Fernando Alonso: Yeah, we had four qualifyings which have been a little bit difficult in the first four races. Sometimes because of the traffic, sometimes by mistake and sometimes I made some mistakes also, like in Bahrain on my best lap. So we've never had a normal qualifying and today we had clear laps and we managed to make some changes to the car to improve it because yesterday we had some problems and I think we are in a much better position to start than in the previous race.
• Q: The basic problem yesterday seemed to be a lack of grip, a lot of drivers complaining of that. Obviously the track conditions have changed, but you've changed the car as well.
• Fernando Alonso: Yeah, we did the normal changes to make the car better overnight and everything seems to have worked quite well. It's always been difficult to start well here; the first corner is really tight so it's better not to be in the middle of the group so I'm really happy to be on pole here, maybe better than in Malaysia which is not so important because it's a very wide circuit.
• Q: Except you have Ferraris on either side of you.
• Fernando Alonso: Yes, Ferrari seem strong again this weekend and hopefully we can have a good race tomorrow with them.
• Q: Michael, were you a bit surprised by the Renault speed?
• Michael Schumacher: No.
• Q: You were very quick this morning but they have become very quick this morning and have been certainly quick this weekend.
• Michael Schumacher: Yeah, but they never been slow all season, so I'm not really surprised they're that quick.
• Q: Did you change the car much from yesterday to today?
• Michael Schumacher: We always work on the car. We always do some detailed work. At this circuit we haven't necessarily the need to make big changes.
• Q: But as things have gone so far, it's been a regular weekend for you then?
• Michael Schumacher: Yep.
• Q: Are you disappointed not to be on pole then with things like your traffic problems?
• Michael Schumacher: It wasn't necessarily a problem because the lap itself was free. The preparation was not as great but nevertheless, I'm pretty happy to be alongside Fernando on the front row and with Felipe just behind Fernando, so I think we will have a good performance tomorrow.
• Q: Could this be a continuation of San Marino Grand Prix?
• Michael Schumacher: Honestly, there is no reason why we should not be strong anywhere anytime.
• Q: So still confident?
• Michael Schumacher: Yep.
• Q: Felipe, are you pleased to be third on the grid because you two have been pretty quick this weekend?
• Felipe Massa: Yeah, we've been quite quick and I'm quite happy. I think we were quick the whole time because we have a good package. I thought they did a great job last week and pretty much I know we have a very strong car for the race tomorrow and it is always very good to start in the top three.
• Q: Was qualifying hectic with the two of you coming in for pit-stops at the same time? Fernando was on his own.
• Felipe Massa: Yeah, it was very tricky in this qualifying to find the right moment to go out and to try to avoid the traffic. Basically, I thought today there were maybe six or seven cars together in a very small gap between each other, so it was difficult to find my way, but we managed to have good luck. In the end, it was very difficult to find a free way in qualifying and this time it was no problem.
• Q: Michael, one lap was very quick and the other two were not. Was that just related to the track or had it something to do with the set-up of the car?
• Michael Schumacher: As you know, we're not allowed to work on the set-up.
• Q: Fernando, you said you made some changes with the car. What was wrong with the car (in the first place)?
• Fernando Alonso: The grip was not there in the morning. We did the normal changes that we do on a Friday night to make the car better and more comfortable to drive. The tyres were not working.
• Q: Fernando, usually you have a very good start and do you think it will be a key moment of the race tomorrow?
• Fernando Alonso: No, it will not be a key moment of the race. It is always better to have a car that can give you a start well enough to protect your position or to gain some positions. If you start well, it is much easier to drive through turn one. We normally have a good time in the first four races, so I am confident of keeping the first position in turn one.
• Q: If this is a continuation of Imola, how will your roles be with the cars on a track where you can overtake more?
• Fernando Alonso: We will see tomorrow how the race develops. There are 60 laps so anything can happen. We will see how we play the strategies and we will see what happens for both the teams. We have to race on the track for sure. There are a little more possibilities -- not many, but one or two more than in Imola.
• Q: Michael, one thing that's important here is the tyre performance of Bridgestone. Until now, how happy are you with the tyre performance on long runs and how confident are you for the race tomorrow?
• Michael Schumacher: Very confident. I think we understood what we did in Imola, we knew what changes we had to do to not run the same troubles and still have a good performance.

