Silverstone 2000: Team Previews

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


Arrows [start]

Pedro de la Rosa
"It will be wet for sure! I just hope there is no snow and we get our first good finish. We really don't know how the car will go there if it is dry, but if it is wet we know our car will be very good. I just hope we can get some dry running. I will not be that disappointed if it is wet. The car is good, the team is good, we have been able to do some more testing so we should finish higher up. It is the home Grand Prix for Arrows so I hope to give the team something to celebrate."

Jos Verstappen
"We will not know what to expect at Silverstone. I think it will be raining and that is sad for this Grand Prix as I think it is a good race circuit. It is always very difficult to set up the cars as you never know what wind directions you will get. I think it will be a good race and hopefully we can do well. I still prefer dry races, but we don't know how to set the car up for this as we have not really had any proper dry running here."

Latest Technical and Test Information
The team went straight to Silverstone from Imola for a four day test from the 11th to the 14th April. There was one A21 for Pedro on Tuesday, and then he was joined by Jos for the final three days. The team concentrated on race set-up work, taking advantage of any dry running to obtain information in the unlikely event of a fine Easter. The FIA has imposed new software restrictions starting from Silverstone, so Arrows, no doubt along with the other teams, was working on these. On Wednesday, 19th April the team will take the three cars destined for the race to Santa Pod for a shake down.


Benetton [start]

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

Groundwork
"Although Silverstone is the closest Grand Prix circuit to the Benetton base in Enstone, it is surprisingly enough not a circuit the team tests at a great deal. However, in preparation for the British GP the team spent four days last week at Silverstone. Unfortunately poor weather made the test programme extremely difficult, but nevertheless work on the cars proved them to be competitive in both wet and dry conditions. For the final day of the test some new aerodynamic developments were tried which proved to be successful and will be used for the British Grand Prix. In addition a significant number of clarifications to the rules concerning engine controls are being introduced for this race and these changes required significant amounts of testing last week."

The Race
"Silverstone often provides very exciting racing although it might be that this year the weather plays an important part in the race. The circuit is very challenging for the drivers and the engineers need to attain a safe balance for the fast corners and good traction out of the slower corners. There are some overtaking opportunities and the Benetton team is looking forward to a competitive and exciting race. The circuit is quite hard on tyres and while Bridgestone will be using both the soft and medium tyres, the choice is perhaps not as obvious as at some other circuits. There is a high chance of different teams using different tyres for this race, depending largely on weather conditions."


British American Racing [start]

The circuit

Moved from its traditional mid-summer slot in July to Easter weekend this year, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone nonetheless remains one of the highlights of the Formula One calendar. The wide open spaces of this former World War II airfield provide a venue where Formula One cars really can be unleashed. The track possesses a challenging mixture of high- and low-speed turns, as well as a smooth surface that is capable of generating high levels of grip. There are several particularly fast sections, notably: through Copse, the first corner after the pit straight, and down the following straight; from Chapel down the Hangar Straight; from Vale down to Club, and through Bridge Corner before braking for Priory. What this means is that the trade-off between a car's cornering speed and straight-line performance is particularly significant at Silverstone since it is important to ensure a high exit speed onto the straights without compromising speed down the straights. Silverstone is also very much BAR Honda's "home" circuit and primary test venue - the team's Brackley base is only a few miles distant.

Last Year

There was plenty of drama in last year's British Grand Prix: Michael Schumacher's leg-breaking crash on the opening lap, Mika Hakkinen losing a wheel, and McLaren's David Coulthard eventually coming through for the win. For British American Racing, the weekend started promisingly enough with Jacques Villeneuve qualifying ninth and team mate, Ricardo Zonta, sixteenth. Come the race, though, Villeneuve was stranded on the grid along with Williams' Alex Zanardi. A race stoppage caused by Schumacher's accident on the opening lap allowed Villeneuve to take the delayed re-start, but unfortunately, his efforts went unrewarded as he retired from the race on lap 29 with gearbox maladies. Zonta drove another solid race, making it as far as lap 41 before a spin brought his first British Grand Prix to a premature end.

