BMW WilliamsF1 Team-Brazilian GP-Preview
Brazilian Grand Prix 4/5/6 April 2003 - PREVIEW Despite proving extremely quick during testing, and showing flashes of potential including a second-place finish for Juan Pablo Montoya in Australia, the BMW WilliamsF1 Team is extremely keen to show its full potential at the forthcoming Grand Prix in Brazil. Juan Pablo Montoya: "The Brazilian GP is something of a home race for me. It's the closest circuit to my home country and usually it is very welcoming to see so many Colombian fans. For the last two years there has been a sea of yellow, blue and red flags which is a pretty inspiring sight. "We've done well over the last two years at Interlagos, so hopefully we can produce another good result this year. It seems to be a track that suits our package. My intention is to try and make up for the victory that slipped through my hands in 2001, but I expect this will be quite difficult to do. The track is good but bumpy and this makes it quite technical and difficult, especially to find the right set-up, all of which makes it challenging. Add to this the heat and the physical conditions which are increased because it is an anti-clockwise circuit, and sure, it¹s going to be hard." Ralf Schumacher: "I was pleased of course about my recovery from my grid position to finish fourth in Malaysia, even though the race showed that we still have a lot of areas to improve. However, Sao Paulo's circuit should suit our package better. The narrow infield should work well with the FW25 and I am therefore very confident. I know first of all I must improve in qualifying, because managing to get the best possible set-up of my car in a very short time has always been one of my strengths. "It is important to qualify well, as even if the new rules mean a lot can happen during the race, (as in the first two Grands Prix) I cannot always rely on the chance of coming up through the field in the race." Sam Michael (Chief Operations Engineer, WilliamsF1): "Since Malaysia, the team has been testing in Barcelona for the past four days with all three drivers. The team tested tyres and mechanical, engine and aero components, from which we are taking most of the improvements found to Brazil. It was a good test with solid results in all areas. "Interlagos will be an exciting race for everybody as the track layout provides a couple of overtaking opportunities every lap. The circuit is dominated by slow to medium speed corners and straights. There are also two high-speed corners followed by short runs to another corner. It¹s still quite important to be well set up for these corners as the second to last high speed corner is just before the long main straight. However, from a set-up perspective, the circuit is not as bumpy as it used to be after recent resurfacing. "Strategy is always interesting at Interlagos with such a long pit lane but also plenty of overtaking opportunities. The rule changes for this year throw everything into doubt again, so it will be interesting to see which direction everyone goes in. We are confident of a strong challenge in Brazil with improvements from testing on all fronts including chassis, tyres and engine. The rear wing mounting has also been improved to reduce the change time if we are unfortunate enough to suffer the same eventuality again." Mario Theissen (BMW Motorsport Director): "The Brazilian Grand Prix marks the end of the flyaway Œmarathon¹ before the races return to Europe. In Brazil we may face high temperatures similar to the last two races, but for sure lower humidity than in Malaysia. Interlagos lies approximately 800 metres above sea level which means for the engines a loss of approximately eight percent power due to lower air density, but this is obviously the same for everybody. Our BMW P83 engines now have proven reliability under extreme demands during the first two races of the season and of course we want to continue this consistency. Strong and reliable engines together with WilliamsF1's further development of the FW25 should help us to narrow the gap to the fastest in São Paulo." Facts and Figures - São Paulo is the capital of Brazil¹s most industrialised state in the south of the country. The city has a population of nearly ten million people. São Paulo is the home of the coffee trade. First colonised in 1554, São Paulo is today the fastest growing Latin American metropolis. - The circuit name "Interlagos" means "between the lakes". The 1940s predecessor to today¹s contemporary track was situated a long way outside the city betyween its eponymous lakes. Since then, the city has grown and expanded to the circuit¹s immediate environs - The Brazilian Grand Prix returned to Sao Paulo in 1990. Previously it was based at the Jacarepagua circuit, near Rio de Janeiro. - One of Interlagos¹ peculiarities is that it is one of only two anti-clockwise tracks encountered during the season, which requires some additional preparation of driver¹s neck muscles. - For the 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix several alterations have been made to the circuit, including new draining system, kerbs, tyre walls and run off areas. In addition, new fences similar to the ones found at Indianapolis Motor Speedway have been constructed. - Extensive resurfacing on the track and through the pit straight has been undertaken to eliminate some of Interlagos¹ legendary bumps - To accommodate the teams a new complex has been built behind the garages, fitted with a small kitchen, meeting and rest room - The track length is 2.678 miles (4.309 km) and the race distance will be 71 laps or 190,124 miles (305,909 km). - The Grand Prix commences at 1400hrs local on Sunday, April 6 after the daylight saving time change, this equates to 1800hrs UTC, 1900hrs in Central Europe. - With pole position for Juan Pablo, a second place in the race for Ralf behind brother Michael and Juan Pablo crossing the line in fifth position despite an early incident with the World Champion, the BMW WilliamsF1 Team has a positive record of the 2002 Brazilian Grand Prix. In 2001, the BMW WilliamsF1 Team qualified on the front two rows of the grid, Ralf in 2nd and Juan Pablo starting from 4th. However, both drivers were hit from behind, resulting in a frustrating pair of DNFs from a weekend that had promised much. In the year 2000, Ralf and former team mate Jenson Button finished in 6th and 7th place respectively. - Michael Schumacher holds the lap record at 1m14.755s, recorded in 2000. Last year¹s fastest race lap was recorded by Juan Pablo Montoya in his FW24 in 1m16.079s. Juan Pablo Montoya #3 Ralf Schumacher #4 DOB 20/09/75 - Bogota (COL) 30/06/75 Hürth (DEU) Nationality Colombian German Residence Monte Carlo (MCO) Salzburg (AUT) Marital status Married to Connie Married to Cora, one son (David) Height 1.68 m 1.78 m Weight 72 kg 73 kg F1 debut 2001, Melbourne 1997, Melbourne GP starts 36 102 Poles 10 1 Wins 1 (01 ITA) 4 (01 SMR, CAN, DEU, 02 MYS) Points (total) 89 183 Points 2003 8 (3rd) 6 (8th) Fastest laps 6 6 2003 Qualifying Race Qualifying Race Australian GP 3. 2. 9. 8. Malaysian GP 8. 12. 17. 4. Paddock Media Briefings: (all activities will be held at the back of the garage) Thursday 14:00-14:30 JPM (TVs followed by print media) 14:30-15:00 RS (TVs followed by print media) Friday 15:45 RS (five minutes of TV interviews) 16:00 JPM (FIA Official Press Conference - Media Centre) Saturday 5 minutes after Qualifying is over: 5 minutes of TV interviews (both drivers) 16:30-17:00 RS (TVs followed by print media) 17:00-17:30 JPM (TVs followed by print media) 17:30-18:00 Patrick Head / Mario Theissen (print media only) Sunday: 30 minutes after Race ends: Sam Michael available for media questions at the back of the garage (15 minutes)