WILLIAMS QUALIFYING REPORT (TOP OF PAGE)

• Sam Michael, Technical Director, WilliamsF1: "After morning practice we undertook engine changes on both cars which obviously changed our strategy for qualifying. Although this is a clear set-back in terms of start position and we will be starting the race from an unfamiliar position at the back of the grid, we are still determined to do everything we can to get the cars into the points. Our long runs in all the practice sessions have been competitive and that will help us in the race tomorrow."
• Mark Webber: "Because of the grid penalty due to the engine change today, we obviously had to choose the right strategy for the race and I think our engineers have done the best job given the situation that we are in. We'll try hard in the race, but we couldn't really expect a huge deal more from qualifying. I tried to maybe go a bit too hard on my last lap and made a little mistake on turn three, losing a bit of time there, but I had nothing to lose, as I am going back anyway. I just scraped into the last ten while everyone else was obviously running on low fuel."
• Nico Rosberg: "Again I missed those two little extra tenths that I needed to find in order to make it into Q3. With the grip increasing and only having one lap to fully exploit it, plenty of experience is very useful. Still, at least now I have the advantage of being able choose my fuel load for the race. I will be starting towards the back from where I will push. We have worked towards having a good race plan, so I think we can still do well."

FRI PRACTICE MAY 5, 2006 *test driver

1. *ALEXANDER WURZ (AUT) WILLIAMS-COSWORTH 1:32.675
2. FERNANDO ALONSO (SPA) RENAULT 1:33.579
3. MICHAEL SCHUMACHER (GER) FERRARI +0.904
4. *ROBERT DOORNBOS (NED) RED BULL-FERRARI +0.944
5. *ANTHONY DAVIDSON (UK) HONDA 1:33.870
6. RALF SCHUMACHER (GER) TOYOTA 1:33.883
7. JENSON BUTTON (UK) HONDA 1:33.920
8. *ROBERT KUBICA (POL) BMW SAUBER 1:33.991
9. GIANCARLO FISICHELLA (ITA) RENAULT 1:34.030
10. *ADRIAN SUTIL (GER) MIDLAND-TOYOTA 1:34.179
11. NICO ROSBERG (GER) (GER) WILLIAMS-COSWORTH 1:34.215
12. CHRISTIJAN ALBERS (NED) MIDLAND-TOYOTA 1:34.472
13. KIMI RAIKKONEN (FIN) MCLAREN-MERCEDES 1:34.536
14. FELIPE MASSA (BRZ) FERRARI 1:34.546
15. RUBENS BARRICHELLO (BRZ) HONDA 1:34.631
16. MARK WEBBER (AUS) WILLIAMS-COSWORTH 1:34.825
17. JUAN PABLO MONTOYA (COL) MCLAREN-MERCEDES
18. CHRISTIAN KLIEN (AUT) RED BULL-COSWORTH
19. DAVID COULTHARD (UK) RED BULL-COSWORTH
20. NICK HEIDFELD (GER) BMW SAUBER
21. VITANTONIO LIUZZI (ITA) TORO ROSSO-COSWORTH
22. *NEEL JANI (SWI) TORO ROSSO-COSWORTH
23. SCOTT SPEED (USA) TORO ROSSO-COSWORTH
24. JACQUES VILLENEUVE (CAN) BMW SAUBER
25. *TIAGO MONTEIRO (POR) MIDLAND-TOYOTA
26. TAKUMA SATO (JPN) SUPER AGURI-HONDA
27. FRANCK MONTAGNY (FRA) SUPER AGURI-HONDA

WILLIAMS FRI PRACTICE REPORT (TOP OF PAGE)

