Imola 2000: Team Previews

[ Arrows | Benetton | BAR | Ferrari | Jaguar | Jordan | McLaren | Minardi | Prost | Sauber | Williams | Bridgestone ]


Arrows [start]

Pedro de la Rosa
"First we have done the Silverstone test before getting to Imola and I know this has been useful to help us understand the car a bit more. The car is definitely quick and I think if we can qualify a bit higher up in Imola we can finish in the points. Brazil was the hardest race of the season for the drivers, there is no doubt about that, but thankfully Imola is a very smooth track so it will be easier for us"

Jos Verstappen
"I am looking forward to Imola as it is one of my favourite circuits. It is a cricuit where you need traction and downforce and I think our car works well on this sort of track. Silverstone was damp and cold, but I suppose we must be realistic that these are the sort of conditions we can expect at Easter!"

Latest Technical Information
A successful Brazilian Grand Prix with Jos Verstappen and Pedro de la Rosa finishing seventh and eighth respectively, pending David Coulthard's appeal for disqualification, takes the Team to Imola with increasing confidence and with a massive 142 laps of race data to analyse. After losing their final runs when it rained at the end of the much delayed Qualifying session, Jos and Pedro were only able to achieve relatively low qualifying places of 14th and 16th respectively on the Interlagos starting grid. However Jos seized early overtaking opportunities to quickly move up to eleventh place at the end of the first lap and to comfortably hold 3rd place before his pitstop. The Arrows team returned to the UK to prepare for the Imola Grand Prix and the Test team completed two successful days at Silverstone with Jos in the car on the 29th and Pedro the 30th March.


Benetton [start]

Pat Symonds, Technical Director of the Mild Seven Benetton Playlife team

Groundwork
"Imola marks the start of the European season and sees the teams operating in their more normal conditions from the sophisticated race trucks and motorhomes. Imola is a classic European circuit and the Mild Seven Benetton Playlife team started preparation as soon as they arrived back from Brazil. We completed a very successful two day test at Silverstone and a day at Santa Pod with both drivers practising starts and working on a clutch problem that had become apparent in the first two races. There are no major changes to the car for Imola, however a couple of small development items have been incorporated as a result of last week's test."

The Race
"Imola presents the normal challenges to both drivers & engineers. The circuit these days is largely made up of chicanes and in order to achieve a good lap time here it is necessary to have a car with good change of direction and the ability to ride the kerbs well. In addition, Imola is still regarded as a power circuit, although less so than before it was remodelled, and peak engine power and driveability are of paramount importance. The circuit is not very hard on tyres and Bridgestone will be bringing the soft and medium compounds, as used in the first two races. The strategy at Imola is a close call between one and two stops and it is expected that there will be a mixture of strategies among the teams. One feature that must never be forgotten at Imola is the weather, because at this time in the spring it is very common for at least one of the days to be affected by rain."

A lap of Imola with Giancarlo Fisichella

"I start the lap accelerating hard past the pits to the Tamburello chicane reaching a speed of just over 300 km/h. Then I brake hard for the left right which I take in 2nd gear at around 125 km/h. From there I need to accelerate hard down to the Villeneuve chicane reaching a slightly lower speed of 285 km/h before going into this tricky corner. This corner is difficult because the entry is taken while still braking & then the final right-hand part is taken in 3rd gear at about 145 km/h.

From there I accelerate quickly before braking hard again for the Tosa corner taken again in 2nd gear at just under 80 km/h. I like this corner because there is still an opportunity to overtake although it is harder now than it used to be. Out of Tosa I accelerate up the hill reaching 5th gear and speed of about 280km/h before taking Piratella in 4th gear at 175 km/h. This is a difficult corner as the circuit drops away at the exit. Going down the hill towards Acque Minerali I get up to 270 km/h before braking very hard down to the 110 km/h 2nd gear corner.

