Formula One: Stewart-Ford Notes and Quotes, Spanish Grand Prix Preview
25 May 1999
The Stewart-Ford team completed three days of testing at the Circuit de Catalunya last week in preparation for this weekends race. Johnnys highest finish in the Spanish Grand Prix was second place in 1995 while Rubens best was fifth in 1998 at the wheel of the SF2. Both Rubens and Johnny will be attending the UEFA Champions League Final on Wednesday evening at Barcelona's Nou Camp stadium as guests of Ford - an official partner of the UEFA Champions League.RUBENS BARRICHELLO Car No.16 (SF3-04)
The test went quite well last week though I would have liked to complete a race distance on the final day. Nonetheless we got through a lot of miles on the first two days working on set-up for the race and we believe we have a very good package for the weekend. The track surface is very abrasive so its vital to have good performance from the tyres because degradation can be quite severe. We have proven at this circuit that we can be quick. I have qualified in the top six for every race this year and will be aiming to keep my record intact.'
JOHNNY HERBERT Car No.17 (SF3-05)
I like going to Barcelona for several reasons. It is a great city and the circuit is a real drivers circuit characterised by fast corners which are very challenging. Because there is a mix of fast corners and slow corners, its important to find the right set up for the car. We have experienced increased reliability from the engine recently which is very satisfying for the whole team and for Ford. As this year's car is a big improvement we have every reason to be confident. I am looking for my first race finish of the season and if I achieve that I expect to be in the points.
ANDY MILLER, SGP Race Director
Our aim in Barcelona is to translate our qualifying performances in the first four races of the season into a strong race finish for both drivers. We have continued a programme of aerodynamic development since Monaco which should enable us to remain at the sharp end of the grid. Our testing in Barcelona since the start of the season has illustrated that the car is well suited to the demands of the circuit. Previous Barcelona tests have shown that we are well on the pace and we have now added reliability so we are in good shape for the weekend.'
MARTIN WHITAKER, Director, Ford Racing, Europe
'We completed three days of testing at Barcelona last week with the aim of accumulating more race distances on the engine at the higher rev limit we used successfully at Monaco. Further testing aimed at improving the driveability of the engines was also undertaken. As a result of the test we have identified further performance gains which we can now evaluate at the dyno and at future tests.'
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