• Sam Michael, Technical Director, WilliamsF1: "Today was productive, working on race set-up and choosing tyres. Alex did his usual job of thoroughly checking the tyre performance of the two Bridgestones available here. Both look good, so it'll be a difficult choice for the race. Alex also went through checks of the cooling systems and brakes without any problems."
• "We did more running with Mark and Nico to give them extra track time, which will benefit them by the end of the weekend. Both drivers tried some planned set-up changes, so we'll pool all that data tonight and look at the direction we should take for the remainder of the weekend. So far everything is going to plan."
• Alex Wurz: "This morning it was quite slippery and very dusty, resulting in low grip levels, but the circuit conditions improved and changed rapidly throughout the whole two sessions, which makes the setup work quite difficult."
• "Nevertheless, the more rubber went down, the better our package functioned, so I think that will play into our hands. I was pleased with my performance, especially with the first lap of the long runs, where I was really quick, and in the end I was the fastest overall!
• "With regard to tyres, I am happy with the choice we have brought here from testing, but the better the choice to bring to the race weekend, the more difficult it is now to choose between the two compounds -- it will be a very tight decision."
• Nico Rosberg: "Today went quite alright. I put more laps than usual under my belt, and even if I know this track very well, having extra running time is helpful as driving here in a Formula One car is very different to my previous experience on this track. We have learnt several things from Alex and all three of us have tried a few variables on the set-up, which proved positive."
• Mark Webber: "The pace is obviously there, we look okay here, but I am not happy with the car at the moment, so we have some more work to do tonight on the balance of the car and the tyre comparisons and get ourselves ready for tomorrow."
• Simon Corbyn, Head of F1 Race Engineering, Cosworth Ltd: "Alex completed a solid Friday programme with his CA2006 Series 2 engine. He experienced no engine problems and it is good to see the Cosworth-powered Williams top the timesheets again. Mark and Nico also had no issues and completed their programmes as planned."

RENAULT FRI PRACTICE REPORT (TOP OF PAGE)

• The Renault F1 Team began the European Grand Prix weekend in its usual diligent fashion today at the Nürburgring, with Fernando Alonso and Giancarlo Fisichella finishing the day in the top ten after completing a programme aimed at tuning the car to the demands of the German circuit.
• Conditions were warm and sunny all day, but grip levels out on track were low and both drivers struggled with an inconsistent car balance. However, overnight changes plus further running should see the handling improve along with the circuit conditions, to allow the Renaults to challenge strongly in qualifying tomorrow.
• Fernando Alonso: "We had our normal Friday: systems checks in the morning, then some runs to get a feel for the tyres and try and improve the balance. The grip level was very low, as is quite usual for a Friday. That makes the car a bit inconsistent to drive but we will make some changes tonight and, as the circuit grip improves tomorrow, I am sure things will come together. The pace looks quite good but the times are very close, and we need to do more running to get a clearer picture of who our rivals will be."
• Giancarlo Fisichella: "The low grip was the main difficulty with the car today, but we still managed to make some good changes on the set-up: some worked, some didn't, but we collected plenty of information to analyse tonight. The consistency was good when I did a longer run this afternoon, so we need to look at how to find first lap performance tomorrow, and to improve the balance of the car to feel completely confident. So far, though, it doesn't look too bad."
• Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering: "We were rather surprised at the poor grip levels we encountered today, which were lower than expected. In spite of this though, we completed some good tests and collected the data we need to improve the car set-up overnight. The balance was as normal in low grip conditions, that's to say unpredictable, but we are clear on what we need to do to improve the situation tomorrow. The Michelin tyres are working well, but we can see even from the Friday times that there are a number of cars which are very close in performance."
• Denis Chevrier, Head of Trackside Engine Operations: "The Nürburgring is a track we know well in this configuration, but not one at which we test outside the race weekend. As a result, our Friday programme was composed of the usual tuning to adapt the engine to the circuit's demands, putting information we learned last week during testing in Silverstone to good use."
• "Fernando is running the B specification evolution engine for the first time this weekend, and it performed without any problems today, just like Fisico's similar unit which is on its second race weekend. Our positions at the end of the day seem encouraging, but we will treat them with our usual caution, given the numerous variables that make it difficult to draw any firm conclusions from the Friday times.

