ESPN F1 [UK]  Junkie Jabber WilliamsF1 German GP Preview
|
|
WilliamsF1 German GP Preview |
|
|
|
Tuesday, 07 July 2009 |
At a Glance
When
Friday 10 to Sunday 12 July, 2009
Where
Nürburgring, Germany
Round
9 of 17
Standings
AT&T Williams 15.5pts (5th)
N Rosberg 15.5pts (7th)
K Nakajima 0pts (20th)
Germany’s Hot Topics
Who’s moved ahead in the development war after the three week break
between races?
Who’ll have what upgrades in Germany?
Will it rain or shine in the Eifel?
Race Data
Friday
Practice 1: 10:00 - 11:30
Practice 2: 14:00 - 15:30
Saturday
Practice 3: 11:00 - 12:00
Qualifying: 14:00 - 15:00
Sunday
Race: 14:00
Lap Distance: 5.148km
Laps: 60
Distance: 308.88kms
Nürburgring in a nutshell
Back on the calendar after a one year sabbatical (Germany’s race
alternates between the Nürburgring and Hockenheim), the Nürburgring is a
straightforward circuit, predominantly a mix of low and medium speed
corners, that requires an uncomplicated two stop strategy….unless the
local weather dictates otherwise. When Formula One last appeared at the
track in 2007 it began raining torrentially within moments of the start,
so much so that the race was briefly suspended.
Talking technical
Car dynamics
Average turn angle indicates the average angle of a circuit’s corners
expressed in degrees. The higher the average turn angle, the more acute
the corners in the circuit’s configuration and the greater propensity
for understeer to compromise lap time. Average turn angle at the Nürburgring
is 1220 which is significantly higher than the average for the
Championship. The circuit therefore has more effect on understeer than the
majority of circuits on the calendar.
The end of straight (EOS) speed at the Nürburgring was 303kp/h in 2007.
The German track ranks as having the 6th lowest EOS speed on the 2009
calendar, and this is one indicator of the wing level typically selected
to optimise the downforce/drag ratio. Meanwhile, the Nürburgring has the
5th lowest average lap speed of any of the tracks on the calendar.
Pitlane & refuelling strategy
The pitlane length and profile contribute to the determination of the
optimum fuel strategy. The pitlane loss at the Nürburgring is
approximately 20.6 seconds, the 8th most penalising pitlane in the
Championship. To complete a normalised distance of 5km around the Nürburgring
requires 2.43kg of fuel against an average of 2.42kg per 5km across all
circuits this season, ranking the circuit as average in terms of fuel
consumption.
Safety car
Another key contributor to the determination of race strategy is the
likelihood of safety car deployments, which are influenced by weather
considerations, the availability of clear run-off areas that allow racing
to continue while recovery takes place and the circuit profile, especially
the character of the entry and exit into turn one at the start of the
race. There have been 3 safety car deployments in the last 12 races at the
Nürburgring, making it relatively unlikely that there will be a safety
car period, although the weather in the Eifel region is notoriously
unpredictable so a safety car period can never be ruled out.
Temperature, pressure & humidity
As an example, it is a long observed tradition that drivers arriving at
Interlagos complain about a lack of grip and an absence of engine power.
Having become acquainted with a baseline of engine and aerodynamic
performance during the season, the climb to 750 metres above sea level for
one of the final races can, courtesy of the reduction in air density, rob
a Formula One car of engine power, aerodynamic performance and cooling.
The losses can come close to double digit percentages and thus have a very
real impact on car performance. Air density is a factor of the
prevailing ambient temperature, which varies most significantly by season,
air pressure which is closely linked to altitude and, to a much smaller
degree, by humidity. Thus if races are run at the same time each year, the
factor that tends to have the greatest bearing on air density is
elevation. The Nürburgring is 618m above sea level and has the 2nd lowest
average pressure (946.50mbar) of any race venue in the 2009 Championship.
As a consequence, the circuit’s ambient characteristics will result in a
significant reduction in engine power.
What the drivers say
What we’ve been up to between races
Kazuki “I had a full week off after
Silverstone and went to Norway with my friend. We just drove around a lot
and took in the landscape. The weather was great and we visited the most
northern point of Europe which was really interesting, but really quite
cold! I’ve been back in the factory everyday since using the simulator
and training in the gym in preparation for Germany.”
Nico “It was a busy week around Silverstone. Because
it’s the team’s home Grand Prix, I went to the UK early to do lots of
marketing and media commitments ahead of the weekend. It was then a busy
race as well, so having the three weeks off before Germany was quite nice
as I’ve spent the time just relaxing. I’ve been at home in Monaco
catching up with friends and doing some training, I also took a short trip
to Ibiza to spend some time on the beach!”
Reflections on the British Grand Prix
Nico “Our performance at Silverstone, in fact
in Turkey as well, has given me lots of optimism. The team are doing a
really good job in terms of development and that is showing on the track.
At Silverstone, we had another fifth place and those points moved us up
another position in the Constructors’. We need to keep making that kind
of progress for the rest of the season now. Hopefully, we’ll be on the
podium soon.”
Kazuki “Silverstone was a good race
weekend until the first stint when it was really difficult to make any
progress and we missed some opportunities, we cost us a place in the
points. It’s not a case of having to try harder; it’s just waiting for
it to all come together.”
The Nürburgring – from a technical perspective
Nico “The Nürburgring is a very different
track to say Silverstone because the average corner speeds are a lot
slower. This means car set-up needs to be quite different so we will have
a lot of things to test on Friday in order to find the right direction and
to get the best out of the car. The FW31 has been very consistent and
relatively quick on every track this year so I have high hopes that we can
continue our good form.”
Kazuki “Like Silverstone, it’s a
tricky track but, unlike Silverstone, it’s more of a slow to medium
speed circuit with lots of elevation. The weather can be a big factor at
the Nürburgring, as can getting temperatures into the tyres as ambient
can be quite low. Set-up-wise though it should be fairly straightforward.
I haven’t raced a Formula One car around the Nürburgring, only a GP2
car, but I had a good race then so I hope that experience will help me.
I’ve also done lots of lap on the sim, so I hope I’m well prepared.”
Thinking about Germany and the Eifel region
Nico “Going to Germany is a bit special for
me as it’s my home Grand Prix and the circuit, together with Hockenheim,
is the one that I know the best. Racing in front of your home crowd is a
real buzz and the German fans in particular are really passionate about
the sport, so there’ll be a good atmosphere. After a long break since
the last race, I can’t wait to get back out on track now and getting
another good result would make the weekend perfect for me.”
Kazuki “It’s a beautiful part of
the world, and very close to Cologne which I’ve visited lots of times as
I have a lot of Japanese friends at Toyota. The German fans are really
passionate, but I think this year they will be more so because of Vettel
and Nico who are doing a great job.”
|
|
|
|
Next Up
|