This year

Ricardo Zonta
"I like Silverstone because it is fast and you can get into a good rhythm. The only problem at this time of year is that the weather is likely to be cold and wet for the Grand Prix. It's a shame we lost time during the test last week after the suspension problem with my car, because we had just come up with a really good wet set-up. We also had the latest specification Honda engine at Silverstone, and it definitely felt like an improvement on the version we have been using."

Steve Farrell, Chief Engineer, British American Racing
"Oddly enough, although this is our 'home' Grand Prix and Silverstone is the nearest circuit to the team's Brackley headquarters, we don't test here a great deal, so there isn't any real advantage for us. Our preparations for the British Grand Prix are the same as for any other Formula One race. They were curtailed at last week's Silverstone test as a result of Ricardo's accident, but we still feel we're in good shape. Running in both wet and dry conditions, we felt we were competitive, both drivers were happy with their cars and we were able to test and evaluate several new components that we will be running. We're also particularly happy with the progress Honda has made in dealing with the latest FIA technical regulations. At each of the first three races this year, we feel we've been consistent and competitive. I see no reason why, as a realistic target, we can't qualify both cars in the top 10 at Silverstone and have a strong run in the race. We feel Silverstone plays to the strengths of the BAR Honda 002."

Honda

After the first three races of the season, BAR Honda shares with the championship-leading Ferrari the honour of most reliable Formula One team. Five out of a possible six finishes and three points-scoring results represents an excellent return for the all-new Honda RA000E engine after an absence of seven years from Grand Prix racing.

Honda's primary target for the early season was to establish the reliability of the new engine and chassis package. Having clearly demonstrated success in this area, Honda's engineers are now keen to progress development of the unit. A modified version of the Honda RA000E will be introduced for next weekend's British Grand Prix and the new power plant enjoyed a trouble-free first run in testing at Silverstone this week.

"We have achieved our initial objectives," says Takefumi Hosaka, F1 Project leader and Managing Director of Honda R&D at Tochigi in Japan where the development work has taken place. "We have proved the reliability of the engine and can now move on with confidence. We have made an encouraging start to the season and scored points on a number of occasions, but we are aware of the gap to McLaren and Ferrari and this is something that we have to address."

"The revised engine has many new features," continues Hosaka, "but obviously I cannot tell the world the precise details. We learned many things during winter testing and the first races of the year that have been incorporated into the new specification. More important than an immediate increase in power, we feel that the revised format offers significantly more development potential in the future and should help us to achieve the level of the top teams."

This week's Silverstone test programme was unfortunately cut short after an accident involving Ricardo Zonta on Thursday. The Brazilian was unhurt, but the team decided to return to the factory to investigate the cause of the front suspension failure.

"We were running the latest specification Honda engine," explains Zonta. "We had made good progress throughout Wednesday and again on Thursday morning and the car felt really good. Our wet-weather set-up was very good which might well be important next weekend."

The British Grand Prix has this year been moved from its traditional mid-July slot to Easter Sunday. After the warmth of Australia, Brazil and San Marino, the weather is unlikely to be anything other than cold and very possibly wet. If the rain does materialise, the circuit can suffer badly from standing water, as in 1998 when the Safety Car had to be deployed as cars aquaplaned off the track.

Honda boasts a wonderful record in Britain, having claimed victory in four consecutive years in the late 1980s. Nigel Mansell led home Nelson Piquet for a Williams-Honda 1-2 at Brands Hatch in 1986, but the most spectacular result came a year later at Silverstone. Mansell and Piquet again claimed the spoils with the help of Honda Turbo power, but following the Williams duo home was a pair of Lotus-Honda Turbos, piloted by Ayrton Senna and Satoru Nakajima as Honda powered the first four cars across the line. In 1988 Senna claimed the top step of the Silverstone podium with McLaren-Honda, but team mate Alain Prost succeeded him as victor in 1989.


Ferrari [start]

Going into the fourth round of the 2000 FIA Formula One World Championship at Silverstone, on 24 April, most of the Grand Prix personnel will be thinking about - the weather.