Accelerating out I climb again to the Variante Alta reaching 270 km/h before braking down to 2nd gear for this complex of corners, the minimum speed is about 125 km/h. As I accelerate out of this chicane I achieve the maximum speed, depending on wind conditions, of around 300 km/h, which is similar to the pit straight,. This is just before the two Rivazza corners, which are both taken in 2nd gear, the first one at about 100 km/h immediately followed by the 2nd one at about 120km/h. There is then a short straight where I get up to 275 km/h and this leads to a final very slow chicane before the pits which I take in 2nd gear at around 95 km/h."


British American Racing [start]

Like that other famous Italian circuit, Monza, the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola possesses "atmosphere" by the bucket-load. The arrival of the Grand Prix teams here also marks the start of the European section of the 2000 Formula One season.

Imola had a reputation as a fast, comparatively wide-open circuit with some truly daunting corners, but after the events of May 1994, the track was altered so the straights were shorter and punctuated by chicanes. As the nature of the circuit changed, so chassis set-up priorities shifted from low downforce, to maximise straight-line speed, to higher levels of downforce, to keep cornering speeds up. Despite the modifications, however, Imola remains an interesting circuit for drivers.

Last Year Mika Salo deputised for Ricardo Zonta, who was recovering from injuries suffered in a crash during practice for the Brazilian Grand Prix. The Finn rewarded his new employers with a seventh-place finish in the race - BAR's best result of the 1999 season. After qualifying a promising fifth, Jacques Villeneuve's race ended before it began, a gearbox electronics problem leaving the 1997 World Champion stranded on the grid. To the delight of the assembled tifosi, Ferrari's Michael Schumacher won the event.

This year

Ricardo Zonta: "Unfortunately, I was not able to compete at Imola last year following my accident in Brazil, but I do know the circuit a little bit. We did not perform as well as we would have liked in Brazil because of mechanical problems. The engineers now know what those problems were, though, so we should have them fixed for San Marino. The chassis and engine are good, and if we can get back to the reliability we had in Australia, there is no reason why we can't get some more points."

Steve Farrell, Chief Engineer, British American Racing: "We had a very useful test at Silverstone this week at which we targeted technical issues that had arisen in the first two races of the season. The result was highly successful and we now have a much clearer idea of what is required for Imola, as well as for the rest of the season. Hopefully, this means we can restore our reliability to the sort of levels we enjoyed in Melbourne. Starting with the San Marino Grand Prix, we aim to introduce performance upgrades - some small, some more significant - at each race."

He explained his optimism by saying: "I think that McLaren have now got their problems with reliability under control. I also anticipate Hakkinen to finish the race at Imola". On the Ferrari's team's expected performance he said that he is looking to another quick and competitive performance. He ended by saying the following on a possible battle to the end between himself and Hakkinen this coming weekend: "This would allow us to understand many things. I'm not joking. I said it in Melbourne and in Brazil that it would be great to beat him on the track."

Honda preview

The European Formula One season blasts into action this weekend at the San Marino Grand Prix. Having scored four points in the opening event of the year in Melbourne, BAR Honda will be aiming to return to points-scoring form at Imola.

The beginning of the European campaign comes as a welcome relief for all teams after the strain of the traditional early season long-haul races. For BAR Honda, the first opportunity to address many of the issues arising from the first two events was during testing at Silverstone last week, where the team made good progress in preparation for the particular requirements of the San Marino event.

"Generally, Imola is regarded as one of the medium speed circuits on the calendar," explains Takefumi Hosaka, Managing Director of Honda R&D. "There is an interesting combination of low and high speed corners, so a good technical set-up is just as important as engine power. The stop-and-go nature of the track makes huge demands on the brakes and it is critical to achieve a good brake balance on the car."

"The constant acceleration and deceleration leads to an unusually high fuel consumption level, but as the car rarely reaches peak speeds, the overall stresses on the engine at Imola are not excessive. Again reliability will be important, as many of the teams still seem to be having problems in this area."

Italy has hosted two Formula One races for more than 25 years, the second of which has always been assigned to the principality of San Marino, but held some 100km away at the Imola circuit near Bologna. Originally a high-speed 'horsepower' venue, the track has made inevitable concessions to modern Formula One safety and the long straights have been punctuated by chicanes.