2006 RACE PREVIEW (RENAULT  McLAREN  HONDA  WILLIAMS  SHELL  TOYOTA )

RENAULT PREVIEW (TOP OF PAGE)

• Fernando Alonso
• Q: Fernando, two wins and two second places, including last race in Imola. Were you pleased after that result?
• Fernando Alonso: Absolutely. I went there saying that second would be a good result for me, because Ferrari have always been strong in Imola. They were competitive, like we expected, but I think that in the race, the Renault was very close in performance -- and maybe even a bit quicker in race conditions. So far, I have had perfect reliability this season, and we are working hard to make sure that continues -- while adding performance as well. This has been a dream start for me, because there is such a high level of competition in the field. I hope it will continue!
• Q: Looking at the Nurburgring, what are the important characteristics at that track?
• FA: I think the most important thing is that you need good traction. There are a lot of slow corners, which means lots of hard acceleration out of the turns. With the V8 engine, this will be less of a problem. That's because we have less power this year, so the car is not so much on the limit in terms of the traction. But that is the area we always concentrate on for this circuit, as well as finding a good balance. And we have already seen that the R26 is very strong in both those areas.
• Q: Conditions can often be cold at the Nurburgring. Will that be a worry for tyre performance, like we saw in Melbourne where people struggled?
• FA: Honestly, I don't think it will be a problem for us. In Australia, the car was really good in cold conditions and using its tyres well. The same was true in the winter: when it was cold, we were very competitive. So if the conditions are similar at the Nurburgring, it will be good for us.
• Q: Are you optimistic ahead of this race?
• FA: I am expecting a big fight again. I think the level of competition is much closer than the championship standings suggest, and there will be some big challengers. The Michelin tyres have performed very consistently at every circuit this year, and they have done a great job. It will be the same in Germany, I am sure, so we will see a big push from McLaren-Mercedes at their home race, running on the same Michelin tyres as us...
• Q: And how about Ferrari and Michael Schumacher?
• FA: What we don't know at the moment is how consistent Ferrari will be. So far, they have been strong at the same tracks as in 2005, and not so good at others. It is too early to say if it will be the same this year, so we can't write them off -- and Michael is racing in front of his people too. We must concentrate on our job though, at Renault. I have the new B spec RS26 engine, which is a good step forward, and there are new developments on the car at every race. So I am sure we can be fighting for the win again on Sunday afternoon.

McLAREN PREVIEW (TOP OF PAGE)