Instead of its traditional midsummer July date, this year's British Grand Prix has been scheduled for Easter Sunday - at a time of the year in the English Midlands when relatively cold weather and the traditional 'April showers' can almost be guaranteed.

While the Scuderia Ferrari-Marlboro cars are the favourites, following Michael Schumacher's season-opening hat-trick of victories, the changeable British weather could provide surprises for everyone. Virtually all the teams have taken part this week in a dress rehearsal for the race, when they tested at Silverstone over four days, under leaden grey skies and often wet track conditions. There was even the odd snow flurry, just to make things more interesting.

Some of the British fans will be hoping for the first McLaren win of the season, for their compatriot David Coulthard, the winner of last year's race at Silverstone. But the weather could throw a curved ball. It could upset all the predictions for a repeat of the McLaren-Ferrari duel that we have seen in the first three races of 2000.

Possibly, also, there could also be real changes to the respective current performances of the teams, as a result of rule changes that have been introduced at short notice by the FIA. Starting at this race, these new rules will restrict the capability of the engine management software programs that the teams are allowed to use, and will apply for the rest of the season.

Plans to introduce stricter controls in Imola were delayed until Silverstone, to give the teams the time to make and test the changes. These were to exclude the use of automatic pitlane speed limiters. However, concerns were expressed by the drivers about the dangers inherent in trying to limit 800bhp to 80kph, while concentrating on their speed read-outs, rather on the team personnel milling around the pitlane.

These concerns have prompted a last-minute 'reprieve' from the FIA. The drivers will now be allowed to use automatic pitlane. speed limiters at Silverstone. However, the FIA has decreed that each on-board computer program must be written so as simultaneously to open the fuel filler flap and set the rear 'rain light' flashing. This will make it obvious should any team try to cheat by using the limiter like a banned traction control device out on the track.

Silverstone 1999, of course, brought the downturn in Michael Schumacher's title hopes, when he crashed on the opening lap of the race, and broke a leg. Returning to the scene of his accident does not worry him in the slightest. "If anything, last year's accident has made me stronger mentally," said Schumacher. "It was caused by a problem with the brakes on my car, and that can happen to anyone, anywhere. I ran at Silverstone for the test and I was not worried at all by that."

Michael is clearly confident of another competitive performance on the fast British circuit, where average lap speeds are over 200kph. "We have shown our car is working well on all the types of circuits we have raced on so far this year," he added. "I am confident that we can put up a close fight with the McLarens at Silverstone, as we have done in the first three races. It makes the racing exciting for us as drivers, as well as the spectators..."

Rubens Barrichello is hoping for a better weekend at Silverstone than he had in Imola, where he finished in fourth place. "I was unable to get the car to my liking all weekend, and I wasn't as competitive as I had been at the first two races. Things should be better in Silverstone," Rubens predicted.

The track surface at Silverstone is 'grippy' and smooth. Amazingly, wet-weather lap-times are only about 10 seconds outside the dry-weather times on a clear track. For the drivers, however, spray in the high-speed corners creates the effect of driving in thick fog. If it is indeed a wet race, this could be a major problem for those not on the first couple of rows of the grid. No driver enjoys racing in the wet because of the visibility problems. Despite that, there are several who are relishing the prospect of a wet race, seeing it as a chance to get on top of the Ferrari-McLaren domination.


Jaguar [start]

Johnny Herbert
"It's always good to come back to Silverstone, and this year should be particularly good because of the Jaguar name. The engine issues we had earlier in the season put us back a bit, but I think we're on the right track now and we will keep moving forward. The atmosphere is always really lively at Silverstone. There's real warmth that goes around, and hopefully that warmth will dry out the track this weekend!"

Eddie Irvine
"For Jaguar and Jaguar Racing it will be an important weekend, appearing before its home crowd for the first time. It will be interesting to see how much green there will be in the grandstands. I am not that keen on Silverstone as a track and overtaking is difficult, although it does have one or two challenging corners. Technically, it is quite difficult to get the set-up right, but as we continue to progress with our car, we should be in good shape."

