Tisková informace WilliamsF1 (EN) Williams F1, f1, formule 1, constructors, okruhy

Tisková informace WilliamsF1 (EN)

Miroslav Sanytrák | 15.7.06 | Aktuality

Preview Bulletin
Canadian Grand Prix, 25 June 2006

The Ebeny
The first round of the North American double header takes place this weekend, race nine of the FIA Formula One World Championship, the Canadian Grand Prix. This year’s event will mark the 38th Canadian Grand Prix since its inception in 1967 and the 28th time the race has been held in Quebec’s cosmopolitan capital, Montréal. Named after the first race victor, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is located on the picturesque Ile Notre Dame, and is one of the most unique and technically demanding tracks on the calendar. Having secured eight victories in Canada out of 27 starts, the WilliamsF1 Team will be looking to draw upon its experience for a points finish this Sunday.

Between the races
Away from his testing responsibilities, Mark has been busy watching the World Cup on TV and celebrating Australia’s 3-1 victory over Japan! He was also paying particular attention to the Australia v Brazil game as Mark has been invited to report on it for the “VIPs Love Football” section on www.FIFAworldcup.com before heading off to Canada on Tuesday. Nico has also enjoyed some down time to catch up with events on the pitch, but will head out to Canada early to assist team sponsor, Budweiser, in their annual promotional event which takes place on Wednesday in downtown Montréal. Alex will also join in the fun and spend the day meeting and greeting Budweiser customers and Formula One fans before undertaking a series of media interviews to conclude the day.

Making the car go faster
In preparation for the high speed nature of the Canadian track, the team spent three days after its home race at Silverstone in Monza. Mark, Nico and Alex were all on duty and completed a series of tests on tyre compounds, aero items and brake materials as well as working on suspension and gearbox development and set-up comparisons all ahead of this weekend’s race. The trio lapped just over 2,500kms of the Italian circuit while Nico recorded the fourth fastest time of the week. As a result of the work successfully completed in Italy, the team will deploy upgraded FW28s in Montréal.

Montréal from a technical perspective
One of the few remaining power tracks, where top speeds can reach 330km/h and the average lap is driven at 210km/h, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve provides a mixed 2.7 miles of long straights interspersed with slow chicanes and imposing kerbs making a fluid rhythm hard to maintain. Engine power is rewarded on straights such as the Pont de la Concorde so engines must provide drivability and torque but be durable enough to survive 60% of the lap spent at full throttle. Fierce acceleration is often followed by acute braking events for the slow speed corners, so heavy duty brakes and efficient cooling capabilities are crucial at corners such as L’Epingle hairpin while, over the full 70 lap race distance, brake temperatures will reach in excess of 1,000°C. A temporary track, Montréal lacks grip in the opening practice sessions so set-up is often a conundrum while the track beds in, but the drivers must find the balance in time for qualifying. With few overtaking opportunities, a good qualifying position and a strong strategy are, therefore, of the essence.