• Round five of the 2006 Formula One World Championship, the European Grand Prix, takes place this weekend at Germany's Nürburgring. The race is the first home event of the season for Mercedes-Benz, followed by the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim in July.
• In the two weeks since the San Marino Grand Prix, Team McLaren Mercedes has completed a productive test session at Silverstone, covering over 1,680km in preparation for Sunday's race, with Kimi Raikkonen, Juan Pablo Montoya, Pedro de la Rosa and Gary Paffett in attendance.
• The European Grand Prix was first held at the Brands Hatch circuit in the UK, in 1983. In the 14 races since then, the event has travelled to Donington in the UK and Jerez before settling at the Nürburgring. The first race at the German track took place in 1984 and was won by Alain Prost in his McLaren TAG Turbo.
• Set in countryside some 80 kms south-west of Cologne, the Nürburgring stands in the shadow of the epic Nordschleife, which was built in 1927. The legendary 22 km drive through the Eifel mountains was used as a test track for the German automotive industry in addition to being a race circuit, regularly staging the German Grand Prix. The inaugural race on the track was won by Rudolf Caracciola in the Mercedes S.
• The Nürburgring was also the birth place of the Silver Arrows, when in June 1934 Manfred von Brauchitsch won the Eifel race in a Mercedes W25. In order to meet the weight limit of 750kg, the car's white paint work had to be stripped the night before the race exposing its silver aluminium body. However safety concerns saw the German Grand Prix transferred to Hockenheim in 1977.
• In 1984 the revised track returned to the calendar, in the form of a modern Grand Prix venue, and has held the European Grand Prix on nine occasions. Further revisions to the track since then have included the addition of a 583 metre section called the Mercedes Arena prior to the 2002 race.
• In every year since 1995 Mercedes-Benz has presented a special programme to entertain the visitors of the Mercedes-Benz grandstand between the practice and qualifying sessions. This creates additional value at no extra cost to the spectators. In the safe driving centre next to the grandstand the visitors can experience driving lessons onboard with a professional driving instructor.
• The display areas behind the grandstand and the vending area next to the paddock entrance are meeting points for the fans of all teams. Live music will be performed, several contests with exclusive prizes will be held. Interview and autograph sessions, which will be announced well in advance, will be held with the Team McLaren Mercedes Formula One drivers, Mercedes-Benz DTM drivers and members of the Team McLaren Mercedes team management.
• Kimi Raikkonen:"Although it is not like some of the wider tracks such as Bahrain and Turkey, there are a couple of genuine chances to overtake at the Nürburgring, such as the chicane, the first corner with its wide entrance and also as you go into to the Mercedes Arena."
• "At Imola it was impossible to pass even if you had the pace, so hopefully we will be able to make the most of our strategy for the qualifying and race and get a good result here. Although the nature of the track means you can build up a good rhythm, there are some odd cambers and bumps that you have to watch out for."
• "Also, as with San Marino, Nürburgring is another track where you really use the kerbs pretty aggressively, to make sure you get a fast lap time. Following my exit on the final lap at the Nürburgring last year as a result of a flat spotted tyre, I am hoping to have a less dramatic race this year; however this track seems to always see exciting and close racing."
• Juan Pablo Montoya:"It was good to get on the podium at Imola and get some points. The strategy worked well and hopefully we can build on that and continue to move forward in Europe.The Nürburgring is a fairly mixed track, with some straights, hairpins, different types of corners, however I would say it is dominated by slow corners."
• "As a result, we will run with a medium-high downforce here and traction and grip are more important than at a super fast track such as Canada. It does tend to be quite grippy here as it is pretty smooth, but there is a lot of understeer and this is always a focus of the free practice sessions to minimise this."
• "We have been testing at Silverstone for three days following San Marino, it was an interesting test and we had some good running with new components for this race. As this is a home race for Mercedes- Benz, I hope we can put on a good show for the home fans."
• Martin Whitmarsh, CEO Formula One, Team McLaren Mercedes:
• "We had a positive week at the Silverstone test, completing the proving process on developments to the chassis and engine, and it will be interesting to see how they translate to the race track."
• "The character of the Nürburgring lends itself to closely fought racing, with the opportunities to overtake, and with the competitiveness we have seen so far this season across a number of teams, it should be another hard fought race."
• "As always, our primary target at Team McLaren Mercedes is to take the victory, and we are pushing forward with our development programme strongly as we need to make a performance step to arrive at the European Grand Prix with the pace to challenge for the win."
• "The track does not see an over-dependence on a particular element of the car, be it the chassis, engine or tyres, and as a result will provide an opportunity to maximise performance of the package as a whole. The weather at the Nürburgring is notoriously unpredictable and could be a factor for the outcome of the race."
• Norbert Haug, Vice President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:"The Nürburgring is the birth place of the Silver Arrow, which will celebrate its 72nd anniversary during this year's Grand Prix. In our first home race in 2006 the strain on all team members who work outside of the pits will be bigger than previously at Imola for example, however we all look forward to these efforts."
• "After Imola we tested intensively at Silverstone and covered a total of 1,689 kilometres. The Nürburgring's layout is a good mixture of very fast, medium fast and slow corners. Right in front of the Mercedes grandstand the lap starts with a dramatic hairpin leading into the Mercedes Arena, which is particularly interesting because this twisty part of the track allows different racing lines."
• "We have always been fast at the 'Ring and last year we held the lead until the last lap, when Kimi's suspension broke due to vibrations he encountered since the halfway point of the race because of a flat- spotted tyre. To hold the same position through to the finish line would be the greatest reward for everybody in the team who had continuously worked hard since we began testing on 23rd January."