Andy Miller, race director
"The British Grand Prix has come a bit earlier than we would have liked this year and our preparation has been disrupted by the weather. Having said that, we carried on regardless and ended up having quite a reasonable test. We've made significant progress in a couple of areas which hopefully we will reap the rewards of this weekend."


Jordan [start]

The British Grand Prix at Silverstone this weekend will mark Jordan Grand Prix's 150th race and according to Eddie Jordan, it is a fitting place to celebrate the milestone given that they launched their team in a small factory until at Silverstone 10 years ago.

"There have been numerous highlights over those races, but of course numerous low points too," he explains. "But it's the fact that there are so many emotions involved which makes this business special. Some times you think things are going perfectly and then it tumbles down around you. Other times it is quite the opposite, you qualify right down the back of the grid and then you come through the field to get a point, as Ralf Schumacher did for Jordan at Silverstone in 1998. The high point without a doubt is actually having survived. When I started out I was so determined to avoid short term glory in view of securing a long term future and whilst there were many temptations to give in, we stuck to our philosophy. Having survived, the next step was to establish stability and in the last few years we have moved on to enjoy success. When I think of success I immediately think of our first pole (Spa 1994 with Barrichello) and our first race win (Spa 1998 with Hill), ironically at the same circuit. The first victory is undoubtedly a highlight, especially since we created history by winning our first race with a 1-2 finish. In some ways, however, Jordan's gradual move up into the top echelons of the sport is what gives me most satisfaction. The McLaren-Williams-Ferrari-Benetton domination was sacrosanct and had stood for over a decade until we broke it in 1998, doing that gave me a fantastic feeling. Then of course things got one better last year when we came third in the Constructors' Championship! There have been tough races along the way too. Our 100th Grand Prix in Argentina in 1997 was a disaster when Ralf and Giancarlo Fisichella knocked each other off the track. Let's hope our 150th race is memorable for the right reasons! The British Grand Prix is always a great weekend for the team as we have so many supporters who come from the local area and also from Ireland. Since this is Easter weekend we expect more supporters from Ireland to be able to make the trip, so the 'craic' as we call it, should be great."

With the Jordan factory literally across the road from the Silverstone circuit, support for the home team will definitely be high as Eddie predicts. Heinz-Harald Frentzen experienced the Jordan atmosphere at last years race and knows it is like a big family reunion.

"There are a lot of Jordan family members who come to the race," he stated. "It's like a big family with a great atmosphere with everyone cheering for us. Our main contenders are strong at Silverstone, but equally we have done a lot of testing at the track and our experience of the circuit and particularly of the weather conditions will be a help to us. I enjoy racing at Silverstone, I would say it is one of the most exciting circuits we race on. There are some quick and challenging corners some of which you can take above 160 miles per hour. I would actually enjoy a wet race and I think we will be more competitive if it rains. It would also mean a very exciting race. History has shown that there can be some really fantastic races in the wet at Silverstone."

Jarno Trulli has admitted that the team appear to be more suited to the wet conditions and he knows the predicted rain will play a major role in this weekends outcome.

"We look better in wet conditions at the moment," remarked Trulli. "It will be tough and undoubtedly the weather will play a big part, but I think we should do well and win some more points. I am really looking forward to the race weekend; the atmosphere at the testing last week was already amazing with so many Jordan supporters, so for the race it should be even better! For probably the first time in my life I will have lots of supporters and hopefully this will make me and Heinz even stronger for the race."


McLaren [start]

The fourth round of the 2000 FIA Formula One World Championship, the British Grand Prix, takes place at Silverstone this weekend and the West McLaren Mercedes team is aiming to achieve its first victory of the season on home ground.

This year, the British Grand Prix has been moved from its traditional July date to Easter weekend and its expected that the unpredictable English weather will play an important role during the three-day event. This was illustrated during last week's testing at Silverstone where all the Formula One teams, including West McLaren Mercedes, were present. The four-day test gave the teams a taste of what they can expect at the weekend with sunshine, showers and even snow making an appearance during the test.