Imola retains its charm and attraction, however, and the races invariably produce their fair share of drama and excitement. Jacques Villeneuve holds the Imola qualifying lap record, set during his world championship-winning year of 1997 with Williams Renault, but the Canadian has never finished higher than fourth at the circuit on which one of the corners is named after his late father, Gilles.

For Ricardo Zonta, however, this will be a maiden visit to San Marino, having missed last year's race after injuring his foot in Brazil. His seat was filled by Mika Salo and the Finn finished seventh, the equal highest finish for the BAR team throughout 1999.

Honda's track record at Imola is impressive, having claimed no fewer than four race victories during its second period of participation. Ayrton Senna took the chequered flag in his McLaren-Honda three times in four years, dominating proceedings at the circuit that was tragically later to claim his life. Honda's finest result was achieved in 1988, the season during which Honda power accounted for 15 of the 16 race wins. Senna led Prost home for a McLaren-Honda 1-2 and the podium was completed by the Lotus-Honda of Nelson Piquet to give Honda a clean sweep of the silverware.

More of the same would be welcome for BAR Honda on Sunday.


Ferrari [start]

Michael Schumacher heads to this weekend's San Marino Grand Prix sitting on a healthy lead in the Formula One World Championship, and encouraged by the knowledge that, in recent years, Imola has been kind to Scuderia Ferrari-Marlboro. The 'tifosi' - the hugely enthusiastic Ferrari fans - are expecting nothing less than a third consecutive victory for the German ace.

"For obvious reasons, I am very much looking forward to Imola," Michael Schumacher says. "I really want to work on increasing the gap between us and our opponents, even though it will be very difficult. I think of us being able to win again, but I expect the McLarens to be very fast and, this time, reliable too. But I believe that, with all the support we will get from the tifosi, we will have extra power at Imola!"

Michael has a remarkable record on the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari over the years, especially since his first race for Ferrari in front of the tifosi in 1996. That season had not started well but, at Imola, he took a superb pole position, and then finished second to Damon Hill in the race. He finished a close second again in 1997 (to Heinz-Harald Frentzen) and in 1998 (David Coulthard), before scoring a memorable victory last year, after Mika Hakkinen had crashed in front of the pits.

His Imola successes can also be traced back through his Benetton years. He finished second in 1993, and then won the tragic 1994 event, although it was not a victory he was able to enjoy. Michael has not always demonstrated complete mastery of Imola. On his final appearance for Benetton in 1995, he was leading when he suddenly lost control and spun into the tyre wall. But that was the only time in the last seven years that he did not finish on the podium. He is certain again to be in the thick of the action this weekend.

Perhaps the most interesting statistic concerns qualifying. Although he has had his fair share of poles over the years, Michael is known as a better racer than qualifier, partly because he has not always been in the quickest car. But he has an exceptional record at Imola: since 1993, he has never been out of the top three places on the grid, and has had two poles there.

The technical director of Scuderia Ferrari-Marlboro, Ross Brawn admits that, so far this season, qualifying is one area which the team has yet to get on top of. If Michael can start from the front, he should be able to win from the front, and more strategic options will be open to the team. Following this week's testing in Italy, Schumacher is optimistic: "I would not say we made a big step forward, but we gained a lot of understanding. This is quite important in that the car is still quite new, and therefore not fully understood by us. What we do see is that there is still a lot of potential. In Imola, most important are in my view are the traction, and the handling on the kerbs."

Although everything seems to be coming together, Michael is not relaxing just yet. "It is much too early to be relaxed. Twenty points are good but, in relation to the 150 points still to be achieved, they are not too much..."


Jaguar [start]

After two long-haul races, the trip to San Marino will be a welcome one, says Maurice Hamilton.

Imola is wonderful. It's as simple as that. There are many reasons why this circuit finds favour with the F1 fraternity, but perhaps the most significant one is that it usually hosts the first race in Europe. After operating from packing cases and temporary offices in Australia and Brazil, the F1 teams finally have the luxury of their trucks and motorhomes in the paddock.