SHELL PREVIEW (TOP OF PAGE)

HONDA PREVIEW (TOP OF PAGE)

• The Honda Racing F1 Team heads to the historic Nürburgring in Germany this week for round five of the 2006 FIA Formula One World Championship. After a challenging race in Imola, the team has been working hard at the Operations Centre in Brackley and on the test track at Silverstone to further develop the RA106 race car and improve its competitiveness.
• A successful three-day test with race drivers Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button, plus third driver Anthony Davidson, has left the team feeling positive as it heads towards the back to back European and Spanish Grands Prix.
• Rubens Barrichello:"I always enjoy going to the Nürburgring, particularly as it is one of the tracks where I achieved a win, in 2002. It is a challenging circuit for the drivers and has some interesting characteristics like great high-speed corners and interesting undulations."
• "It's normally very cold when we go there so we are expecting all the efforts that we have made on our tyre-warming issues over the last few tests to pay off. We also worked really hard at Silverstone this week on the set-up of the car, and seeing the results, we are hoping for a strong performance at the Nürburgring."
• Jenson Button:"We had a positive test at Silverstone this week in which we made good progress and took another step closer to the competition. Apart from a podium at the Nürburgring two years ago, I haven't had that much success at this track."
• "It's a very low grip circuit with a lot of corners off-camber so when you arrive into the corner, it's vital to get the correct line. I think we are starting to see our race pace improve relative to our strong qualifying pace and we should feel positive as we head to Germany."
• Gil de Ferran, Sporting Director: "We had a productive test at Silverstone which we hope will improve our performance for Nürburgring. As a result of this test and despite the disappointing end result in Imola, the team is going into the weekend feeling positive. Of course, the true measure of our competitiveness will only emerge on Sunday."
• Shuhei Nakamoto, Management Board Member - Honda Racing F1 Team, Engineering Director - Honda Racing Development: "We made our F1 debut at the old Nürburgring in 1964 and we are determined to demonstrate the true strength of the RA106 chassis and engine package next weekend."

WILLIAMS PREVIEW (TOP OF PAGE)

• Formula One moves to Germany this weekend for the fifth round of the Championship, the European Grand Prix. Sunday's race marks the 36th occasion that the Nürburgring has hosted a Formula One event since the legendary Nordschleife was first used as a race and test track in 1927.
• Following a major overhaul of safety standards in Formula One, the original circuit has experienced several facelifts over the years, the last of which was completed in 1984. Today's configuration is considerably shorter than its 22kms predecessor, stretching through just five kilometres of the picturesque Eifel region.
• Located 80kms south-west of Cologne, the Nürburgring will provide the stage for Nico Rosberg's first home Grand Prix and, together with his team mate, Mark Webber, both drivers are looking forward to racing at one of the more traditional venues on the calendar.
• Between the races
• A change in date for this year's British Grand Prix forced the teams into an early test session at the Northamptonshire circuit after the Grand Prix at Imola.
• Both the team's race drivers, together with Alex Wurz, were on hand over the three days during which a series of tyre compounds and casings were evaluated in preparation for the June race, while a number of revised mechanical and aero components, including a new rear wing geometry and brake materials, were track tested.
• Just over 2,800 kilometres of data was recorded over the three day period. Nico and Alex returned to Silverstone on Friday for a filming day for Allianz's "Inside Grand Prix" series.
• Making the car go fast
• As part of the team's on-going development programme, both Mark and Nico's FW28s will be rolled out with various aerodynamic upgrades in Germany in a determined effort to further improve overall competitiveness.
• Nürburgring from a technical perspective
• As a rhythmic, undulating track, each 5.148 kilometre lap of the 60 lap European Grand Prix will see the drivers negotiate eight left and eight right hand corners, a complete mix of slow, medium and high speed turns, joined by several straights.
• Following the extensive re-modeling, the Nürburgring invariably promotes some great overtaking, particularly in the stadium section and at the exit of the final chicane upon entering the first corner. Unpredictable weather conditions common to the mountainous Eifel region can also impact the outcome of the European Grand
• Mark Webber: "Although our qualifying and race pace at Imola was not particularly strong, the most positive outcome from the weekend was that we managed to get some reliability back into the car. Bridgestone has made good progress since the winter, but one of the biggest challenges we still face is getting the tyre selection correct for every event."
• "We will have to wait and see how we fare against our main opposition at the Nürburgring, but we will, of course, look to optimise our strategy and tyre usage over the course of the weekend to get the best possible result. The weather at the Nürburgring can be very unpredictable at this time of the year, so the race can sometimes be very mixed."
• Nico Rosberg: "It's going to be great driving at one of my "home races." I've enjoyed some success at the Nürburgring in the past so I'll be drawing on that in my first Formula One outing. The circuit is good fun; it's nicely flowing and has various types of corners. As a team, we'll be looking to improve upon the recent progress that we've made, particularly at the Silverstone test this week."
• Sam Michael, Technical Director, WilliamsF1: "The Nürburgring is a high downforce circuit with a couple of good overtaking opportunities over the lap, particularly at the chicane before the pit entry. With a lot of continuous lateral loading on the car, the toughness of the tyres is important. The Nürburgring is a track at which Williams has traditionally performed well at and we are looking forward to a competitive weekend."
• "Following our continual development programme, we will have some aerodynamic upgrades on the FW28 at this race to improve the cars' competitiveness again. Strategy will involve either a one or two stop race due to the current qualifying format, which means another reason to look after the tyres during the race."
• "Bridgestone have bought two known casings and compounds here and they should work well regardless of the weather. We will be increasing our Friday afternoon programme with both the race drivers to give them more track running and set-up time at this GP."
• Simon Corbyn, Head of F1 Race Engineering, Cosworth: "Mark and Nico's Cosworth CA2006 engines will be on their second race events at the Nürburgring. This race is typically unpredictable due to the nature of the track, and the notoriously changeable weather conditions, it will therefore be an advantage for both drivers, Nico in particular, to be able to run more laps on the Friday and we'll be working with Williams to support this."