The British Grand Prix made its debut on the Formula One World Championship calendar in 1950. Over the years, the Aintree circuit has staged the event five times and Brands Hatch 12, whilst the 3.194 miles (5.142 kilometres) Silverstone circuit has played host 33 times with the British Grand Prix taking place at Silverstone consecutively since 1987.

McLaren has an impressive British Grand Prix record, having finished in the points in all 33 events entered since the team's Formula One debut in 1966 and even more remarkably 21 of those were podium finishes. McLaren's first British Grand Prix victory was in 1973 with Peter Revson at the wheel and over the years the team has won the race on ten occasions - most recently when David Coulthard took his West McLaren Mercedes to victory in last year's event.

Mika Hakkinen
'I really like racing at Silverstone since its a very challenging circuit and a lot of fun to drive. We want to win the Grand Prix this weekend and the team is working hard to help us achieve this objective.'

David Coulthard
'I won the British Grand Prix last year and to claim victory in front of your home-crowd is a fantastic feeling, I would love to achieve that again this year and I know that the team aims to win this race. I like the circuit and Copse Corner at the end of the straight, which you take in fifth gear, is one of the fastest corners on the Grand Prix calendar with a speedy entry and a short apex.'

Ron Dennis
'We were delighted that both cars finished the race at Imola two weeks ago but as a team we exist to win races. There is no doubt that we have the potential to win and are looking forward to the race at Silverstone.'


Minardi [start]

A crucial role at the Silverstone Grand Prix will be played by weather conditions to the extent that it will be run in a normally cold and wet part of the year when the weather is subject to sudden change. Recently very few races have been contested in the wet with the exception last season of the Nurburgring and Magny Cours races.

For Minardi, the weather will play a great part in this race weekend. On one side rain could be favourable to the team whereas a dry track could give rise to uncertainties at least for Marc who was not able to run under such weather conditions in the recent tests.

The M02 doesn't show any recent development except for the modifications made on the electronic system unit's software following the recent FIA limitations that will become effective as from this Grand Prix. In fact electronics turned out to be the area of work that mainly involved the technical staff over the Silverstone tests.

As far as drivers are concerned, Gaston Mazzacane will meet the British track for the first time as a F1 driver. The Argentina-born driver also took advantage from the past few days' tests to acquire more confidence with the track where he had already competed, from 1996 to 1998, in the F3000 championship.

"The Silverstone Grand Prix will be one of the hardest in the current season for Telefonica Minardi Fondmetal," remarked Cesare Fiorio, team manager. "All English Teams use this track for their tests and are able to find the right car's set up under any weather conditions or any evolution of it, a "know how" we unfortunately do not have for our cars. Furthermore, we couldn't even take full advantage from last week's tests because they developed under so extreme weather conditions that Marc Gene himself, for example, was not able to make even one lap on the dry asphalt."


Prost [start]

Jean Alesi
"I enjoy the Silverstone circuit where I have often had good results and podiums. It is a track which has a lot of rhythm where you have to remain very concentrated and to attack a lot. The weather is often unpredictable and the rain may be a trump card for us on Sunday because I drive well on wet circuits. But this year our target is to finish the race. We cannot pretend to have good results up to now and we are going through a difficult period which affects everyone in the team. At a time when it is very important to be building up our mileage, we are still halted in tests by problems with reliability. We arrived at Silverstone last week with a very detailed programme - to install the new electronic system and to test new chassis parts. Unfortunately, on Friday, the only day I drove, I could only do two installation laps... In this situation, it is difficult for me to give the team the benefit of my experience or any feedback at all. We remain convinced of the potential of the AP03, but for the moment, we have not been able to exploit it. I do not believe that our entire season will be like this, but there will certainly be some months of hard and intensive work ahead of us to move beyond this situation."

Nick Heidfeld
"Today I have the same feelings as Jean. The two days testing we did last week were just as frustrating for me, even if I did manage to do 55 laps. I arrive at Silverstone with very little specific preparation and after this morning's run, we are still not certain we have sorted out the electric problems related to the engine. This weekend everyone in the team, like Jean and I, will have to give maximum concentration and an enormous effort, in particular in free practice, if we are to do our best in the race."