It is the difference between flying on holiday with hand baggage and taking a caravan complete with every useful household item. The teams feel at home, and that immediately puts everyone in a good mood - they know that two of the most difficult long haul trips are over.

Part of the fun on the first day is to tour the paddock and inspect the latest motorhomes as each team tries to outdo the other with something bigger and better than before. The transporters, gleaming with fresh paintwork, are usually brand new and state of the trucking art. In effect, a small piece of each factory is positioned at the back of the garages.

The facilities at Imola, once the yardstick when we first went there twenty years ago, are falling behind. But you forgive the Italians because of their enthusiasm and melodrama. The paddock and the long corridors of the building above the pits echo to strident PA announcements that seem to say that the entire place is on fire when, in fact, the message relates to the opening of the restaurant.

And that's another thing. The food is excellent, particularly if you enjoy pasta. There is a restaurant - known as Naldi - just outside the paddock gates. Venture in there on the Wednesday or Thursday before the race and you will see at least one driver having lunch. If there are no PR functions filling their schedules you might even catch them there in the evening. In 1988, I saw Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost having lunch together. One year later and the McLaren so-called team-mates would not have shared the same room, never mind the same table.

The restaurant is crisp and clean, with a typically tiled floor that raises the noise and, with it, the atmosphere. Naldi is one of many fine and reasonably priced restaurants in Imola, but accommodation is not so easy. Most of the teams use a nondescript hotel near the circuit, but the British press stay in Riolo Terme, a small spa town situated over the next mountain.

The benefits are many, not the least being a glorious drive to work each day in the early morning sunshine. This drops us by the paddock gate and thus avoids the horrendous traffic problems that ensnare Imola's narrow streets and the nearby motorway.

Our hotel could best be described as a fairly basic establishment run by two slightly batty sisters. There is only one rule; do as you're told. They do not speak a word of English - and why should they? - but no concessions are made to get round the fact that few of their guests can converse in Italian.

Again, terrazzo floors are all the rage. It means the entire three-storey building is a cacophony of slamming doors and scraping chairs, tables and beds, which are only drowned out by the babble of conversation when dinner is at its height.

There are no menus. The food is slapped in front of you. It's delicious - which is just as well, because there would be outrage in the kitchen if some one left even the smallest morsel on their plate. The local plonk - also slapped on the table without ceremony - takes a bit of getting used to but it's amazing how we cope...

Breakfasts are frugal in the hotel. Which is another reason why we put our hands together and gives thanks for the arrival of the European season. A quick word with your favourite motor home crew can guarantee a full English breakfast and a decent cup of tea. Then you are ready for another day of wonderful Italian theatre at Imola.


Jordan [start]

"Winning points in Brazil was of vital importance to us," said Jordan's Chief Executive, Eddie Jordan. "Seeing both cars finish in the top six proved that we have a fast car and two competitive drivers. What we need to work on now is our qualifying, as in Brazil it seemed everything that can go wrong did go wrong. If we can qualify in the top three rows, which is where we should be, we should finish races on the podium...."

Jordan's Technical Director echoes Eddie's thoughts. "After our failure to finish in Australia it was nice to have a two-car finish and get things back on track." "We had a very good weekend in terms of reliability, but we were disappointed with our performance in qualifying. We need to concentrate on realising the car's potential in qualifying, which we certainly have not done in the first two races, and then make sure we are racing with the top four."

"It is good to be back in Europe and we think the heavy braking nature of the Imola circuit will suit the car. With Ferrari having won the first two races the atmosphere at the track will no doubt be electric. It is easier for the teams to operate properly in Europe - working out of the trucks is much easier for example. It also helps that the factory is only a short flight away, as at the start of the season it is usual to be working to very tight deadlines to build new parts for the car."

"Racing in Europe means it is easier to plan the production of car parts; you can plan to have a new part ready on Saturday and flown out in time for the race, which obviously you can't do when you are the other side of the world."

