Italian GP preview - BMW WilliamsF1 Team
Italian Grand Prix - 14/15/16-09-01 - PREVIEW
The BMW WilliamsF1 Team is hopeful those who are predicting a good result in
Monza for it are proved to be correct. On paper the Monza track should suit
the FW23 and at the July test Ralf Schumacher recorded the fastest lap. In
Belgium Ralf had a new chassis and this weekend it is the turn of Juan Pablo
Montoya with number eight earmarked for its debut in his hands. To date
WilliamsF1 has five victories at the circuit to its name, while Nelson Piquet
won there in 1983 during his Championship winnning year in the BMW-powered
Brabham. It has been a very good circuit for Ralf as he was fifth in his
first Grand Prix there in 1997, and has been on the podium for the past three
years. Meanwhile, Juan Pablo only knows the circuit from testing.
Ralf Schumacher
"Monza is not too demanding on the drivers, but normally produces interesting
races. There are three possibilities to overtake. With a little more luck
than in Spa we should look fairly good in Italy, especially as the Monza is a
similar track to Hockenheim, so it should suit our car quite well."
Juan Pablo Montoya
"It is a track very like Hockenheim and we did well there. We should be
really quick there, but we will have to see what happens.The most important
thing as we have seen in qualifying in Spa is to get the car right. If we get
it right we should be very quick. I have only tested there and never raced."
Sam Michael (Chief Operations Engineer)
"Monza is a very low-downforce circuit with a similar top speed to
Hockenheim. The four high-speed corners mean the tyres are usually harder
compound. Its other main features are chicanes and low braking distances. The
mechanical set-up has to be a compromise between a stable car in high speed
and being competitive over the curbs at the chicanes. At the last test we
were happy with the performance of the tyre compounds and constructions that
Michelin developed with us. This is a critical circuit for tyre safety and we
put a lot of time into testing the reliability of the tyre casing. With the
low wing levels and good engine power this is the easiest circuit on which to
overtake. Depending on our qualifying position, this may be the key to our
pit-stop strategy on race day."
Dr. Mario Theissen (BMW Motorsport Director)
"In Spa by being first and second in qualifying we have shown what we can
achieve if everything goes well. But on race day it became obvious the team
is making far too many mistakes to be fighting at the top of the
championship. A positive point is we can learn easily from obvious mistakes.
We are using the time between the races to do this. We are preparing for
Monza by testing in Magny-Cours and carrying out development work in Munich.
We are looking forward very much to the Monza circuit, because it should suit
our chassis and engine package. Of course it is our target to finish the
European season with a very good result."
· This year's race will be the 52nd Italian Grand Prix and as only the 1980
event, which was held in Imola, is the sole one not held at Monza, more
Grands Prix have been held there than at any other single circuit. The
Italian Grand Prix in Monza is obviously a mecca for the Italian fans, better
known as the Tifosi, as they can see their heroes, the Ferrari drivers, at
close quarters. Last year they were not disappointed with Michael Schumacher
winning from pole. This year they will have the chance to welcome the newly
crowned World Champions.
· The Monza circuit is in a Royal Park at the edge of the town, which itself
is a suburb of Milan.Over the years numerous changes have been made to the
circuit and for last year the first chicane was dramatically re-profiled,
while minor changes were made to the chicane after Curva Grande.Originally
the circuit had very steep banking and some of this can still be witnessed
only a few hundred yards from the pits.
· The circuit is 3.600 miles (5.793 km) long and the 53 lap race will be
190.614 miles (306.764 km) long.The race will start at 14.00 local time
(12.00 GMT) on Sunday, 16th September. The lap record was set last year by
second-place Mika Hakkinen in his McLaren with a time of 1m 25.595s
(151.394mph/243.645km/h), while the race was won by Michael Schumacher in his
Ferrari. This average speed makes Monza the fastest track on the current
Grand Prix calendar by about 5mph.
Ralf Schumacher # 5 Juan Pablo Montoya # 6
Nationality German Colombian
Born 30 June 1975 - Hürth, (Ger) 20 Sept. 1975, Bogota
(Col)
Marital status engaged to Cora Brinkmann single
Lives Salzburg (Austria) Monte Carlo (MC), Oxford (UK)
Height 1,78 m 1,68 m
Weight 73 kg 72 kg
F1 debut 1997, Melbourne, Australia 2001, Melbourne, Australia
Best qualifying 1st France 1st : 2001 Eur, Bel
Best GP fin. 1st: 2001 RSM, Can, Ger 2nd: 2001 Spa, Eur
GP starts 80 14
Points 2001 44 15
Total points 130 15
Fastest laps 4 2
2001 FIA F1 Championship
Qualifying Race Qualifying Race
Australia 5th DNF 11th DNF
Malaysia 3rd 5th 6th DNF
Brazil 2nd DNF 4th DNF
San Marino 3rd 1st 7th DNF
Spain 5th DNF 12th 2nd
Austria 3rd DNF 2nd DNF
Monaco 5th DNF 7th DNF
Canada 2nd 1st 10th DNF
European 2nd 4th 3rd 2nd
France 1st 2nd 6th DNF
Great Britain 10th DNF 8th 4th
Germany 2nd 1st 1st DNF
Hungary 4th 4th 8th 8th
Belgian 2nd 7th 1st DNF
Media contact:
WilliamsF1
Ann Bradshaw
ann.bradshaw@williamsf1.com
Tel: +44 79 772 75 838
BMW
Guido Stalmann
Tel: +49(0) 170 5666 112
guido.stalmann@bmw.de
###
Sylvia Proudfoot
spur07@cs.com
403 287 3945