Jean Pierre Boudy, Technical Director of Peugeot Sport
"After the quality problems we encountered in the off-season in the completion of the processes in making the engine block, we have progressed well with the reliability of our new generation A20 light and compact engine. At Imola, we used the first evolution in qualifying and both drivers appreciated the gains in power and driveability. This evolution not only includes the variable trumpets, but also a lot of internal work. The trumpets give a wider band of power at high revs. Concerning this weekend's Grand Prix, for Friday's free practice, the drivers will have engines available with which we started the season with variable trumpets. For qualifying, and for the race, the two cars will be equipped with the evolution engines as used in qualifying at Imola."


Sauber [start]

Preparation
Team RED BULL SAUBER PETRONAS spent four days testing at Silverstone last week, in addition to two days in the week prior to the recent San Marino GP, in preparation for the British GP. Besides tyre evaluation and set-up work, the team tried revised suspension and a new aerodynamic package at the rear end. Willy Rampf (Technical Director)
"Much of our running last week was hampered by poor weather. But in the final day and a half we were successfully able to complete a planned race distance test of the revised aerodynamics, which we now plan to use this weekend and with the revised front and rear aerodynamic package used in Imola."

Peter Sauber (Team Principal)
"The San Marino GP showed the capability of the RED BULL SAUBER C19, and we look forward to another competitive showing this weekend."

Pedro Diniz (84 GPs, 10 World Championship points)
"This weekend is important to me, because for this race I will be wearing a new design on my crash helmet. This is in honour of the 500th anniversary of the discovery of Brazil, on August 22, 1500. That means a lot to me, and this is my way of showing how I feel."

Mika Salo (78 GPs, 26 World Championship points)
"Most of the drivers on Sunday's grid could probably drive round Silverstone with their eyes shut, because so many of us test there so often! Everyone is really familiar with it. I like it less than some others. Maybe that's because I never seem to have a good race there. But effectively it is my 'home' track, so I'm hoping I can reverse the trend there this time."


Williams [start]

Silverstone represents not only the home of British motorsport but also the home race for the BMW WilliamsF1 Team. The days of straw bales, garden party atmospheres and the winner stopping on his cool-down lap for a beer with the marshals are long gone, but Silverstone is still home to the British Grand Prix. A huge amount of work has been done to the track since 1985, when Keke Rosberg set the world's first 160mph F1 lap with a 1000+bhp of power in his FW10. Essentially, the vibe of Silverstone has remained unchanged. It is still a venue for purists.

After the season's first three races, the BMW Williams F1 Team is placed joint-fourth in the Constructor Championship standings, with Ralf Schumacher also sharing fourth place with Mika Hakkinen in the Drivers Championship. The team's recent test programme at Silverstone was marred by bad weather conditions - a factor that could come into play given Silverstone's new April fixture date.

Ralf Schumacher
"As always, I am looking forward to the British Grand Prix. Every year, Silverstone has a great atmosphere because of the enthusiasm of British motorsport fans, particularly as there are so many of them. I'm not quite sure what will happen this year because of the April date. Afterall, it is not the best month in England because of the weather. But let's hope for the best. For the BMW WilliamsF1 Team, the weather doesn't matter too much because the FW22 feels good in both wet and dry conditions. For me, Silverstone is one of the most exciting and demanding racetracks in the F1 calendar.

"The combination of high, medium and low speed corners makes it challenging to find a good set up. Copse and Becketts are high speed combinations where you require a well balanced aerodynamic set up. Each of these corners requires a smooth approach and maximum revs in an effort to take the speed onto the following straights. On the other hand, Silverstone also boasts several slow speed corners like Prioy, Brooklands and Luffield, all which require good mechanical grip. "My previous experiences at Silverstone have usually ended up with points. In 1998's wet race, I started from the back of the grid and finished the race in sixth place. Last year, I started eight on the grid and finished on the podium behind Coulthard and Irvine."