"We know the car is much more competitive than it was last year so it has been frustrating not to have demonstrated that. We should be racing with McLaren and Ferrari, not further down the field. If you look at the lap times we are capable of that, but we haven't demonstrated it on the track when it counts."


McLaren [start]

After the two flyaway races in Australia and Brazil, the 2000 Warsteiner San Marino Grand Prix, round three of the FIA Formula One World Championship, marks the start of the European season. Apart from a trip to Canada in June, the Formula One teams will stay in Europe until late September and the West McLaren Mercedes team is eager to score their first points of the 2000 season at Imola.

The 3.063 miles / 4.931 kilometres Imola circuit plays host to the Warsteiner San Marino Grand Prix for the 20th time and as last year, the event is sponsored by Warsteiner, one of the West McLaren Mercedes team's Corporate Partners. Similarly to the Interlagos circuit in Brazil, Imola is one of the few tracks on the Formula One calendar, which runs anti-clockwise. Imola staged its first Formula One race in 1980 when the Italian Grand Prix moved from Monza. The following year, the San Marino Grand Prix was introduced to the Formula One calendar and has taken place at Imola since then.

Imola is regarded as one of the medium speed circuits with an interesting combination of low and high-speed corners, which demands a good technical set-up as well as engine power. It can be difficult to overtake and the best chance is at the Tosa Hairpin.

McLaren has an enviable record at Imola, having won six times in eight years between 1984 and 1991. This included three one-two victories with Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost in both 1988 and 1989 and Senna and Berger in 1991. David Coulthard won in 1998 for the West McLaren Mercedes team and last year David finished second.

Mika Hakkinen
'I must admit I haven't had an ideal start to the season. Hopefully my luck will change this weekend. I like the circuit and hope to qualify well, which we have done so far this year. I have never won the San Marino Grand Prix- my highest finish was third in 1994 so it will be good to do well this weekend.'

David Coulthard
'I have had a busy week so far but my focus is now on the San Marino Grand Prix. Imola is one of my favourite circuits and I have a good record there. I won the race two years ago and last year I finished second so hopefully we will be able to start the European part of the Formula One season with points.'

Ron Dennis
'We demonstrated both in Australia and Brazil that our cars are quick and the potential is definitely there. We have qualified one-two in both races so far and it's only a matter of time before we score our first victory of the season.'


Minardi [start]

This Sunday the Imola circuit will host the usual opening event to the European races calendar. In preparation for its home Grand Prix the Faenza-based Team is feeling even more motivated after the first two races outcome marked an encouraging start of the season.

In Australia and Brazil the Team finished both races and scored eighth and tenth position respectively, even though only one car crossed the finishing line at each Grand Prix.

In Melbourne and Interlagos Minardi best qualifying lap time improved nearly 4" over its last year's qualifying. Furthermore, in Brazil, Marc Gen cut down by half the gap with last year's pole position after he set his best qualifying time in 1'16"380 (in 1999 Mika Hakkinen's pole position was 1'16"568) only 2"2' slower than this year's pole position. This result witnesses the progress of the Team that is currently keeping up with the Top Teams even though it has limited means available.

Gustav Brunner
"M02 lap times and competitiveness have improved by a good margin over last season. Actually the effective contribution which determined our car's development is down to aerodynamics. Mechanically the car is pretty much similar to the former M01: the gearbox is similar to last year's one and so are the suspensions. The engine has not changed at all. Even in terms of weight distribution, we could play with ballast as we did last year. The crucial evolution on this year's car is its aerodynamic stability and down force. In order to improve these two areas we moved early with a more ambitious original program: to increase the hours of tests in the wind tunnel by more than 50%. This has been possible also thanks to a growth in human resources involved in the development of aerodynamics. However, we know that there is still a huge amount of work to be done to improve our performances. With adequate investments we will definitely step farther in this direction."


Prost [start]

The San Marino Grand Prix, which marks the opening of the European season, represents almost the start of a new season, since the working conditions are so different from those experienced at the two opening races.

