BMW WilliamsF1 Team-German GP-Preview
German Grand Prix 1/2/3 August 2003 PREVIEW After a podium finish on British soil last weekend, the German Grand Prix will be no less intense for the BMW WilliamsF1 Team as it endeavours to produce a strong performance on BMW¹s home ground at Hockenheim. Beyond the significance of showing positively in front of a partisan crowd, the FIA Formula One World Championship is entering a crucial phase. With the points margins in both the Drivers¹ and Constructors¹ Championships so close, with only five races to go until the close of the 2003 season, victory will be of paramount importance as the opportunities for points scoring are diminishing. Next weekend¹s German Grand Prix therefore promises to be a fascinating event for the teams and for the fans. Ralf Schumacher: "Not winning at Silverstone was a shame as it was WilliamsF1¹s home Grand Prix, but I have moved on and am looking forward to racing at Hockenheim and securing some more points. The World Championship, however, is far from my thoughts at the moment. Hockenheim is my home Grand Prix so I am concentrating on that and, hopefully, securing another win. "Last year, we ran for the first time on the revised track, which is great, so I can¹t wait to get back there. Losing the long straights of the old circuit is not a problem as the new layout is clearly much more interesting for both the drivers and the fans. There's a great overtaking opportunity before the hairpin and the corners in the infield don't narrow at the exit, they remain open, so you can maintain your rhythm and drive fluently." Juan Pablo Montoya: "It¹s good to approach the German Grand Prix with some more valuable points under my belt. I am now third in the Drivers' Championship and this is very good, but the gap from the lead is still substantial and I need to score points consistently in every race to be able to challenge for the title. "Since it was revised for last year¹s race, Hockenheim now offers more overtaking opportunities but, unfortunately, fewer high-speed sections. All in all though, the layout of the new circuit should allow our cars to demonstrate their true potential. So far, we have always been fairly competitive at Hockenheim, even when our car wasn't as good as it is now, so I don't see why we shouldn't be confident in achieving a good result this year." Sam Michael (WilliamsF1, Chief Operations Engineer): "Major improvements were made to Hockenheim in time for last year¹s race which transformed it into a more exciting track with plenty of overtaking opportunities. The long straight from Turn 2 down to Turn 3, with the extensive tarmac run-off area, is a great example of how the race promoters can make changes to circuits in order to facilitate overtaking, thereby enhancing the excitement of Formula One. "Hockenheim is dominated by slow and medium speed corners which will dictate the setup options we select over the weekend. As always, traction will be an important factor, as well as tyre selection. The data from last year¹s race demonstrates that tyre degradation can be a problem at Hockenheim so making the correct choice with Michelin will be crucial. Strategy, however, will be the most critical element of the weekend, so the efficiency of the pit crew will be key. After seeing how much time the crew managed to gain our drivers in the pit lane during the safety car period at Silverstone, we are confident of another strong showing in Germany. Since the British Grand Prix, we¹ve made several improvements to the FW25 which will hopefully keep us challenging at the front of the field and help us to secure some more valuable points at Hockenheim." Mario Theissen (BMW Motorsport Director): "For the last two years, Hockenheim has proven to be a good race for us. In 2001, both our drivers started from the front row of the grid for the first time, with Ralf going on to win his home race. Last year, Juan Pablo and Ralf finished second and third respectively. I hope we can maintain such impressive results this year and add to the team¹s successes already achieved this season. "Before the Hockenheimring was adapted, the long forest straights suited our powerful engine and we were able to exert greater influence on the car¹s performance than we can with the new layout. Now, it¹s the quality of the overall package that¹s important rather than just sheer horsepower alone. Even so, with engines running flat out for around 65 per cent of the time, it¹s one of the fastest circuits on the calendar. Thanks to the recent improvements to the track, the stadium-like character of the venue, with its unique atmosphere in the Motodrom, has been further accentuated. Furthermore, this season we are witnessing an extremely close battle for both World Championships. For us, and for the fans, this is the most exciting Formula One season we¹ve had for years so we are of course looking forward to a good race at our home Grand Prix." Facts and figures … The town of Hockenheim has a population of around 19,000 and is situated on the Upper Rhine plain in the state of Baden-Württemberg. … On 29th May 1932, the circuit hosted its inaugural motorcycle race on the un-surfaced, triangular circuit. In 1938, the circuit was re-designed to create the oval-shaped Palatinate Ring. 1957 saw further modifications when the Motodrom was built. … On 2nd August 1970, Hockenheim hosted its first Formula One Grand Prix with Jochen Rindt taking victory. In 1977, however, the German Grand Prix moved to Baden indefinitely, only returning to the Nürburgring once in 1985. … In 2002, Hockenheim celebrated its 70th anniversary with a new design and a new name - the "Hockenheimring Baden Württemberg." The long forest straights were removed and replaced with new sections in order to accommodate increasing spectator numbers. Where cars previously disappeared into the woods, the circuit now takes a sharp right turn (the second corner after the start / finish) into the long, sweeping, high-speed Parabolica left turn. This culminates in a hairpin taken in first gear with the steering wheel virtually at full lock. Following this hairpin, a right-left-right combination takes you back to familiar territory the Motodrom "stadium" section. … To date, WilliamsF1 have claimed eight victories at Hockenheim. The first in 1979, when Alan Jones won the second of the team¹s 111 race victories. In 2001, BMW with partner WilliamsF1 achieved its first Formula One win at Hockenheim. BMW has now secured a total of seventeen Grand Prix victories. … In 2002, Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya lined up second and fourth on the grid. For the first time ever, two German brothers were starting from the front row of the grid in Germany with Michael Schumacher (1:14.389m) ahead of brother Ralf. At the end of the race, Montoya crossed the line in second place behind the reigning World Champion. Ralf Schumacher, having previously been in a comfortable second position, had to make an unscheduled pit stop with just four laps to go in order to top up with air for the BMW V10¹s pneumatic valve drive. This resulted in a third-placed finish behind teammate Juan Pablo. … Total circuit length in 2003 will be 4.574 kilometres. The Grand Prix will comprise of 67 laps, creating a race distance of 306.458 kilometres. … Last year, Michael Schumacher clocked the fastest lap on the new circuit with a time of 1:16.462m. … The 2003 German Grand Prix starts at 14:00 hrs local time on Sunday 3rd August. 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 45 111 Poles 10 4 Wins 2 6 Points (total) 136 230 Points 2003 55 (3rd) 53 (4th) Fastest laps 7 6 2003 Qualifying Race Points Qualifying Race Points Australian GP 3 2 8 9 8 1 Malaysian GP 8 12 0 17 4 5 Brazilian GP 9 DNF 0 6 7 2 San Marino GP 4 7 2 2 4 5 Spanish GP 9 4 5 7 5 4 Austrian GP 3 DNF 0 10 6 3 Monaco GP 3 1 10 1 4 5 Canadian GP 2 3 6 1 2 8 European GP 4 2 8 3 1 10 French GP 2 2 8 1 1 10 British GP 7 2 8 4 9 - The BMW WilliamsF1 Team is currently second in the FIA Formula One World Championship Constructors¹ standings with 108 points.