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ESPN F1 [UK]
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Williams' Begium GP Preview |
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Tuesday, 24 August 2010 |
The August shutdown period is over and it's time for the remaining races
of the 2010 season. We talk to Sam Michael and the team's drivers ahead of
this weekend's race in Spa (when, incidentally, Rubens will celebrate his
300th GP entry).
When: Friday 27 to Sunday 29 August, 2010
Where: Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
Round: 13 of 19
Sam Michael, Technical Director
Spa is a fantastic circuit and a definite challenge for the engineers and
drivers. Sectors 1 and 3 require low drag, while Sector 2 requires maximum
downforce, so a well compromised set-up is crucial for getting a quick lap
time. Spa is a real driver’s circuit and one of the greatest layouts we
have on the calendar. We will have new front and rear wings, plus some
mechanical changes for the FW32 for this race. We’re also looking
forward to celebrating Rubens’ 300 Grand Prix in Belgium, an impressive
achievement!
Rubens Barrichello
Spa is a great racing circuit. I took my first pole there and have won at
Spa while racing in the lower categories so I’m looking forward to it.
It’s always a challenging track and I imagine it will be even more so
now we are carrying full tanks. It can be quite tricky in terms of car
set-up because it’s so long, and you need to have a car fast enough to
take on corners like La Source and Eau Rouge. It really all depends on the
aero efficiency of the car as to what your lap time is. Drivers tend to go
for quite different downforce levels at Spa so there’s always
opportunities chance to overtake.
This race will be my 300th in Formula One. I feel very privileged to have
been in the sport for such a long time and it feels great to reach this
milestone. I still think I am at the top of my game and plan to continue
being competitive long past my 300th GP!
Nico Hülkenberg
After Hungary, I spent some time analysing the race weekend with my
engineers and have some good data. It was nice to go into the shutdown
period with a good result on the score sheets – it’s allowed me to
fully relax and I’ve since had a really nice few weeks’ break. It also
gave me some time to increase my training schedule in preparation for some
quite demanding races that lie ahead of us now.
Next up is Spa, a track I obviously haven’t had experience of in an F1
car, but it’s such an iconic circuit I’m really excited to get going!
We’ve definitely made progress with the pace of the FW32 in recent races
and I definitely feel that I’ve upped my qualifying and race
performance. This gives me the confidence to feel quite positive about the
remaining third of the year.
Click here
for more information about Spa and dont' forget to visit WF1TV later
this week to check out the Spa preview video |
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