The presence of the support trucks allows the teams to recreate a mini-factory and to have at hand all the tools they need, and the quality of the work on the car improves with the conditions. But above all, the distance between the circuits and the teams' headquarters in Europe permit a much better reaction when faced with performance or reliability problems. Right up to the last minute, the teams can test and check parts for the race. The team has taken full advantage of these opportunities and worked as much as possible since returning from the Brazilian Grand Prix.

"To exploit best the two weeks between the two Grand Prix, we sent one car immediately to Silverstone from Sao Paulo for two days testing with Jean Alesi while the factory at Guyancourt completed chassis number four for Nick Heidfeld," explained Alan Jenkins, the Technical Director of the Prost Grand Prix team. "While electronic problems continued to upset the tests, particularly in Barcelona, the team was able to carry out more precise measurements which enabled much better analysis of the recurrent difficulties which have been experienced by the Prost AP03 since the winter."

"We believe a major source of our problems has now been isolated " says again Alan Jenkins. "During theses two sessions, we have been able to test new rear wing and front wing endplates which gave encouraging results. On the engine side, the first run with the Imola package including variable trumpets ran without problems. A lot more work is however required to optimise the potential of the new system."

"We will arrive at Imola also with many modifications to the electrical installations and the electronics of the car which should enable us to make much better use of the free practice sessions and to be more reliable in Sunday's race."


Sauber [start]

Preparation
Following the problems encountered with its rear wings over the bumps of Interlagos during the Brazilian Grand Prix meeting on Sunday March 26, Team RED BULL SAUBER PETRONAS has tested extensively at Silverstone and in Italy to endorse the findings of in-depth analysis of the cause, and also ensure that the problem does not recur.

Willy Rampf (Technical Director)
"Security of the rear wings was our main focus in the tests, and happily we experienced no further trouble. We are now looking prepared to start the European FI season."

Logistics
Team RED BULL SAUBER PETRONAS is pleased to return to the Euro-pean leg of the World Championship tour. This is much easier logistically, because all of the equipment for the race can be carried by road in the regular transporters.

Peter Sauber (Team Principal)
"We have seen glimpses of the potential of RED BULL SAUBER C19 at the opening two Grands Prix. This weekend we must start to realise it."

Pedro Diniz
"Obviously the Brazilian Grand Prix meeting was a disappointment for me and for my home crowd of fans. I am determined to put all that behind me. We know the potential of the car. It would be great to score World Championship points this weekend."

Mika Salo
"Hopefully this time I will have the chance to show how quick the RED BULL SAUBER C19 is. We had a good test at Silverstone following Brazil, and Imola in the past has always been very good for me. The car is good, so I'm looking for a strong top six finish."


Williams [start]

The San Marino Grand Prix signifies the start of the Formula One season proper. Australia and Brazil were the hors d'oeuvres - the once-a-fortnight grind of the European 'season' is where the foundations of a championship pattern are constructed. Or destroyed. The 2.65-mile (4.933 km) track is fast, with average lap speeds of over 130mph (210 km/h) and thanks to the ever-present 'tifosi', its atmosphere is electric.

For the BMW WilliamsF1 Team, the season has begun well, with the team placed joint-third in the Constructor Championship standings and Ralf Schumacher also sharing third place in the Drivers' Championship. The Brazilian Grand Prix saw Ralf and Jenson cross the finish line in 6th and 7th place respectively, but both drivers were promoted a place because of David Coulthard's disqualification from second place. In the event that McLaren's appeal with the FIA is unsuccessful, Jenson Button will become of the youngest ever driver to score a World Championship point. Both Ralf and Jenson are aiming to keep up the momentum in San Marino and after a productive test session at Silverstone last week, the mood in the BMW WilliamsF1 Team camp is upbeat as Imola beckons.

Frank Williams (WilliamsF1 Team Principle)
"Both Ralf and Jenson have performed strongly in the opening two races and we aim to carry that momentum forward to Imola. As in Melbourne, Brazil gifted us with more points and given the early stage of our partnership and development, we are very encouraged with the way the season has begun for us."