Jenson Button
"We spent four days testing at Silverstone last week and I must say that I'm really looking forward to this race. Apart from one race in F3, I have never raced on the GP circuit before. Over the past month, however, the BMW WiliamsF1 Team has tested at Silverstone and I have developed a reasonably good understanding of the circuit and what it has to offer. Silverstone has everything from high, medium and slow speed corners to the flat out Hanger Straight. The FW22 feels good and well balanced in both wet and dry conditions and I'm not worried about the weather this weekend. Either way, I think the British Grand Prix will be a great experience for both fans and drivers."

Frank Williams
"The British Grand Prix will see the first occasion under which the cars run to the FIA's new electronic regulations. There could well be some reliability problems for some of the teams due to the rush to incorporate the new regulations. It will certainly be an interesting shake-out on Sunday afternoon, wet or dry."

Gerhard Berger (BMW Motorsport Director)
"For the first time this season we are going to race on a track where the teams have tested before the Grand Prix. Everybody, therefore, should be able to take the best out of their cars, which makes the game very interesting. Given that he has raced in F3 and tested in F1 at Silverstone, Jenson will also be better prepared. He has now clocked-up some useful mileage in the FW22 and his lap times could well be closer to Ralf's. We did some modification work on the BMW V10 after Imola and we expect to be better prepared on the reliability side. Our target hasn't changed - we want to see the chequered flag at least with one car."


Bridgestone [start]

Severe weather hampered all eleven Formula One teams during the four-day test at Silverstone circuit last week. The consistent rain, wind, hail and bitterly cold temperatures played havoc with the teams’ endeavours to prepare for the British Grand Prix. But the drivers had their last opportunity to test Bridgestone’s new wet weather tyres - an essential opportunity given the unpredictable British weather and the increased potential for wet conditions.

This year’s Grand Prix has been brought forward to April 23rd from its traditional July date. The Northamptonshire circuit is steeped in history and was the venue for the first ever World Championship Grand Prix in 1950. In 1996 Bridgestone Motorsport chose the Northamptonshire circuit to evaluate its experimental F1 tyres for the first time in Europe prior to the company’s World Championship debut the following year.

Silverstone was chosen because it has always been a severe test for tyres. The high and medium speed straights and corners, high rotation speeds and loads cause increased tyre degradation. This factor, coupled with the teams’ compromise in set-up between speed and downforce, creates a mixed grid of varying characteristics in cars’ speed and cornering capabilities.

More than 2,400 tyres will be taken to Silverstone for Sunday’s race. Soft and Medium specification tyres will be available if dry conditions prevail. Hard and Soft specification rain tyres will be offered if required. The wet weather tyres have a new tread pattern which dramatically reduces aquaplaning and received a positive reaction from the drivers in recent tests.

Bridgestone had planned to use last week’s official Silverstone test to complete some important tyre testing but the programme was abandoned due to the weather. The tyre development testing is expected to continue in the pre-Spanish Grand Prix test at Barcelona in two weeks time.

Bridgestone Motorsport's Technical Manager, Yoshihiko Ichikawa

“Last week’s Silverstone test was a good opportunity for the teams to experience wet conditions, despite disturbing their personal test and development programmes. However, they did get a decent run on the very last day when the weather was predominantly dry.

The wet conditions were used by the drivers to compare the wet weather Soft and Hard specification tyres. These tyres have newly developed wet tread patterns for this season and the feedback from the drivers has been very positive. If it rains during the Grand Prix it will be the first opportunity we’ve had to see the new wet tyres running in race conditions. One of the key factors of their design is the ability significantly to reduce the effects of aquaplaning.

Although the testing at Kyalami in February was a great opportunity for the teams to try the new wet patterns, Silverstone has provided the most suitable conditions and duration of wet testing required for a full appraisal.

“In wet conditions the Soft specification rain tyre performed slightly better compared to the Hard wets. Silverstone is more severe on tyres than the previous three circuits on which we have raced so far this year. The nature of this track causes greater and swifter tyre degradation of the dry specifications. If the weather conditions stay similar for the Grand Prix then the drivers will already have a firm idea of which specification tyres they would prefer in changing circumstances.”

British Grand Prix Weekend