TOYOTA PREVIEW (TOP OF PAGE)

• The European Grand Prix at the Nürburgring is the closest that the Formula 1 event comes to the gates of Toyota Motorsport's factory. The German circuit is a short drive from the team's Cologne base and that always guarantees a full turn-out of Panasonic Toyota Racing fans and employees in the grandstands.
• The entire workforce from the factory receives an invitation to the event and it always means there is a special atmosphere for the whole team. Nonetheless the race team will be as focused as ever as it seeks to add to its points total from 2006.
• COLOGNE STAR
• The Nürburgring is close to the TMG factory and to Kerpen, where Ralf Schumacher grew up.
• Ralf Schumacher (Car 7):
• "We struggled on race day in Imola but our pace shows that we've made big steps forward since the start of the season. We initially struggled because our car concept made it difficult to get grip out of hard compounds in low temperatures. But we have worked hard on our set-up and we reaped the benefits for our podium in Melbourne. Now we hope to regain that good form with another good result at our home race."
• "I've always really enjoyed racing at the Nürburgring, which is always greatly affected by the weather. I won my first Formula Junior race at the track and I won the grand prix there in 2003. It will be great to have some of the people from the factory there. That support will be really appreciated so let's hope we can give them a result to cheer."
• RING ENGAGEMENT
• Jarno Trulli will seek better luck at the Nürburgring, where he took his first podium in 1999.
• Jarno Trulli (Car 8):
• "I've had nothing but bad luck in the races so far this year so it's time for a change. Now that we have resolved our set-up problems we can concentrate on pushing the team forwards. At the Nürburgring the weather will be a crucial factor and I am glad to know the circuit well from my time in German F3."
• "That experience helps to predict what the weather could do and to plan strategy, as it did when I finished second in a rain-affected race there in 1999. It would of course be great to challenge that high again. Our pace has been improving in recent races so we will push hard to try and maintain that momentum. I know that the package is good and it would be especially satisfying to perform well in front of the massed ranks of Toyota employees and fans."
• WEATHER OR NOT
• The European Grand Prix will hinge on what the skies bring to the region for race weekend.
• Pascal Vasselon - General Manager Car Design and Development:
• "Unlike its predecessor the Nordschleife, the current Nürburgring is an average track for Formula 1. It ranks in the mid-range for most of the important items like downforce levels, braking energy and tyres. But what will be especially challenging this year is the weather. It's still early in the year and in May anything could happen in that part of the world - sun, rain or possibly even snow! You can wake up and the temperature could be anything between 0 and 35 degrees."
• "So we have to anticipate that and we have to make sure we cover any eventuality, especially when it comes to tyres. We spent last week testing at Paul Ricard working on some new parts and especially tyre choice and that leaves us confident that we will be able to react to any conditions that we can face."

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