Dr Mario Theissen (BMW Motorsport Director)
"Our recent performances in Australia and Brazil have helped take our team spirit to even higher levels. We have completed more race miles than any other team and out of four possible finishes, we have recorded three. Nonetheless, our testing commitment is focused upon achieving reliability - an area that we are looking to strengthen on the V10 engine. After having analysed Jenson's Melbourne car, we have discovered a link between his engine failure and the one that we experienced during Free Practice in Sao Paulo. Over the past ten days, we have put great effort into pinpointing this problem and we hope to avoid a repeat in San Marino."

Ralf Schumacher
"After our strong performances in Melbourne and Sao Paulo, I am looking forward to Imola. I must say that I am really enjoying driving the FW22, especially in Melbourne. Last week, we had two test days at Silverstone in an effort to prepare for Imola and the British Grand Prix. Imola is characterised by long straights and slow corners, which means the brakes are punished in a very hard way. Apart from the brakes, acceleration especially out of Tosa, Acque Minerali and Traguardo is really important. A good place for overtaking is Tosa. Last year I was 9th in qualifying, but retired on the 28th lap while in 4th place because of a fire in the airbox. This year I hope to see the chequered flag with the BMW WilliamsF1 Team."

Jenson Button
"The BMW WilliamsF1 Team has got off to a very good start. Both cars ran strongly at Interlagos and given how demanding that circuit is, our performance is testament to the team's hard work and experience. Scoring my first ever point is great, but the most satisfying part was the fact that I finished the race. Like any driver, I'd like to earn my points through driving and we'll have to see what the outcome of the McLaren appeal is. In the meantime, however, we are firmly focused upon the job at hand in Imola. Again, this is another track that is unfamiliar to me, but one that I am really looking forward to. Balance and grip are important on the San Marino circuit and given the passionate 'tifosi' it's an experience that I am relishing."


Bridgestone [start]

Bridgestone Motorsport is heading to Imola for the San Marino Grand Prix amid an intensive back-to-back Formula One testing programme that will continue at Britain's Silverstone circuit immediately after this weekend's race.

Bridgestone and all Formula One teams (except Italian-based Ferrari and Minardi) carried out an intensive three-day programme directly on the back of the Brazilian Grand Prix from 28th-30th March at Silverstone.

Next week's pre-British Grand Prix test will commence on the 11th April and run until 13th. Every F1 team will attend the three-day test with Jaguar, Benetton and Sauber all scheduled to extend their programmes to a fourth day.

With Britain's weather unseasonably bad the San Marino Grand Prix is a welcome destination for Bridgestone and the British-based teams. Over 2,400 tyres will be available during the weekend and are the same dry specification Soft and Medium tyres that were used in the Australian and Brazilian Grand Prix. In the event of excessively damp or wet conditions Bridgestone will supply the teams with a choice of two wet specification tyres: Hard and Soft.

The smooth surface and low-grip nature of the Imola circuit is expected to influence the drivers' anticipated choice of Soft rubber as they struggle to improve traction.

Bridgestone Motorsport's Technical Manager, Yoshihiko Ichikawa: "Imola is a fairly smooth low-grip circuit so our Soft and Medium specification tyres will be best suited to this track surface. Tyre wear is not a big problem at Imola; there is only a small difference in lap times and degradation between the Soft and Medium tyres. The teams will probably opt for one-stop strategies as almost all teams did in 1999.

"Most drivers complain about a lack of traction at Imola and this problem can be remedied with the Soft tyres and also provide a lap time advantage. However, when using the Soft tyre drivers sometimes complain about a moving sensation they can feel through the wheels. This can be counteracted by use of the Medium specification tyres, which eliminate the feeling of motion and instead make the wheels feel more responsive. It's purely a matter of personal preference.

"Soft rubber will also be the most popular choice in the event of rain, damp conditions or low temperatures as it will help to counteract these conditions by providing extra grip and increased traction."

San Marino Grand Prix Weekend